Pick Players.....PLEEEEASE

[ninthwondernj]

PLEEEEASE share with me how you mute....

and question #2: Since Im new at learning how to p ick, is it better to mute with my left or right hand?

[Martybass]

I think I use both hands...but definitely mainly my fretting hand

[John Deppel]

To mute, I either lay the palm of my picking hand across all the strings, very lightly, or I'll slightly release the pressure of my fretting hand on the fretboard to attain a muted effect. The latter of the two is easier for me, as sometimes laying your picking hand on the strings too hard will completely kill your sound.

[allthings]

I mute with both hands too. Palm muting works best when you lay your palm back close to the bridge and work it till you are getting what you want. Some bridges lend themselves better to this than others.

[jenderfazz]

For palm muting, I simply have the outer edge of my hand right at the bridge saddle (thats right outside your pinky). My pinky and the side of my hand stay anchored there while my thumb pivots to pluck. It's a bit uncomfortable but it's not so bad.

[Rumzini]

Lately I've been using a pick exclusively. I've been dead set against it for a couple of years but man o man! The tones I've been getting out of my 55-01 are just killer. Add a lil chourus and delay and hoold on drrRREEEAAMMmmmmmmyyyyy! Anyways...I;ve been using palm muting like my ol guitar days...however I read an article in a Bass Player mag last year written by Jason Newsted and how he hooked his pinky on the lowest string as a reference point then I keep my pinkys side of my hand lightly against the strings near the bridge as stated above...gotta work with it for whats best for ya. I've alos found that I do need to mute with my fret had as well...just depends on what tune of ours I'm playing and what I'm trying to accomplish. I ramble.....

[Kelly Lee]

I use both. It just depends on the song and where I'm at in a song which hand I use. The techniques mentioned are the same for me.

[ale145]

Definitely, I like to play a lot of The Smiths stuff...also I lay my pinky on the G string and when I pluck I try to move my wrist rather than my hand..it's easier that way to reach any string..

[tplyons]

Learn both. I primarilly use palm muting, but left-hand muting will come in handy in more styles.

[Ninja999]

If your new to picking, you'll probably want to start by muting with your left so you can focus on your picking with the right. It usefull to learn both though.

[The Golden Boy]

I started playing with a pick. I had a bass with a cover over the bridge. I would rest my pinky across the cover and actually pull up as my primary stroke. It was from that to tearing my pinky up on a Rick bridge mute system and then to actually playing more between the neck joint and bridge. When I do mute I revert back to running my pinky across the bridge saddles.

If you mute a lot, you might want to think of a block of felt or foam in front of your bridge, under the strings. ala McCartney circa 1968.