Having trouble palm muting

[dodgemaster]

I've never had a teacher to point this out to me but from reading through the Internet everyone seems to be palm muting all the time but I've never really got into it I've always muted the strings with my fretting hand but a little while ago I was like might as well learn it so I can put it into my bag of tricks. I understand the mechanics of it and can mute some power chords but only for a little while but then I loose it as I start to strum. My hand keeps lifting off the strings, I can't seem to keep it steady, it's almost bouncing up and down just a bit while I strum. Is this normal for people starting this technique? Are there ways I can stop this?

[paulp1960]

Are you holding the pick (if you use one) with just the thumb and index finger?

I only ask as for years I used 3 digits to hold the pick and it creates a difficult hand angle for palm muting.

[SprintBob]

I'm trying to master palm muting also. I purchased a DVD video on strumming technique from JustinGuitar and on that video he not only explains palm muting in detail but offers a couple of simple strumming patterns where you can practice palm muting.

D-x-DU-x repeated is the first (x is the mute, count is 1-2-3&-4)

DU-xU-DU-xU repeated is the second (count is 1&-2&-3&-4&)

I practice these with drum tracks. I'm making progress, hope to be able to use in songs I am currently playing soon.

Good luck!

[dodgemaster]

Originally Posted by paulp1960

Are you holding the pick (if you use one) with just the thumb and index finger?

I actually do hold my pick with my index and middle finger! does it change the angle that much? I find I get more stability when strumming when I hold it that way

[paulp1960]

In my experience holding the pick with thumb, index and middle fingers will make it a lot less natural for applying palm muting. It changes the angle of your hand.

I don't like to say there is a right way and a wrong way to hold the pick but there is a reason for the traditional thumb and index finger grip and it now works much better for me since I stopped the 3 digit grip.

[jwing]

I couldn't get palm muting until I changed the way I hold the plectrum. Changing the angle of the plectrum in my hand forced a change of angle of my hand relative to the strings. Remember that it's not really your palm that does the muting, it's more the pinkie-side edge of your palm. Not quite a karate chop.

Also remember that the sound you are going for in a palm mute does not require all six strings to be strummed.

[SprintBob]

Originally Posted by jwing

I couldn't get palm muting until I changed the way I hold the plectrum. Changing the angle of the plectrum in my hand forced a change of angle of my hand relative to the strings. Remember that it's not really your palm that does the muting, it's more the pinkie-side edge of your palm. Not quite a karate chop.

Also remember that the sound you are going for in a palm mute does not require all six strings to be strummed.

+1 on all above. I am finding that I am rotating or perhaps rolling the pinky side of my palm onto the strings in front of the bridge. It going to take a lot of practice to make it feel smooth and natural.

[dodgemaster]

Okay thankx guys I've tried before to switch to the standard way of holding the pick but I've been holding it with 3 fingers for years now so it feels really weird the "normal" way. Looks like I might have to try again

[paulp1960]

Give it a few weeks and you should adapt to the "proper" way to hold a pick.

I was in the same boat for years, self-taught bad habits etc.

[jwing]

Originally Posted by paulp1960

Give it a few weeks and you should adapt to the "proper" way to hold a pick.

I was in the same boat for years, self-taught bad habits etc.

There are more than one way to 'properly' hold a pick. I was using the grip that most Bluegrass flatpickers prefer. And in that genre, it works better than others. But palm muting is not used much in bluegrass.

I have to change the way I hold the pick when I want to get the palm mute sound, but when I play Bluegrass, I use the flatpicker pick grip.

Technique is a tool. Use the right tool for the job.

[Monk of Funk]

I would honestly find describing palm muting extremely difficult on a forum because there are so many different ways I do it, and I do it all the time. It's a very important technique to keep my playing really clean. I think anything you could say or think of that relates to muting, is probably something I do at one time or another.

[jseth]

Although difficult to describe with words, palm muting is MORE than simply "muting" a string or strings with the palm of your hand...

There's timing involved, too... if you play the "mute" and then lift your palm off the string quickly, you get a very useful dull, muted tone that lingers, yet is not as dull as a full mute... you can get nice effects from sort-of bouncing your palm off the strings as you strike them, particularly the bass strings.

