Guitar Thread

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

No, I don't know why you'd want to or need to!

Not on Wonderful tonight but on something heavier where you are looking to chop down into the strings to give you a bit of bite before a big bend and vibrato (of that makes sense)............

 

[Crooked_rain]

No, I don't know why you'd want to or need to!

Sometimes I'll hit muted strings when I bend if I want to play more aggressively, raking the strings and whatnot.

Depends on what I'm playing

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Gentlemen, my tutor gave me Wonderful Tonight by Eric Claptop to learn. This is my first introduction to bending. He bends it up a full step and then bends in back down. I am really struggling muting the other strings with my strumming hand. So much so, I wanted to launch my guitar through the wall.

Have you got any tips for me?

 

[Crooked_rain]

Gentlemen, my tutor gave me Wonderful Tonight by Eric Claptop to learn. This is my first introduction to bending. He bends it up a full step and then bends in back down. I am really struggling muting the other strings with my strumming hand. So much so, I wanted to launch my guitar through the wall.

Have you got any tips for me?

The thing with that song if you'll be playing the riff on one string anyway, no? - you shouldn't necessarily need to be muting the other strings.

I'll only really mute other strings during lead paying with bends if I want to play aggressively by raking muted strings along with the bend...or if i'm playing some lead that is played on multiple strings at speed, then id probably use some light palm muting to keep it a bit more defined and cleaner.

I can't really understand why Wonderful Tonight would need any muting, it's a fairly slow riff and played along the B string. As long as you're picking accurately and nicely, there shouldn't really be any need to mute other strings and they shouldn't be ringing or being touched for that riff. If you need to be muting on that riff, then id say you probably need to be more careful with your pick hitting other strings, or be careful your fretting hand isn't causing the other strings to ring out when you bend the note and your fingers brush the other strings. If you're doing that right, then you don't need to be palm muting that riff

 

[Bill Walker]

The thing with that song if you'll be playing the riff on one string anyway, no? - you shouldn't necessarily need to be muting the other strings.

I'll only really mute other strings during lead paying with bends if I want to play aggressively by raking muted strings along with the bend...or if i'm playing some lead that is played on multiple strings at speed, then id probably use some light palm muting to keep it a bit more defined and cleaner.

I can't really understand why Wonderful Tonight would need any muting, it's a fairly slow riff and played along the B string. As long as you're picking accurately and nicely, there shouldn't really be any need to mute other strings and they shouldn't be ringing or being touched for that riff. If you need to be muting on that riff, then id say you probably need to be more careful with your pick hitting other strings, or be careful your fretting hand isn't causing the other strings to ring out when you bend the note and your fingers brush the other strings. If you're doing that right, then you don't need to be palm muting that riff

I think by saying muted he means the strings not played.

But I could be wrong.

 

[Crooked_rain]

I think by saying muted he means the strings not played.

But I could be wrong.

Well he said he's having trouble muting the strings not being played

But as i said, the way that particular riff is played, you shouldn't really need to mute the other strings anyway, it's a pretty simple riff played on one string except one note. I don't know why other strings would be being heard.

That's why I was saying if other strings are being heard when you play that particular riff, something is going wrong, either your picking is clipping other strings or your fingers when you bend are somehow hitting other strings, otherwise I can't understand why you would need to be muting the strings you're not playing when it comes to that riff.

 

[hilts]

Well he said he's having trouble muting the strings not being played

But as i said, the way that particular riff is played, you shouldn't really need to mute the other strings anyway, it's a pretty simple riff played on one string except one note. I don't know why other strings would be being heard.

That's why I was saying if other strings are being heard when you play that particular riff, something is going wrong, either your picking is clipping other strings or your fingers when you bend are somehow hitting other strings, otherwise I can't understand why you would need to be muting the strings you're not playing when it comes to that riff.

My thoughts as well, I actually play it on 3 strings but still don't need to mute with my strumming hand.

 

[Nightmare Walking]

Well he said he's having trouble muting the strings not being played

But as i said, the way that particular riff is played, you shouldn't really need to mute the other strings anyway, it's a pretty simple riff played on one string except one note. I don't know why other strings would be being heard.

That's why I was saying if other strings are being heard when you play that particular riff, something is going wrong, either your picking is clipping other strings or your fingers when you bend are somehow hitting other strings, otherwise I can't understand why you would need to be muting the strings you're not playing when it comes to that riff.

That's what is happening. I am hitting the g string when bending back down. I am playing the A on the 10th fret and bending it up a whole note. I am catching the g string, when bending back down.
My tutor told me to try and mute the G string with my palm.
Thank you for everyone's tips.
For everyone who has not seen me post on here before, I am an absolute novice. This is the first hurdle I am come up against where I feel a little lost. With everything else so far, I knew/know it's just practice and repetition. This feels like I am doing something fundamentally wrong, technically.
I have a lesson tomorrow night. Hopefully he can clear my misgivings up

 

[hilts]

That's what is happening. I am hitting the g string when bending back down. I am playing the A on the 10th fret and bending it up a whole note. I am catching the g string, when bending back down.
My tutor told me to try and mute the G string with my palm.
Thank you for everyone's tips.
For everyone who has not seen me post on here before, I am an absolute novice. This is the first hurdle I am come up against where I feel a little lost. With everything else so far, I knew/know it's just practice and repetition. This feels like I am doing something fundamentally wrong, technically.
I have a lesson tomorrow night. Hopefully he can clear my misgivings up

Let's us know what he says because I can't for life of me work out why you would try to mute a string with your palm underneath or above the string you are picking and bending. If you bend with 3 fingers playing the A on the B string you just place those fingers in a way that mutes the string below and the fingertips can mute the one above.
You really only need the fretting hand to bend a string up and down. Your strumming hand is just picking the note your are playing.

