Ring finger muting

[sanktf]

I am relatively new to the bass and just want to ensure that I am not doing anything wrong with my right hand.

I use the following technique: My thumb rest on the face of the pickup and can move to mute the E-string. When I move to the higher strings, my hand moves further to the bridge, so that my wrist stays straight.

My ring finger also rests on the pickup (P-type), between the A and D-strings. It can move to mute those two strings. Is this ok? Are there any problems that might arise later?

[MusicBear]

Nobody ever really taught me "Right" or "Wrong" ways to mute while I played. I just figured it out by myself as I played. I play finger-style, with a pick, slap-style, tapping, or chimes (harmonics) and muting techniques vary with each technique.

Basically, as I move across the neck from 4th string to 1st I will mute with my right-hand fingers, and as I move from 1st string to 4th I will mute with my left-hand fingers. I've been doing it for so long (over 30 years) that I'm not even conscious of exactly how I do it.

[TripleDouble]

Anything goes to get the job done, and I use a number of different right hand positions and techniques, but do a search on "Floating thumb technique", it's by far the most 'correct', relaxed, and efficient way I've found to pluck the ol' dumbstick. Learning this as your default as a newcomer will save you time in the future of correcting a limiting hand position.

[Lo-E]

I'm with MusicBear on this one. Muting is sort of an "all hands on deck" affair. Whatever works to stop the string from ringing is okay in my book.

What you describe sounds perfectly reasonable to me, and as you play longer you'll find that you, too, have started muting in ways you're not really aware of.

I just started messing around with playing with my thumb, and I have found that all the muting tricks I've been using for 25 years are out the window and I have to start over. I'll be reaching for whatever works!

Peace-
E