You don't always have to hold the pick with just your thumb and forefinger... I switch back and forth, depending upon what I'm playing.... although I will say that using that middle finger to hold the pick absolutely negates any chance of using that finger for anything else. Since I do a form of hybrid picking (using the pick between thumb and forefinger and picking with the nails of my other fingers), I find it too limiting to use 3 fingers to hold the flatpick for anything except a brief moment or two...

Another thing about palm muting; you get different tones and effects from it when you are close to the bridge or farther away...

Check out trying some "partial" palm mutes and listen to the sounds... I bet you'll like them!

Of course, when your guitar is amplified or you are recording, palm muting becomes indispensable to get a clean, clear tone; otherwise, you have strings and notes vibrating all over the place... which is okay if they happen to work in the key you are playing; not so much if you are playing in E major and that G string rings out open... let alone playing in one of the flat keys where very little "open string ringing out" is going to sound like anything approaching "good"...

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by dodgemaster

Okay thankx guys I've tried before to switch to the standard way of holding the pick but I've been holding it with 3 fingers for years now so it feels really weird the "normal" way. Looks like I might have to try again

I hold a pick the way I think you do - between tips of thumb, index and middle (more middle than index), always have, and can't say I've had any trouble with palm muting.
(It's slowed me down in other ways, maybe, but there some great players who hold it the same way.)

"Palm muting" actually seems to cover a few different effects. Usually people use the phrase to describe a damping technique - quite different from fret muting - where the side of the hand sits on the bridge saddle to shorten the bass notes: give them more of a "thump" to emulate a string bass, not to kill notes altogether. The hand rests on the bridge (or near the bridge) all the time, so the right hand movement all comes from the wrist - you're not so much strumming as picking. Rock players do this, and so do Travis-style fingerpickers. This ought to be easy enough whichever way you hold a pick.

Actual muting with the pick hand - killing the sound altogether, either after picking or strumming, or to get a percussive effect with the pick on dead strings - is a little trickier. (I think this is what SprintBob is describing.) But again (having tried it) I don't think it makes any difference how you hold the pick. The hand angle is maybe a little different, but it works either way.

I'm not saying you shouldn't learn the orthodox grip. It has much to recommend it (e.g. for playing fast scale runs). But there is no one pick grip that's perfect for everything. Like you, I find the 3-finger grip best for strumming because of how variable it is. If I hold the pick the "orthodox" way I find my other finger knuckles way too close to the strings for comfort! (I put up with the fact it's not ideal for very fast single-string playing, and get round that other ways - either change the pick angle, or drop it and play with fingers.)

Depending how many "years" you've been holding the pick your way, it would be worth experimenting with the other way for a while, even if it feels clumsy to begin with. (I've been doing it my way for 50 years now...)

[VJP5]

Originally Posted by dodgemaster

Okay thankx guys I've tried before to switch to the standard way of holding the pick but I've been holding it with 3 fingers for years now so it feels really weird the "normal" way. Looks like I might have to try again

I know exactly what you're going thru as I am going thru this as well. I posted a question about this a year ago. I was stubborn and continued to play with the 3 finger technique and really struggled.

I was so frustrated at not being able to master this that I finally gave in about 3 months ago and tried holding the pick just between my thumb and index finger. Call it dumb luck but the first try was perfect. Sadly, I still do not have it perfected, but getting there. So I do agree with others that it DOES change the angle and makes it easier.

Here's the ironic thing though. I generally still employ the 3 finger hold as I find I have more control. I realize it's a time spent issue, but it is what it is. However, I find I've been able to palm mute using this technique also. I think the 2 finger hold helps you understand the angle better, and probably easier/quicker to learn. But you CAN do it holding the pick with 3 fingers too. I by no means have this down perfectly. But I will continue to practice, practice, practice.

Good luck

[paulp1960]

After years of using thumb and 2 fingers to play I switched to thumb and index finger a few years ago. I suits me better now that I've got used to it and moved up to a thicker pick.

No right or wrong I guess whatever suits you.