Muting strings while soloing

[illumina]

Heya Guys,

I've been in this rut for too long and can't seem to progress past this..

When I'm picking any of the higher strings, I seem to be not muting correctly, as the low strings ring, and it seems massively uncomfortable to palm mute all the strings, and pick the high B and e strings.

My most glaring is example is Beast and the Harlot, by Avenged Sevenfold (I blame Guitar Hero 2 for me liking this song)... the lead over the chorus is :

|----------------13---------------13-|
||o---------13---------------13-------|
||-----14---------------14------------|
||--15---------------15---------------|
||o-----------------------------------|
||------------------------------------|

|------------------12------------------12-|
|-----------13------------------13--------|
|----12------------------12---------------|
|-14------------------14------------------|
|-----------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------|

etc. etc... For some reason every attempt I try sounds horrid. Im hitting the right notes, but everything keeps ringing together..


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[UFORocks]

1.) try it this way in stead, it has a more natural feel to it.

||---------------13-----------------13- |
||-------10--13-------------10--13-----|
||---10-----------------10--------------|
||--------------------------------------|
||--------------------------------------|
||--------------------------------------|

|---------------12-------------------12-|
|-----------13-------------------13-----|
|--9---12----------------9---12--------|
|---------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------|

2.) There's no palm muting necessary here. It's all about the fretting hand on this one. Play it slow, one note at a time, over and over again.. You're gonna have to get a feel for how to pick the note and then stop it from ringing with your fretting hand instead of your picking hand (palm muting).

-Steve

EDIT: Sorry, fixed the second part, it's late.

[GryphonGuitar]

It's sort of important for two string arpeggios on the E and B strings, to be able to consistently mute the notes with Your right hand, otherwise it sounds like a strum and just melts together in this really unprepossessive tinny sound - but a lot of this can be overcome with the fretting hand. Just apply pressure to the fretboard differentially - which means, when the next note in the arpeggio occurs, release the previous note... Sort of like four string hammer-ons, if You will. Then the other fingers of Your left hand will automatically mute the strings not played.

[illumina]

Next question. (thanks for the help so far!)

How do i stop the bottom strings Im not playing from vibrating on their own, if I'm not palming the bridge?

[GodOfRhythm]

You should be palming the the bridge, for the lower strings or they WILL rumble, definitely in higher gain situations.

For the example you gave, I would use downward sweep picking, unless it has some weird accents (which I don't know, since I haven't heard it).

[GodOfRhythm]

Another good example to practice here is the introlick to the song Triptych by Siam Shade:

|-----------15--13--12----12--13--14---------------------|
|------12------------------------------12-----------------|
|--11-----------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|

|-----------15--13--12----12--13--14------19---------------|
|------12--------------------------------------------------|
|--11-----------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------------------|


It needs good accenting, so it forces you to really pick certain notes good, while muting others at the right time.

[UFORocks]

Just for reference, here's a link that shows someone playing that song including the part you're trying to play using the same fingering that's in your tab. Go to 1:30 on the video. It's not super clean, but it gets the point across. Hopefully this helps.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_YMtmt49EDM&feature=related

-Steve.


P.S. I sent you a PM too.

[slayer32390]

Well I just learned this song because of your post and the way I play that part is the same fingering that you put in your original post and I just sweep pick those parts and my picking hand mutes all the bottom strings will it moves down and actually performs the sweep. basically im dragging my hand down along the strings as i sweep. sorry for the bad description

I just looked at the video that UFO posted and what I do different is that my left hand fingers lift up right after the note is sounded so that it doesnt ring from being held down and my right hand is one smooth downard motion instead of individual downstrokes on each string if that makes sense. Good luck

[illumina]

Thanks for the suggestions guys; its helped a bit already.. I'll try to record a video of my craptastic playing tommorow so you guys can hopefully see what im doing wrong.

[illumina]

Ok... no video yet... but next question..

I seem to be getting the hang of it... on my old RG550... the volume knob is located differently than my DXMG.. I sound terrible on my DXMG... the only way i can palm the bridge is to open my hand up completely, and tuck my pinky behind the volume knob, which is quite uncomfortable... any suggestions?

For the record, im sweep picking my original shape, and I currently plant the side of my pinky in the space between my bridge pickup and volume knob.

thanks again!