Noise from other strings at high gain

[Andrey^]

Hi, I am wondering about something. When for instance you bend the B string let's say, 15b17, you're bound to touch the G string. A nice example of this would be the beginning of the solo from The Trooper by Iron Maiden. So how do you prevent the G string from making noise at higher volume and high gain settings? I do palm-mute the G string but still at high gain settings it will give some sound. Also, how do you prevent the sound a string will make when you leave it while soloing on 2 string patterns? Of course this is only a problem at higher speeds as palm muting normally works at slower speeds. There's an additional problem when the 2 stings are for instance the high E and B strings because when palm muting and releasing the palm mute on B rapidly will (at least it happens to me) cause noise from other strings.

[Josh Redstone]

I make sure I also bend any strings I'm touching accidentally, but I only pick the on I'm supposed to. That way, my fret hand finger acts as a mute on the strings that may otherwise ring through.

[u10ajf]

I think the hardest thing about learning to bend really well is keeping those other strings from sounding or causing physical pain!
When you bend towards the bass strings other other strings can get caught high up on the tips of your fingers digging in under the nail where there isn't much of a callous. I recommend keeping your finger nails really short (so the other strings don't get caught under) not using the very tip of your fingers for such a bend but using positioning your fingers a little flatter so that the tip of the finger (and not the underside of your nail)is pushing the other strings away.
Bending towards the treble strings you won't be liable to catch the string under your nail, when I bend like this the tip of my finger rotates a little and some of the bending force comes not from the finger but from the rotation of the wrist as the basal joint of the first finger catches against the neck - like the so called "butterfly vibrato".
If you want to toughen your finger tips try brushing them with surgical spirits, I know that walkers do the same to toughen their feet.

[SLY]

It's all about the muting technique , and there are 2 main types of muting :

1- Picking Hand muting :

a) Palm muting : generaly for strings above (lower pitch) the one you're playing.

b) Free Fingers muting : If you hold your pick between index & thumb , you'll have three fingers free to mute the strings below (higher pitch) the one you're playing.


2- Fretting Hand Muting :

a) Rest your fingers slightly on the strings below the ones you're playing to mute them.

b) With the finger you're fretting with , slightly touch the string above it to mute it.

c) Use your thumb for muting.

d) If you're not using the index for fretting , lay it on all the strings to mute them.



These are just few methods for muting , use or combine any of them with your bending and the noise will be gone.

[Slasher]

I usually bend with my 3rd finger (fretting hand) and that gives me my 1st and 2nd finger to mute off all the other strings. It can slow your playing down a little, but with practice you can do it fast as you require. I can manage to execute it with speed. This is a technique I learned from watching Slash play as I had the same problem.

[Axl_Rose]

The best way to mute strings when bending is...

If your bending the 15th fret, never use your 1st finger, put that behind the finger thats bending the string. So you could be bending the fretted 15 with your 2nd finger and have your 1st finger lightly over the 14th fret of the same string.

Now... make sure your 1st finger (14th fret one) sticks out more than the 15 fret one. So that when you bend the string your 1st finger touches and mutes the bass string first. You can then bend and vibrate the string with the stuck out finger muting the opposing string.

You can see slash doing this all the time, particulary on knockin on heavens door solo on the queen tribute show!

[aiwass]

I pick Al DiMeola style, which means palm muting everything.

[Axl_Rose]

But doesnt palm muting everything with your struming hand result in loss in quality of your sound? Make it chunky n flatter? Ive tried that technique but didnt like the sound of it. Is there a nack to it?

[aiwass]

Well don't do it when you do legato, vibrato, bending, etc.

Just when you're picking. Gives you more definition.