Hand positioning and also muting tricks


drewhosick
Registered User
Joined: 11/27/05
Posts: 4
drewhosick
Registered User
Joined: 11/27/05
Posts: 4
04/17/2019 12:14 am

I know there was a video on this but I couldn't quite find it.

I went in to try a Gretsch yesterday at a local music store and when I was explaining that I was having difficulty with fretting the A and B chords with my fat fingers he grabbed my thumb and moved it down. I've always had my thumb either pointing towards the head of the guitar or if straight up my hand has been pulled back so that my curve on the strings isn't quite straight down. I wanted to watch more on the exact positioning close up. Just want to correct any bad habits before I play for years like this. And do some people find different ways that work for them better because I find it hard to keep my hand in the position he showed me before it gets fatigued(I also am not used to it so my hand isn't quite as accurate as it was)

Also I'm trying to learn muting techniques. Been playing the riff to Daytripper and I get a lot of sympathetic vibration as well as strings that I'm probably not muting after playing them. Do you actually touch the strings with your strumming hand after each note to stop it from continuing to ring or is it the way you pull your finger off the string that mutes it with with fretting hand?


# 1
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
04/17/2019 5:37 pm
Originally Posted by: drewhosick

I know there was a video on this but I couldn't quite find it.

[/quote]

You might be looking for this tutorial I did covering muting techniques.

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

Originally Posted by: drewhosick

... I was having difficulty with fretting the A and B chords with my fat fingers he grabbed my thumb and moved it down. I've always had my thumb either pointing towards the head of the guitar or if straight up my hand has been pulled back so that my curve on the strings isn't quite straight down.

Which A & B chords? I'm not exactly clear on the positions you are describing. To be sure, your fretting hand should not palm the neck, your wrist should have a natural curve, your thumb should be on the back of the neck providing opposing pressure to your fingers & finally your fingers should all be on the string side of the neck so you have enough leverage to play any notes or chords necessary.

[quote=drewhosick]

Also I'm trying to learn muting techniques. Been playing the riff to Daytripper and I get a lot of sympathetic vibration as well as strings that I'm probably not muting after playing them. Do you actually touch the strings with your strumming hand after each note to stop it from continuing to ring or is it the way you pull your finger off the string that mutes it with with fretting hand?

No, a riff like that moves too quickly to palm mute everything in between the notes. You have to get your fretting hand to do some of the work.

For example, when you move to the A & D strings, use the tip of your middle finger to mute the low E, while still hovering over the A string so you don't mute it. Or you can use the tip of your index finger to mute the low E string while you are playing the notes on on the A & D strings. You can rest your palm on the low E after playing the first 3 notes. But you will get a quicker & better sound when you learn to mute with your fretting fingers.

Those two notes from 2nd fret A to D strings can be barred with your index & can ring over each other. Or you can roll your index finger over so it plays the A but mutes the D, then plays the D but mutes the A string.

Hope that helps!


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

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# 2
drewhosick
Registered User
Joined: 11/27/05
Posts: 4
drewhosick
Registered User
Joined: 11/27/05
Posts: 4
04/18/2019 7:32 pm

Thank you for the advice. I was just talking about a B Major with the 3 fingers scruntched together like you do on the A. I know you can do the Barre on the 3 strings but it does seem difficult to get my finger to lift up enough to still mute the one string but leave the high 3 open to ring


# 3

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