Fingerstyle technique question: muting strings

[zulu]

I'm playing with a fingerstyle arrangement and I'm unable to accomplish the sound I want for certain sections. A muted string sound.

Playing with a pick, I use the technique of resting my right palm on the strings just forward of the bridge to limit the sustain. Pretty standard technique, right?

However, my hand position during fingerstyle won't allow my palm to rest on the strings. Do you have a technique that accomplishes this?
Thanks!

 

[dreadnut]

I don't have any other suggestion than this: Move your right hand closer to the bridge/saddle.

 

[zulu]

I'll try that right now. Thank you.

 

[Westerly Wood]

if you place the bottom of your palm on top of the strings near the bridge, you get a muted sound.
it's definitely not as easy as when you are picking like you way as i am still trying to finger pick while muting, but it does work, and with practice, you should be able to get it to where you want it.

 

[zulu]

I'll try. The way I fingerpick, my arm position is much more vertical. Its an extreme rotation to try and lay my palm on the strings.

 

[Guildedagain]

Tommy Emanuel, no slouch on the guitar, first thing he shows you is laying the whole hand flat on the bridge and strings finger in a straight line with fingerboard before getting started. Some people pinky anchor.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I'll try. The way I fingerpick, my arm position is much more vertical. Its an extreme rotation to try and lay my palm on the strings.

ah yeah. my hand is at a total angle when fingerpicking as i was never taught how to properly use a classical finger picking technique. and no way can I torque my wrist down like most pros do it...so i come in at an angle and just hover over the strings. it works well though. so i can see muting strings a lot more difficult if you have the classically trained hand position.

 

[geoguy]

Palm muting while finger picking (e.g. as Tommy Emmanuel does) is easier while using a thumbpick, imo.

You can also try to dampen some strings with your fretting hand, but that has obvious limitations.

 

[walrus]

ah yeah. my hand is at a total angle when fingerpicking as i was never taught how to properly use a classical finger picking technique. and no way can I torque my wrist down like most pros do it...so i come in at an angle and just hover over the strings. it works well though. so i can see muting strings a lot more difficult if you have the classically trained hand position.

Me too. I don't fingerpick much, but when I do, my right hand is in basically the same position as when I use a pick. Sometimes I switch from one to the other and tuck the pick up in between my 2nd and 3rd fingers to fingerpick, and slide it out again to use the pick. In fact, I will sometimes "hydrid" pick, using the pick and fingers together.

Lots of options, but it does seem like you need to flatten your right hand down as if using a pick.

Check out this video with Tom Bukovac and watch his right hand. He explains what he is doing bringing the pick in and out of his right hand.



walrus

 

[zulu]

if you place the bottom of your palm on top of the strings near the bridge, you get a muted sound.
it's definitely not as easy as when you are picking like you way as i am still trying to finger pick while muting, but it does work, and with practice, you should be able to get it to where you want it.

Thanks for the vid! You've got the muting just how I want to hear it. I'll fuss with my hand position because I'm at quite a different angle.

 

[zulu]

I've been working at it. I can mute the lower three strings, but not the G, B, high e string. I pick with my pinky as well - If I eliminate pinky picking I can mute the g string but still.

I'll have to wear something with a big sleeve, like a wizard, and mute with my sleeve.

 

[zulu]

Some help from Tuck with left hand staccato.

 

[walrus]

I've been working at it. I can mute the lower three strings, but not the G, B, high e string. I pick with my pinky as well - If I eliminate pinky picking I can mute the g string but still.

I'll have to wear something with a big sleeve, like a wizard, and mute with my sleeve.

If it makes you feel any better, I think most would agree muting the high strings is trickier!

walrus