Open Strings Sounding - Palm Mute?
 

I asked a similar question before but I was, and probably still am, too dumb to ask it properly.

While working on the opening little strum on Margaritaville, The D string, which is played open in the whole sequence, rings to annoying level. "EEENEENNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG!" * throws guitar in street *

It's not fret buzz or anything, just a string that continues to sound because there's no reason for it not to.

I'm watching the video and it's for beginners and of course the guy isn't experiencing it. It looks as if when he does a downstroke on a chord he is palm-muting, or another part of his hand, don't know if it's all the same term. Would that be the way to get all that (and whatever others) to stop sounding? If so would I also assume that it's just a technique that I'm going to need to work on and get good at?

Also, here is the little sequence.

Picking hand palm is usually the easiest way to mute open strings.

Fretted strings can be done that way too, or by easing the fretting pressure off so they stop ringing.

A link to the video would be helpful.

It's a video that I purchased so I didn't want to upload it. I should have mentioned that at the beginning.

If I was playing that line, I'd probably fingerpick it (so no strings need muting).

But if I thought it sounded better strummed - I'd lay a spare fret hand finger (or two) across the 3rd and 4th strings. E.g, I'd fret the top strings with index and pinky, leaving middle and ring able to touch the other strings. Of course when strumming I'd aim the pick at just the top 2 strings anyway (not all 6!), but it's hard to avoid hitting at least the 3rd string, hence the fret muting.

I wouldn't palm mute, because it's awkward to only palm mute lower strings and leave the top 2 free to ring. However, the palm mute position does enable more precise picking of the top strings, avoiding the pick touching the neighbouring strings. But I still find I'd instinctively fret mute the 3rd string at least. The other advantage of the palm-on-bridge position is that that top strings can also be damped, to give a suitable "steel pan" effect.

BTW, the open D string should sound fine on the first bar, because it's the root of the chord. In the second bar (same top strings riff) the chord is G, so technically both 3rd and 4th strings could ring open and it ought to sound OK. But I can appreciate they can sound too loud in comparison with the lead line. (And when the riff moves up, the chord is A, so both 3rd and 4th strings will definitely sound wrong.)

You have to be cautious with these kinds of TABs. I agree with Jon PR. That one doesn't look right the whole way through the opening riff.
All this time you're cursing, and it's not even your fault!
Try playing the opening riff with only the top two strings. It sounds much better. Something like this:
e|--5--5--5--3--5---------------7--7--7--5--3--2--------|
B|--7--7--7--5--7---2x----------8--8--8--7--5--3--------|

I don't know the song myself, but I've heard it a lot. And I can get myself to recognize the melody just by playing that. (I tried it out with my wife, and she got it right away :) )
Seems to me if you emphasized just those top 2 strings right at the start, people would recognize the little melody immediately, and you'd be off to the races. After that you can go right into the strumming of the fuller chords, i.e. D, A, G, whatever they are, to accompany the vocal.

I have some time here in a bit and I'll look at using my fret hand to calm down those strings.

And you are right, it does sound good on the first bar but then gets a bit distinctive as I go.

And for some background, the guy is showing a simple version to play the song without a cutaway. It does sound a bit odd but so does the recording so I think it will do it justice. Though I'm always up for a "Hey, try it this way" I thought I'd take the opportunity to figure out what to do in situations as I go forward.

Thanks for the advice, I'll check it out in a bit.

I'll give that a go, thanks! If the bottom two strings do indeed do it campfire justice then I'll use that. And yes, after that it is easy chords and strumming. And possibly some fine beverages to match.

I just did a search on

"opening little strum on Margaritaville"

and got loads of videos showing how this is played. None of them showed the open D string being played. They all just play the first two strings. On one of them the instructor says that on the record this intro is played on keyboards, not guitar. If the open D string is giving you grief, don't play it.

Agreed on avoiding it for this song. One of the reasons I'm doing certain songs is that it will force me to learn something such as a technique. If indeed I should play all four strings then that would make me work on muting of various kinds. However, I'm more than happy to work on that somewhere else!

Thanks for the input.