Trouble Cutting The Sounds With A Pick.

[NightVampZ]

I usually play with my fingers and everything goes fine, how ever, there are some songs that I prefer to play with a pick. Although, I have alot of trouble stopping the notes so, they just ring on and on and it sounds really bad. I was wondering, could anyone maybe please give me some pointers or techniques (please try and explain since I don't know much terminology) that would help me stop the notes without slowing down my playing to much.
Thanks alot,

NightVampZ.

[rickbass]

If I understand you correctly, the picked notes sustain too long. Uh, what happens when you lift your fretting finger off the string?

Naw, that's too easy. What you may be in need of is some instruction on damping technique. The easiest method for me, a very commonly used one, is to use the heel of my picking/plucking hand to stop strings from vibrating past the notes' desired time values/durations. That way, your hand doesn't have to get out of position.

There are left/fretting hand damping techniques as well but those are a bit more advanced. Some instructional videos cover it, like, "The Slap Bass Program."

[noPass/noNick]

maybe you're doing so many ( and unnecesary) notes in open strings... thats a common problem with begginers ( assuming you're one), cause they go frequently to tabs, and tabs sometimes have the notes... but no the right places where they have to be played

ie:
D|-------0----
A|0---4------
E|--3------

when you can control the unwanted ringing on this way:

A|------4-5--
E|--5-3-----


a thing that works to me is to have the picking hand's thumb very close to the string played ( while picking)... i mean very close, so when you want to shut up the strings youre playing.. just do it with the thumb, if your fretting hand is too busy to silence some strings

[JMX]

You can try combining left hand damping with right hand damping. Use the base of your right hand palm to mute the lower strings. E.g. when you play the D string, mute E and A with the right hand, and the G with your left hand fingers.