Fretting Hand Muting

[IceFenrir]

I've been focusing on tightening up my sound lately and I've gotten kind of fanatical about wanting to kill any extra noise when I play. One thing I've been noticing is when I lift my finger off a fret I get a harmonic.

Some article I read somewhere suggested I should mute the string I've just played with another finger on the fretting hand as I change strings, however I've been trying this along with simple string switching exercises and it seems to be slowing me down quite a bit.

Is this one of those instances where practice makes perfect? Or is there a better way to go about this. Thanks.

[kudzoorude]

I'd be interested to hear more about this.

[IceFenrir]

Well, I seemed to have realized the problem was something completely different.

What I had been experiencing on some faster lines where I descend strings was the continued sounding of the higher strings as I moved to the lower ones. I kind of just had a facepalm moment and realized that I was just rushing and playing too sloppily and not letting my left fingers properly mute the higher strings. So, problem solved I guess. My bad.

Thanks for showing interest though.

[bombpop14]

My left hand technique is anything but conventional or proper, but I use the left hand more for ghost notes and muting by using the whole pad of the applied finger and kind of "catching" the string after the note rings out.

Maybe if that doesn't work for you so much you might look into foam bridge mutes?

To apply another finger seems difficult, and would seem to hinder proper spread. (but than again I rarely use my pinky, and hang my thumb over the neck all the time ((poor technique)) ).