Hi there everyone,
New to this forum, struggling valiantly to learn guitar. Finally bit the bullet and signed up for some lessons after I realized I wasn't getting ANYWHERE on my own.
Bu until they start I am trying once again to learn Horse with no Name. I actually have the chord chnage nailed. What giving my major trouble is the strumming. The strumming for the E chord is easy, but after the chord chnage the song requires me to mute the strings between each stroke, and I have been trying for a long time to pull this off smoothly, but i eather cant do it fast enough, or if i do it fast enough its sloppy and a couple of strings keep ringing which sounds terrible.
What is the correct way to mute the strings?
The obvious answer is the standard answer, do it slowly until you get it clean then speed up a little at a time until you are up to tempo.
The best way to do it is on the up strums just try to hit the bottom 3 or 4 strings. Then when your hand is moving back down just touch the strings with the fatty part of you hand (behind the pinkie). You may need to turn your hand out slightly so you don't hit the strings with the pick or your fingers. All you are really trying to do is stop the strings from ringing for the split second before you up strum again.
dilettante84
Check out David Hodges GN lesson on the "Horse with No Name" at:
https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=36
Plenty of instructions on the mp3s regarding the mute - It helped me :!:
He does a followup on the song at:
https://www.guitarnoise.com/article.php?id=37
Unfortunatley no mp3s with the follow on.
Good luck :!:
BS
I guess it's just a matter of practicing until I can get the motion/timing right. I guess it will get easier once i start my lessons, right now I never know if I am doing things properly because I don't have any feedback from people who know what they are doing.
For what its worht I have posted an MP3 of me playing tonight. It's terrible, so fair warning.....
Keep doing what Nils said and it will happen one day, and you'll wonder why you had so much trouble.
well i have been practicing for about an hour tonight, and I *think* i have gotten better, but tis hard to tell.
I am anxious for my lessons to start. I really need some feedback so I can better judge if i am making progress. Also, I definitely need some structure, I have only memorized three chords. hehe.
