| Palm muting on the guitar - what is it used for?It's used | | | | has no effect at all. The positions in between are what |
| sometimes in various types of music, with both electric | | | | you'll want to use.Once you have the sound you want, |
| and acoustic guitars. It's often heard in rock music with | | | | you'll usually be able to pick any string and get the |
| distorted guitars. Palm muting will muffle the ringing of | | | | same level of palm muting. Just be cautious that you |
| the guitar so the notes don't ring for as long of a | | | | don't move the hand too far up or down the strings as |
| duration when played. When you want to get a | | | | you pick if you want to keep the same sound.Things |
| chunky sound out of the guitar, palm muting is what | | | | to try for practiceTo practice, you can try walking |
| you want to use. Palm muting can also be used to | | | | through a scale while palm muting. Also try playing |
| show a contrast between loud and soft, so you can | | | | some 5th chords (also commonly known as power |
| play with palm mutes to make it sound muffled, and | | | | chords), see if you can get the right sound in all the |
| then unleash a fuller sound by stopping the palm | | | | strings you're playing. Remember, be careful about |
| mute.How to do itIt takes some practice to get it | | | | accidentally moving the hand while playing. It'll take |
| perfect, but it's not hard to palm mute. To do it, you | | | | some practice, but after you figure it out, it's not hard |
| need to take your strumming/picking hand and rest it | | | | to do. If you play an electric guitar, try using distortion. It |
| against the bridge of the guitar. Use the part of your | | | | can often be a lot easier to hear the difference this |
| hand just above the wrist. When you want to get the | | | | way.Also try playing across all the strings while palm |
| muffled sound from the string you're playing, you rest it | | | | muting to see what the difference is for your hand |
| barely against the end of the string. It should still be able | | | | position. Playing a palm muted low E string is a bit |
| to ring a bit, but it will be muffled. If you hear just a | | | | different than playing the high E string with palm muting. |
| "thunk" sound with no tone, then you've moved your | | | | Most of the time the three lowest strings (E, A, D) are |
| hand too far up the guitar (towards the neck). Try | | | | used for palm muting techniques, but knowing how to |
| slowly sliding the hand back as you pick until you get | | | | palm mute the other three may come in handy.Now? |
| the sound you want. And just rest your hand! There's | | | | Play!Now the only thing left for you to do is practice, |
| no need to push against the guitar. A gentle touch is all | | | | and get used to the technique. Listen for the technique |
| you need to get the job done.Palm muting is not meant | | | | being used in music you hear. If it's a song you know |
| to be an exact art. If you want to only mute it a little, | | | | how to play, try imitating it. Even if it's a song you don't |
| you'll have your picking hand resting mostly off the | | | | know how to play, you can probably still figure out |
| string, just barely touching. If you want to mute it more, | | | | what's being done and learn it without too much |
| then you'll want to slide it farther up. The best way to | | | | trouble. But now that you can palm mute, you can use |
| figure out how to get the sound you want is to play | | | | the skill to broaden your musical sound!Alan Marquez is |
| one note over and over on one string, slowly easing | | | | a guitarist with over 10 years of experience. He plays |
| the right hand along the end of string by the bridge. Try | | | | on a weekly basis and has taught guitar for over five |
| taking it too far up to hear how you can mute the | | | | years. |
| sound completely, and too far down to hear how it | | | | |