chocking/blocking

Hey,
lets say that you bend a string and then you have to hit a note on another string, how do you take your finger from the first string without making noise? (i am not talking about bending and releasing) i am trying to play blues licks but i cant do that technique well, i believe its called blocking or chocking...

Blues Shredder

How long have you been playing? I ask this because I think it comes more as a natural thing in the end than a particular technique. It is pretty unconscious in the end, but I htink it involves using both the right hand and left hand to dampen the string that you are about to let go of... I remember when I started playing blues bends and stuff really hating that I would always make noise when I let go and went on to something else, but in the end I think it just goes away. If anyone can come up with something better than this feel free to add, but I have a feeling it just is something you end up doing by yourself. I also think it has to do with finger dexterity that you gain the ability not to hit other strings etc. Myabe if you don't let go of the string completely when you release a bend, but mute it with your finger before letting it go. Hope this helps in some way.

I've been playing for a long time acoustic guitar and bouzouki, you know bouzouki? its a greek instrument, its like a guitar, it requires the same techniques but there is no string bending, so i can play very well guitar but i cant quite bend a string!! its paradox, if you consider that i want to play blues!!!


Blues Shredder

As I said, it might be best not to worry about it too much. Jus tmake sure that you keep practising putting bends into your solos, and it just becomes unconscious. I just bend strings without thinking about it now, without sounding other notes, I htink if you just keep working at it, it will fall into place, I don't think there is any special technique to it.

Try this,
on G string play C then D then bend to E and next play F# on B string, all notes are eigth, how do you do that?
dont releash the bend just mute it before you play the F#


Blues Shredder

With that sort of thing I block it with my right hand palm. Bending up to an e is pretty extreme on my steel strung acoustic, so it is harder to then mute it.

Originally posted by BluesShredder
Try this,
on G string play C then D then bend to E and next play F# on B string, all notes are eigth, how do you do that?
dont releash the bend just mute it before you play the F#


Blues Shredder

I had to play this through several times before I figured out what I was actually doing; as a previous poster mentioned, it's pretty much unconscious. What I did is this:
As the pick approaches the B string, in the instant before I pick the F# the edge of my right thumb brushes lightly against the G string, just enough to stop it vibrating.
Hope this helps.

cometzero