Some of you know that I prefer using alternate picking instead of economy. I do use economy sometimes but mostly when playing faster arpeggios. If you need any advice about this feel free to ask.

One area where I would be most appreciative of some treatment in would be some principles for right hand muting of unwanted string noise. It is always mentioned in various guise but never really explored in any depth. I am applying principles learned here about pick angle, placement of the palm lightly at the bridge for support instead of anywhere else on the body and so forth. Despite all this, I feel I can't really choke on the strings too much before it starts sounding too much like an inadvertent palm mute rather than the desired noise attenuation only. In particular, I find this a bit of a hit-and-miss affair as one plays vertically crossing strings in the process. Of course, it could just well be that one develops a sense for when, where and how much is required over a period of time? A tactile experience.

I for one have never looked so closely at my AP technique (or lack of it) until joining up a week ago today. I had developed a number of bad habits over the years for lack of decent guidance and now I am very conscious of this severe roadblock to further progress.

Cheers.

I have a Problem with pedaltone two string alternate picking riffs and licks (for Example the Main Riff to Judas Priest's Painkiller or the Intro Riff to Paul Gilbert's Technical Difficulties)

I can play them with ease and up to speed but I get too much noise when pedaling of the root note on the lower string to the notes on the second string. It just doesn't sound as clean and distinguished as I want it to be...

Is my problem the muting or the picking attack (to hard/soft picking) ?

That is the kind of problem I am having also. I don't like hearing anything extraneous to what I want to ring out.

There is an excellent exercise for pedal alternate picking in John Petrucci's Rock Discipline. I've been playing it for a long time and it really works!

I have just uploaded a video for Dexxter's MTP program explaining the first 4 bars of my AP etude in A minor

Later in the video I explained about the dynamics and combination between muted and non-muted notes when alternate picking. I hope this can help with that.

That looks very much like the answer I was looking for.

For some reason, I had perceived a "palm mute" in the sense of an effect only for a particular riff or phrase and always kept a very hands-off approach otherwise? For my whole life, I had considered I had to play so clean that in the context of muting unwanted noise I had to delicately roll the palm on the bridge as I play. As such, a palm mute in my erroneous conception was kind of like a form of cheating. Immediately assuming I was doing something wrong. Sounds pretty silly I know. Clearly, I over-thought this one. Cleared up a huge misconception there for me and that means a hell of a lot to me.

Sometimes, all it takes is for just the same old thing I have heard many times over ... to be uttered in just a slightly different way.


Thanks Emir! You made my day.

Great man I am happy if this helped you. There is nothing wrong with palm muting but of course you shouldn't overdo it. Mix it with normaly played notes for better dynamics and better control so you help yourself to play cleaner

I have been approaching it more or less that way but I have gone overboard in the other direction ... like I cannot palm mute unless it is a national emergency or something? Excellent. Great advice. Thanks.

Palm muting is an important part for cleanness, control and dynamics. You can use it anytime when you feel it helps. No need to be afraid of that