Keeping the strings quiet

[raymondp44]

I recently started playing with a pick instead of just only fingerstyle. It just gives me a better tone sometimes for particular songs. But anyway one thing I've been struggling with is muting strings that I don't want to ring out. With fingerstyle I just mute the E string with my thumb, ring finger the A string and my fingers the D and G strings.

What I have tried doing is resting sort of the palm of my picking hand on the strings above the ones I'm playing, but I don't know if this is right/feasible.

Is there a proper way to solve this cause I've scouted the net and haven't really found anything like lessons etc?

[Rebop]

Check out Carol Kaye. She plays primarily with a pick and has a lot of muting techniques that are different than fingerstyle players.

[John Wentzien]

Use your left-hand fingers for muting also.

The ones that aren't fretting..can be muting.

[jaywa]

IME, string muting is considerably more difficult playing with a pick than fingerstyle. I've managed to come up with a combination of quasi-palm muting and left hand technique that gets the job done but it's still not completely effective or terribly comfortable for me. Which is why I use a pick as little as possible.

[Sparkdog]

Palm muting takes a lot of practice to get right but once you do it works really well. You can effectively mute or sustain any string any time.

Check out Bobby Vega...the guy's a monster at fingerstyle, slap, AND pick. I love the funky staccato style he has with a pick.

[John Wentzien]

Originally Posted by Sparkdog

Palm muting takes a lot of practice to get right but once you do it works really well. You can effectively mute or sustain any string any time.

Check out Bobby Vega...the guy's a monster at fingerstyle, slap, AND pick. I love the funky staccato style he has with a pick.

Great example!

[John Wentzien]

YouTube - The Shark Bass - Bass of the Month August 2009

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by John Wentzien

Use your left-hand fingers for muting also.

The ones that aren't fretting..can be muting.

This, plus palm muting.