Originally Posted by: Shadee92

But when I palm mute the first 2 strokes, the strumming movement is no longer fluid, presumably because my hand was "glued" to the strings for the palm mutes. This makes the chord sound too full and the upstrokes robotic.[/quote][p]You have to tighten your strumming pattern.

When you first start doing that kind of strumming pattern you typically strum from the elbow. And then you can get the momentum or inertia from the wide motion to keep going in time up & down.

But when you have to isolate just one (or a couple of) string at a time you have to considerably tighten your strumming pattern & strum more from the wrist.

Watch Anders at about 3:04 of that video. You will see that his wrist & thus the pick stops shortly after crossing the lower register ("bass") strings. There is no full follow through like when he starts demonstrating the pattern at first. This allows him the ability to land his palm on the strings for the mute & not have to travel so far back up to the strings to strum again.

You will notice that every section of that example he plays 1/8th notes he strums pretty widely & more from the elbow. But when he has to do 1/16th note subdivisions he make a much smaller strum, stops after grazing over the low strings & lands on the strings for the palm mute.

[quote=Shadee92]

I also have the feeling Anders is muting the high E string on the Em chord but I cannot see how?

Hope that helps!