Palm Muting... so what's the trick??

Most people do it as a detriment to their playing...

Keep your palm...the very BACK of it NOT the front as you might think...rolled over the strings where they hit the bridge. Roll it off as you need it. I take it you are using a Takamine??? Isn't that an acoustic??? Is the effect warranted on something other than an electric??? I dunno...

Cat

It can still be effective on an acoustic but it sounds best with an electric and lots of gain . It really isn't used with a full strum because the wrist remains stationary . Usually only one or two or maybe three strings are involved because the heel of the hand rests right on top of the bridge . Then pick the strings with a very slight rolling of the wrist while keeping the heel of the hand in contact with the strings you wish to mute . Only down strokes are used most of the time .

yes, acoustic... however the song I'm trying to learn uses palm muting. It's for acoustic, i think? A Taylor Swift song, called "I'd Lie"

Thanks for the advice I will try again,lol, hopefully eventually i'll get it!

You can do it on acousitic, why not? But ..... I think it was invented for electric, allow me to explain. I invented palm muting ......... :P not really, but I was doing it before I knew what it was or what it was called. Like any good red blooded American teenager I liked to play my electric guitar loud. Origionally palm muting was a way to control my feedback but upon doing it I was like ... this sounds cool. Thats how you get that sound! Later on in the 80's when reading a lesson on it in a guitar magazine I thought, so that's what that's called! The above mentioned is totally correct ..... behind the bridge just a bit. You'll get it.

You can hear Robert Johnson palm muting his bass strings on acoustic back in 1937.

+1 on can be done effectively on acoustic. it's an excellent method for creating a loud, percussion bass timbre (as exampled by Ric). it's a cornerstone of good acoustic rhythm playing. and it covers a number of methods, including dynamic muting at the end of some or all strums, and combining with fretting hand note choking. currently notable acoustic practitioners of the palm (eh? palm? what palm?) mute include Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Keller Williams, Kaki King ...

I am doing a lot of palm muting on my classical guitar. And I think it sounds good to me. 8)

Two pieces:

1) Of course you can palm mute while playing acoustic guitar. On "I'd Lie" there's a lot of acoustic guitar palm muting and the song will not sound correct without it.

2) You palm mute by taking the karate chop part of your hand [the part you would use to split boards in a karate class] and putting it right where the strings meet the bridge. Hold your hand there while you strum and use mostly down strokes.

To get a more muted sound, move closer to the sound hole. To get a less muted sound, move closer to the bridge.

If that sounds confusing, ask your teacher to demo it. You'll learn fastest that way.

Two pieces:

1) Of course you can palm mute while playing acoustic guitar. On "I'd Lie" there's a lot of acoustic guitar palm muting and the song will not sound correct without it.

2) You palm mute by taking the karate chop part of your hand [the part you would use to split boards in a karate class] and putting it right where the strings meet the bridge. Hold your hand there while you strum and use mostly down strokes.

To get a more muted sound, move closer to the sound hole. To get a less muted sound, move closer to the bridge.

If that sounds confusing, ask your teacher to demo it. You'll learn fastest that way.

Thanks, you actually explain it really well. I'm going to keep trying, it still doesn't sound right when I try. I don't have a teacher, so i will just have to keep practicing, lol.

Thanks everyone!!

Boyce Avenue on their videos use palm muting ALOT on their acoustic stuff. It sounds really good, do a search for them on youtube and you'll see what I mean.

Takamineprincess,
I can relate to your dilemma. I also had a really tough time learning how to palm-mute well. As Dylan said in point 2 of his reply, the trick is making sure the side of your hand (not really the palm) is stationary while you're picking. Don't feel bad. This is NOT an easy technique to learn as it requires you to alter the basic picking techniques you've probably been devoting a lot of time to. As with most everything else in learning guitar, slow practice is the key. Good luck.