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Posted by: Azzaboi May 27 2009, 08:15 PM

How to Palm Mute

Heavy Metal and Rock requires a lot of palm muting to sound from okay to great! It is one of the basic techniques you should first learn when rocking. You use the right hand (if you are using a right handed guitar) to mute the strings and get an aggressive 'chucky' sound. Once you've got the hang of it, it's just a matter of getting it to the way you want to sound.

Palm muting is indicated on sheet/tab music normally by the letters 'P.M.' under the notes followed by ' - - - - - ' a line for all notes to be palm muted.

First while holding the pick, make like a karate chop just lightly over the bridge just near the back. Rest the palm of your over the end of the strings, to slightly deadening (muting) the ringing out of the strings when picked.

To get a tighter palm mute, move your hand slightly towards the neck of the guitar, so that the palm covers more of the strings.

Don't press down to much on the string or you will mute them fully or the pitch of the notes may raise.

It's a good idea to hold the other strings not being played quiet, by touching and holding them slightly with your left hand spare fingers. Again don't press down too hard or you might play extra notes.

Playing Accenting Chords

Playing strong un-muted power chord accents amidst a group of muted notes, normally the 'E' String for heavy bass notes, is the next step to heavy rock!

Imagine your hands as opposite ends of a see-saw. When your left hand is pressing down to fret the chord, your right hand will be up and vice versa. Right hand palm muting the strings, the left hand will be up slightly.

Lift your right hand up and off the strings fully for the full length of the chords, but then go right back to a tight mute. During the mutes, your left hand should be holding the other strings quiet.




Some video exercises and lessons to practice...

Basics of muting:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/misc-lessons/basics-of-muting-101-tutorial/

I got rhythm guitar - palm muting:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/rhythm-guitar/I-got-rhythm-guitar2-palm-muting/

Palm Mute Workout:
http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/palm-mute-workout-lesson/

Posted by: sted May 27 2009, 09:01 PM

Cool lesson mate, thanks for taking the time to contribute!

Posted by: Muris Varajic May 27 2009, 09:46 PM

Very, very nice work Azzaboi!!

Posted by: Lian Gerbino May 27 2009, 10:56 PM

Bravo!!! good job man!

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic May 27 2009, 11:46 PM

Good job one the lesson! You should write this into GMC Wiki too!

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic May 28 2009, 12:58 AM

Very good work man, nice coverage!

Posted by: Azzaboi May 28 2009, 08:05 AM

Thanks guys, it's the basics, but the way I learnt and improved a lot when getting into rock music.
I actually didn't really know about the GMC Wiki, looks kewl. I'll check it out.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic May 28 2009, 08:38 AM

Check it out and perhaps write an article or two, why not

Posted by: Vasilije Vukmirovic May 29 2009, 12:35 AM

Great lesson Azzboi! Muting is much more difficult then people think!

Posted by: Carlos Carrillo May 29 2009, 02:39 AM

Nice job my friend,really cool and useful.

Posted by: Oxac May 29 2009, 07:10 AM

Something I like to do when palmmuting is to tilt the pick a little bit more, to get some sharp attack that you lose otherwise. Good information for beginners getting confused why their playing doesn't sound like it should.

Posted by: Fran May 29 2009, 09:04 AM

That was an awesome read Azzaboi, specially since I've been working on palm muting accents lately on some lesons here at GMC.

I'd like to include that in our Guitar Wiki if it's ok with you

(Or you can do it yourself, just let me know!). It would fit perfectly in the techniques section.

Posted by: Marcus Siepen May 29 2009, 10:26 AM

great job man, very well done

Posted by: Azzaboi May 29 2009, 10:42 AM

Sure you can add it to the Guitar Wiki.
Not too sure what to do to add it myself?

Posted by: -Zion- May 29 2009, 12:00 PM

great how to there..

adding some pictures on how to do the karate chop would make it go from great to AWESOME... ^^

Posted by: djohnneay May 29 2009, 01:38 PM

Nice work man !

Posted by: kaznie_NL May 29 2009, 02:58 PM

"SI lesson"

Cool stuff!

Posted by: Emir Hot May 29 2009, 03:01 PM

Great work man.

Posted by: Fran May 29 2009, 03:08 PM

I'll add it and send you a PM later letting you know how for future references

Posted by: Dejan Farkas May 29 2009, 10:55 PM

Well done , you covered the topic very good

I made one palm muting lesson if you wish to add

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/palm-mute-workout-lesson/

Posted by: Azzaboi May 30 2009, 02:28 AM

Sweet lesson, sorry I missed it before, added to the list
Gonna give it a go myself!

Posted by: Fran May 31 2009, 05:42 PM

Just added your article to the wiki, you can check the http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/index.php/Wikipedia:Tutorial or just click the "edit" button in the top right corner of the entry shall you become interested in making entries in the future, it's piece of cake

I have no problem converting all the stuff you send me either

http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/index.php/Palm_Muting

Posted by: Azzaboi Jun 1 2009, 04:40 AM

Cheers!

Posted by: Alexiaden93 Jun 6 2009, 11:29 PM

Very sensible lesson !