Palm Muting like the PROS

Some people mute out all the string with their picking hand behind their fretting hand when they sweep. Now I have been trying this for quite a while, but can't quite nail it down. Any pointers I should know or focus on?

please, no PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE answers, cause I have been practicing for a long time with no progress.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you here, but it sounds like your saying you've seen people mute the strings with their picking hand behind the fretting hand (??picking hand muting the strings between the fretting hand and the headstock of the guitar??) If this is what you've seen, it's not sweeping, it's simple hammer on's in a sweep pattern. Did I misunderstand you here?

I dont know really, but Joe Satriani does it ALOT, and so does Herman Li. The reason they mute the strings is cause so the other strings dont vibrate while, sweeping, trilling, pull off, hammer, ect.


(??picking hand muting the strings between the fretting hand and the headstockof the guitar??)


yep thats what I'm talking about, well i dont know if its sweeping or not, but could I have some advice if ya dont mind

eh...Ive NEVER seen somone mute strings behind their fretting hand and the nut(well mabey it was always too fast to catch),but its not efficient thats for sure!

just rest your palm on the bridge and sweep that way...if you sweep the notes and lift pressure from the string in time,there should be minimal noise.

Originally Posted by: alucard0941I dont know really, but Joe Satriani does it ALOT, and so does Herman Li. The reason they mute the strings is cause so the other strings dont vibrate while, sweeping, trilling, pull off, hammer, ect.


(??picking hand muting the strings between the fretting hand and the headstockof the guitar??)


yep thats what I'm talking about, well i dont know if its sweeping or not, but could I have some advice if ya dont mind

Steve Vai does this too at live shows. If you're talking about the same thing I am, he pretty much wraps his whole hand around the guitar between his fretting hand and the headstock.

If that's what you're talking about, it's just for show, and to keep the strings from vibrating while doing some legato licks.

Just wrap your hand around the neck (tight as you want just don't make any notes wring out) and then play something in front of your hand. They aren't sweeps, just like hammer-on pull-off legato stuff. (It's really just a cheap way to keep the other strings from vibrating)

It doesn't matter how hard you wrap your hand around the neck because if you are playing in front of that hand, you will only hear the notes on the string(s) that you are playing.

Hope that helps. If it doesn't, oh well, I tried.

Yea, I know what your talking about. He grabs the fretboard with his right hand and does some free form legato. It looks cool and is functional. Very rarely do these to qualities intersect with respect to guitarin'.



Here's a palm muting question for y'all. I was listening to the "Ride the Lightning" album extensively last week and was really enamored with the whole palm mute, chunking style of Hetfield. Does he do anything special to make it sound so cool? Is it just having an expensive rig, or what? I must just really suck at palm muting power chords (which is embarrassing) :o

when im sweeping my picking hand sort of follows my fretting hand in a down up direction but my picking hand is in slight contact with the strings so as to mute em..its hard to explain but its how i mute the strings also i roll my fretting hand over the the notes so they dont get a chance to ring out so i get that sweeping effect. A good way to practice is to just use ur pick hand and leave the fret hand off then just practice sweeping down the strings so that way u know if the notes are ringing out cause u wanted a muted effect oh and i dont hold the pick to tight so it goes in the direction im sweeping so if im sweeping down the pick sort of falls over the strings... but thats regular sweeping if thats what u are asking about ..

Originally Posted by: LeedoggYea, I know what your talking about. He grabs the fretboard with his right hand and does some free form legato. It looks cool and is functional. Very rarely do these to qualities intersect with respect to guitarin'.



Here's a palm muting question for y'all. I was listening to the "Ride the Lightning" album extensively last week and was really enamored with the whole palm mute, chunking style of Hetfield. Does he do anything special to make it sound so cool? Is it just having an expensive rig, or what? I must just really suck at palm muting power chords (which is embarrassing) :o

Not an expensive rig, well not cheap either, but they used to use Marshalls.

Their trick is that they layer their guitar tracks on there albums. Meaning they put a bunch of tracks on top of each other to make them sound thicker. Try it some time.

Originally Posted by: Pantallica1Their trick is that they layer their guitar tracks on there albums. Meaning they put a bunch of tracks on top of each other to make them sound thicker. Try it some time.

So do they sound kinda watered down live, if they can't multitrack the rhythm? I've never heard them live before.

I'm not sure how hetfield palm mutes,but there are two ways I palm mute...I either rest my hand on the brige lightly on the strings or I rest them right over the bridge pickup to where my pick strikes above the neck pickup.

Both give different sounds...resting on the lightly on the bridge will give you a more 'open ballsy' or 'breathy' power chord and the decay of the chord is slow.Resting right on the strings above the bridge pickup will give you a 'punchy' or 'thick chug' power chords and the decay of the chord is almost immediate.In conjuction with a distorted amp use both to find the sound you want.(also,picking above the neck pickup can make different A.H's available)

Originally Posted by: chucklivesoninmyheartI'm not sure how hetfield palm mutes,but there are two ways I palm mute...I either rest my hand on the brige lightly on the strings or I rest them right over the bridge pickup to where my pick strikes above the neck pickup.

Both give different sounds...resting on the lightly on the bridge will give you a more 'open ballsy' or 'breathy' power chord and the decay of the chord is slow.Resting right on the strings above the bridge pickup will give you a 'punchy' or 'thick chug' power chords and the decay of the chord is almost immediate.In conjuction with a distorted amp use both to find the sound you want.(also,picking above the neck pickup can make different A.H's available)

I'll have to give that a shot.


The song off of "Ride the Lightning" that I was talking about earlier, is For Whom the Bell Tolls. About a minute into the song there is some seriously hard-core, ball-breaking, chunking going on.

Their older stuff was awesome, I'm still amazed how hard that band sucks now. I don't wanna turn this into a Metallica bashing thread or anything, but it saddens me to see them tarnishing what could've been metal's greatest legacy.


2005 goal: Learn to play Orion!

Originally Posted by: LeedoggI'll have to give that a shot.


The song off of "Ride the Lightning" that I was talking about earlier, is For Whom the Bell Tolls. About a minute into the song there is some seriously hard-core, ball-breaking, chunking going on.

Their older stuff was awesome, I'm still amazed how hard that band sucks now. I don't wanna turn this into a Metallica bashing thread or anything, but it saddens me to see them tarnishing what could've been metal's greatest legacy.


2005 goal: Learn to play Orion!

I know which part you're talking about on "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and it's pretty heavy, and easy to play.

Anyways, they don't sound watered down live, it's hard to sound watered down when you're playing in a stadium for 50,000 people. Talk about massive amplification.

I haven't really got the hang of palm muting yet...whenever I do it, I always end up turning my volume down...its quite annoying really...I'm not sure if anyone else has that problem, but if they do, I would be greatful if they had some advice of how I can NOT do it...

in order to palm mute while sweeping, it helps to move your whole hang straight down and back up. Unlike using your wrist to normally do it, this allows your palm to mute each string that youre hitting, including the top end, which can be difficult to mute.

whilst palm muting, my hand moves over the volume knob and turns the volume up or down...
no matter what way i try to palm mute, i always do it..

Sulphur,you must have a strat.Keep your hand right before the bridge(trem)with the bottom or middle of your wrist on the low E string(thick one)...and dont leave your pinky out!

for you sweepers.Roll your palm(while muting)to stop sounding strings...now I'm going to moe's!

In regards to the Hetfield discussion: James holds his pick with 3 fingers, giving him monster attack, this is how he works that heavy P.M. rhythm.