When the amps are turned to 10 and the distortion pedal is as loud as
possible, every little nuance shines through and you'll need as much help
as possible to alleviate any unwanted noise. In this lesson, I'll
show you some muting techniques for both your left and right hands to help
minimize fret buzz and sounding unwanted strings while still being able to
play all 6 strings all of the time. Here is the chord chart for a B minor
chord which we'll be using as an example in this lesson:
Most
of the time, when notes are played by accident, it's because of the
placement on your fret hand. When playing certain chords, the
placement of your fingers when fretting the notes is imperative to not
only playing those desired notes but also muting the unwanted strings.
Take a look at
example 1. Here you'll see my hand
playing a simple B minor chord. Notice how the tip of my index finger just
barely touches the low E string but there's enough contact to mute that
particular string. The G string is also muted by allowing the fleshy
part of my ring finger to "rest" against it so it will not sound.
The high E string is also muted by my index finger but uses the bottom
part of my finger near the palm.
In
example 2, my pick/ strum hand mutes the
unwanted strings by gently placing the side of my palm on the strings near
the bridge. In most instances, pick handed muting occurs during
solos or lead playing. You will hear the muted notes for a split
second but it won't impede on your playing. If anything, it will
create a more percussive sound which can be used to your advantage,
especially when you're playing by yourself.
The
last example,
example 3, shows you how to use both your
left and right hands to mute your strings while playing in real time.
It's a quick example but one that should that help you understand the
concept in an actual playing situation.
This technique, like most, gets easier with time. Hopefully, it'll
be something you can use at all times and not have to even think about.
Start muting with your fret first and then move on to your picking hand.
Take it slow and then develop it. Best of luck.
Next
Lesson:
To Be Announced
Previous
Lesson:
Chord-ially Yours
To learn more about
Patrick DeCoste, visit his website
at
http://www.decosteonline.com/
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