Muting with the fretting hand


Blakeney8
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Joined: 10/19/15
Posts: 59
Blakeney8
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Joined: 10/19/15
Posts: 59
07/28/2021 1:05 am

I have reached a huge stumblng block. I have been following Ander's rythm tutorial. He has a lesson where you mute several strums of a chord while you are playing the chord. Unless I lay my hand directly down on all the strings, the high strings especially don't mute. When I do this, I am not quick enough to get out of the mute postion straight away to the next chord. Any exercises or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


# 1
davem_or
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Joined: 10/31/17
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davem_or
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Joined: 10/31/17
Posts: 184
07/28/2021 1:41 am

Have you tried moving your fingers to the next chord and then 'collapsing' them to mute the strings? Then you just have to raise the fingers to play the chord (hope that makes sense). Also, when strumming just focus on the strings that are muted. You don't have to try to mute all six strings.


# 2
ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,465
ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,465
07/28/2021 11:29 am
Originally Posted by: Blakeney8

I have reached a huge stumblng block. I have been following Ander's rythm tutorial.[/quote]

Exactly what lesson is this? In which course?

[quote=Blakeney8]He has a lesson where you mute several strums of a chord while you are playing the chord. Unless I lay my hand directly down on all the strings, the high strings especially don't mute. When I do this, I am not quick enough to get out of the mute postion straight away to the next chord. Any exercises or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Muting can be tricky to get used to! Sometimes you can just hold a chord shape but release just enough pressure with your fingers to stop the strings from ringing while keeping contact with the string. This approach makes it easier to get back to the chord shape because you only have to reapply pressure.

But sometimes you have to mute more strings or more to another chord shape. In that case you are aiming for the minimal motion required to mute the strings but get to the next chord shape. It might take a little experimenting to find the smallest amount of motion required to mute.

The only thing that will help here is repetitious practice. You have to do the motion over & again until it's second nature. You can practice smarter by focusing on the problem area.

Strum the chord once, then mute using minimal motion. Repeat. Don't do anything else. Don't strum in time, add more strums or chords. Just focus on the exact thing that you are having trouble with.

I have a standalone tutorial focused completely on muting issues. The first couple lesson in the tutorial are aimed at beginner level muting. Those might help you.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=2281

Hope that helps!


Christopher Schlegel
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Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 3
Blakeney8
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Joined: 10/19/15
Posts: 59
Blakeney8
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Joined: 10/19/15
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07/28/2021 10:27 pm

Thanks Christopher. The lesson is Anders Acoustic level 1 #7 play through. Em7, Cadd9, G and F.

I know how to finger the chords and change pretty quickly, but can't get the chords muted cleanly before going to the next chord.I will checkout your videos. Thanks again!


# 4
ChristopherSchlegel
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ChristopherSchlegel
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Posts: 8,465
07/29/2021 11:43 am
Originally Posted by: Blakeney8

Thanks Christopher. The lesson is Anders Acoustic level 1 #7 play through. Em7, Cadd9, G and F.[/quote]

What chapter & tutorial? The first lesson #7 I can find with those chords is this lesson:

https://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=28985&s_id=2455

But he doesn't mute any of those chords.

[quote=Blakeney8]I know how to finger the chords and change pretty quickly, but can't get the chords muted cleanly before going to the next chord.I will checkout your videos.

Hopefully between my advice & your practice you can get it done! Best of success!


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 5
DraconusJLM
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Joined: 06/21/21
Posts: 360
DraconusJLM
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Joined: 06/21/21
Posts: 360
07/29/2021 5:53 pm

I find muting adjacent strings is easy, but muting everything else tricky at times.

I believe the lessons on here, paying attention to my technique, and practice are the way to improve.

Just keep going, one step at a time, and shoot the inner critic (he/she just likes to exaggerate the negative)


I wish this forum had a "block user" feature. Possibly I'm not the only one......

# 6

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