Hiya! :D
Been working on power chords and think I got the ones with the root on the low E string down pretty good. Now I'm working on the ones rooted on the A string and am having issues with hitting that E string by accident.
From what I've found, here's some options:
1) index finger moves up and mutes the E string (what I'm practicing now but it feels really unnatural to me, even after several days of practicing just that)
2) middle finger rests on the E string
3) mute the E string with my palm on my strumming hand
4) not hit the E string to begin with
(I'm using my index finger for the root note and my ring and pinky for the others, although sometimes leaving off the pinky as I like the sound of just the two notes better)
So question is what are you all doing and what would be the ideal one to work towards?
I do a combination of the 1st and 4th on your list. I try not to hit the low E, but I dont worry about it too much as the index finger just slightly touches it, so it is muted when i do hit it by accident.
Number four is the ideal. Working towards that ideal starts with the very first open position chords that a guitarist learns. When you strum a basic A, Am or C chord, the object is to strum those from the A string down, missing the E string. The basic D string should be strummed from the D down, missing both the E and A string. Getting in the habit of doing that very early on makes missing the strings in power chords second nature.
It's the answer no one wants to hear (or gets tired of hearing): practice, practice, practice... :wink: Believe it or not, it gets easier every time you try to do it. Hang in there.
Peace
Just to add to what David said. If you learn to mute that string then once you learn to play it correctly you will have to unlearn the muting of the low E. Trust me when I say it is harder to unlearn a bad habit then to do it right from the beginning.
yah...number one and four...four ideally and one for when you realise ideal things dont happen very often :lol:
Thank you very much everyone! :D
I still hit it fairly often too, and mute it with either the tip of my index finger (it gets easier) or more often, by reaching around and using the flat of my thumb.
A good way to get used to using the tip of your index finger to mute is to first learn inverted power chords, and then practice swapping between those and normal power chords. Plus inverted power chords sound great anyway ;)
D5 D5/A (Inverted D5)
-----------------
-----------------
----7-------7----
----7-------7----
----5-------5----
------------5----
Muting with the thumb seems to be an easy habit to get into- but it seems to slow me down, and reduces dexterity in the other fingers by cramping my hand into a weird position.
Not hitting it in the first place seems to be the BEST way to "mute" the E string.
Using the index seems like a close second.
BUt mostly, right now, I'm playing a lot of inverted chords- sound cool, really easy transitions, and muting not an issue.
Best,
Ande
