Hello.
I've just started playing for about a month or so and all I've been doing is practicing scales and learning basic chords and switching between them. I started working on the Horse With No Name tutorial on this site today and I've got a question. In part of that song your supposed to mute the strings after each upstrum, if I'm not mistaken, but I'm not sure how exactly you do that. Do you try and use the palm of your strumming hand, or...? That's my best guess, but I'm having trouble doing it effectively.
I use the edge of my strumming hand.
Strum up and right away lay the outside edge of you hand on the strings as you are heading down for your next upstrum.
Yeah, use the fleshy bit between your wrist and the bottom of your pinky and then you can do the down strum with your pick. Good luck
it is a terrific method to learn. percussive guitar playing is exciting; adding so much to the performance and feel of a song.
practice by laying you fleshy hand part on top the strings just in front or right over the bridge.
when you strum there will be no vibration.
next lift off from the strings...but just a bit. a little mre vibration.
next strum fully and lower your palm mute against the strings. the vibration will be abbreviated.
this is just a method of identify the mechanics.
your next step would be to strum /mute on tempo.
you can upstroke or downstroke. whatever sounds good for you...and feels easy...at first.
up or down stroke does have a different sound and feel. pay attention to that.
stay loose and rythymy.
you may be ready for reggae. it has alot of up stroke palm muting. a tight palm mute is called a skank.
Thanks for the help guys. I think I'm beginning to get the hang of it.