 

[Nightmare Walking]

Let's us know what he says because I can't for life of me work out why you would try to mute a string with your palm underneath or above the string you are picking and bending. If you bend with 3 fingers playing the A on the B string you just place those fingers in a way that mutes the string below and the fingertips can mute the one above.
You really only need the fretting hand to bend a string up and down. Your strumming hand is just picking the note your are playing.

I will do, Hilts. Cheers, mate.

I have seen a few different videos and what you're saying makes sense. I have tried keeping the g string out of the way with the tip of my 1st finger (I am bending with 3 fingers). I have had mixed results with it and I can understand the principle of it. It just seems totally alien trying to do it it with parts of my strumming hand.

My tutor has been fantastic so far. I will get him to break down how he does it and take a video if he will allow me.

 

[hilts]

I will do, Hilts. Cheers, mate.

I have seen a few different videos and what you're saying makes sense. I have tried keeping the g string out of the way with the tip of my 1st finger (I am bending with 3 fingers). I have had mixed results with it and I can understand the principle of it. It just seems totally alien trying to do it it with parts of my strumming hand.

My tutor has been fantastic so far. I will get him to break down how he does it and take a video if he will allow me.

Personally for what I play I only palm mute while strumming open, Barre or power chords, I lay my hand flatish while doing solos as it naturally mutes the strings around the one I'm playing as a back up for striking another string by accident. Just lay you finger quite flat and play the note you want and pick those next to it. when they are muted that's how flat you want to lay the finger.
The secret is playing without doing the technical finger tip on string only .

 

[Nightmare Walking]

Personally for what I play I only palm mute while strumming open, Barre or power chords, I lay my hand flatish while doing solos as it naturally mutes the strings around the one I'm playing as a back up for striking another string by accident. Just lay you finger quite flat and play the note you want and pick those next to it. when they are muted that's how flat you want to lay the finger.
The secret is playing without doing the technical finger tip on string only .

I am not that advanced mate. I am making rudimentary progress with the barre chords. I have not done any power chords yet.
I will get him to clarify what he is trying to get me to do and report back, tomorrow.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Crooked_rain]

That's what is happening. I am hitting the g string when bending back down. I am playing the A on the 10th fret and bending it up a whole note. I am catching the g string, when bending back down.
My tutor told me to try and mute the G string with my palm.
Thank you for everyone's tips.
For everyone who has not seen me post on here before, I am an absolute novice. This is the first hurdle I am come up against where I feel a little lost. With everything else so far, I knew/know it's just practice and repetition. This feels like I am doing something fundamentally wrong, technically.
I have a lesson tomorrow night. Hopefully he can clear my misgivings up

Yeah I'm sure your teacher will be able to sort it

the only thing I can suggest, without seeing you play, is that maybe the way you are fretting the note is causing your finger to have too much of thr finger tip hanging over the fretted note and causing you to hit the string above on the way back down when you're bending. I don't know if that makes sense but when I'm playing, some things I will use the very tip of my finger and some things I will play with my fingers a bit flatter to the fretboard, it just really depends what I'm playing...but if you're playing that riff and your fingers are catching another strings on the way back down on the bend then it could be that you have too much of the end of your fingers hanging over when you're trying to bend, maybe your fingers are too flat to the frets and it might be trying better to use more of the very tip of your finger by curving your fingers more.

I can't say for sure without seeing you play. Your teacher should notice why it's happening. It certainly seems like a fretting problem rather than needing to mute with your right hand, if it's happening on that specific riff which should require no muting with the right hand

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Personally for what I play I only palm mute while strumming open, Barre or power chords, I lay my hand flatish while doing solos as it naturally mutes the strings around the one I'm playing as a back up for striking another string by accident. Just lay you finger quite flat and play the note you want and pick those next to it. when they are muted that's how flat you want to lay the finger.
The secret is playing without doing the technical finger tip on string only .

I do similar. A lazy fretting hand that just lies across the strings and hits the note you want. Works better in some positions than others but I do that mostly.

I also use my thumb to mute the low e string but im not sure that is considered good technique.

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

I do similar. A lazy fretting hand that just lies across the strings and hits the note you want. Works better in some positions than others but I do that mostly.

I also use my thumb to mute the low e string but im not sure that is considered good technique.

I would suggest the opposite matey - I think utilising the tools at your disposal IS good technique.

Same for barre chording like Hendrix (using your thumb)...............

 

[Resurrection Joe...]

I would suggest the opposite matey - I think utilising the tools at your disposal IS good technique.

Same for barre chording like Hendrix (using your thumb)...............

Jimi had hands like shovels...

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

Jimi had hands like shovels...

Certainly did.

Don't think I have particularly big hands but I've generally found it easy to do since my mate taught me when I was a teenager.

He has bigger hands than me and is a fucking tremendous player.

One of the finest I have ever seen in the flesh including the gigs I have attended.........

 

[hilts]

I do similar. A lazy fretting hand that just lies across the strings and hits the note you want. Works better in some positions than others but I do that mostly.

I also use my thumb to mute the low e string but im not sure that is considered good technique.

I think most do that with the thumb tbf I certainly do.

 

[Resurrection Joe...]

Certainly did.

Don't think I have particularly big hands but I've generally found it easy to do since my mate taught me when I was a teenager.

He has bigger hands than me and is a fucking tremendous player.

One of the finest I have ever seen in the flesh including the gigs I have attended.........

not for me fella, but I never found barre chords that difficult....there are pluses and minuses with hand size all over the board I find...

 

[Onholiday(somemightsay)]

not for me fella, but I never found barre chords that difficult....there are pluses and minuses with hand size all over the board I find...

I like the flexibility it gives you before and after the chord - like your hands already in position for a lick(sp?) or similar.........