Left Hand Muting vs. Palm Muting

CrispyDelicious · #1 03-06-2009, 11:31 AM

So I've been searching around and have confirmed that I'm not the only who uses left hand muting.

One of the songs my band plays is 210bpm and the first half involves lots of eighths and triplets and whatnot, so I play it with a pick. I find when picking at that speed, it's very difficult for me to palm mute - at that speed I pick with my entire forearm, so keeping my right hand down for palm muting reduces my speed.

I've circumvented this by muting with my middle finger on my left hand, just past the fret that my index is on. It sounds fine, but I feel like I'm limiting myself by not nailing down speed-picking palm muting technique. It seems like I've hit a wall in that respect. At a certain speed, I simply can't keep my plam stable enough and need to switch to the left hand technique. Is this something I should be overly concerned about? Also, is there some kind of trick to being able to palm mute at that tempo (210bpm 8ths)?

Edit: It actually may be 16ths. All I know is my hand blurs.

cowsgomoo · #2 03-06-2009, 11:44 AM

This is all downpicking at 210bpm I assume? (hard to imagine it's alternate picked 8th notes you're having an issue with)

I'm entirely the opposite to you - I find it easier to play faster whilst palm muting than not... I don't think there's a trick... practice and as little movement as possible... if your shoulder moves up and down like someone in a Green Day video, it's not very efficient

and I don't really think of them as interchangeable techniques really... since palm muting deadens the notes in a way left hand muting just doesn't, i've never really swapped them about

CrispyDelicious · #3 03-06-2009, 11:51 AM

I actualy just did the math and yes, it's 16th's at 210. Combined with triplets.

So where does most of your movement occurr? Wrist? Fingers? And what type of pick do you use? Im currently using a 1.14 Ultex, but I'm thinking of switching to something a little more forgiving.

Oh I should also state that by bass is slung mid-height to slightly higher, as I do a mix of slap, fingerstyle, and picking, and I solo a bit. Would adjusting the hight of my bass allow for a better angle at which to attack the strings?

CrispyDelicious · #4 03-06-2009, 12:03 PM

bump for advice!

cowsgomoo · #5 03-06-2009, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

I actualy just did the math and yes, it's 16th's at 210. Combined with triplets.

So where does most of your movement occurr? Wrist? Fingers? And what type of pick do you use? Im currently using a 1.14 Ultex, but I'm thinking of switching to something a little more forgiving.

Oh I should also state that by bass is slung mid-height to slightly higher, as I do a mix of slap, fingerstyle, and picking, and I solo a bit. Would adjusting the hight of my bass allow for a better angle at which to attack the strings?

the fleshy side of my hand rests on the strings near the bridge and acts as a kind of a pivot... so my wrist doesn't move much at all, but the wrist joint does.. my arm moves but only as a result of being the other side of the pivot, if you get my drift...

combined with that, I anchor my picking motion by lightly resting my fingers on either the higher strings or the pickguard/body

If I need non-palm muted notes I lighten the force of my palm on the strings and just anchor with my fingers

I'm not saying this is the correct and only way to pick, but it's what works for me.. I use Dunlop .88m black Jazz III sized small stubby Tortex type thingies but also like the purple tortex H3's

I have my strap so i pick about nads-height.... any higher isn't comfortable for me

CrispyDelicious · #6 03-06-2009, 12:19 PM

Thanks! I especially like the idea of using your other fingers as an anchor - currently mine float. I'm going to grab some other picks on the way to rehearsal tonight also, maybe a little "give" would make my job easier.

I figure I'm just going to have to force myself to pick from the wrist and not the elbow!