Definitive guide on Patitucci style plucking hand muting technique?

[Jazzpunk]

Greetings all!

I want to explore the plucking hand muting style of John Patitucci utilizing the ring and pinky finger to mute more in depth. I've picked up a few ideas off the interwebs but I am wondering if there is a more definitive resource that includes specific exercises for developing this technique that I can build into my practice routine?

If anyone has suggestions or links that would be great!

Cheers

 

[Lobster11]

Subbed to see responses. I'm happy using the floating-thumb technique for muting but would be interested in learning more about this....

 

[RSerbel]

I don't have any resources available to you, but I did something pretty similar for my 5 string. Maybe this will be helpful for you. I was having right hand thumb problems so I wanted to involve my right ring finger for muting. What I did is just re-practice some material I've been working on but much slower. I have an E-C 5 string, here's how I mute it.

-Thumb tip rests on the E string for playing A/D strings
-Thumb tip rests on A string also touching E string (sort of wedged in their lightly) to play D/G strings.
-Thumb stays where it is, then my ring finger touches the D string for me to play G/C strings.

That's about it. I had to really watch that ring finger though. Middle and ring fingers don't have independent control like an index finger does, so when I am plucking alternating index/middle fingers, my ring finger is moving a bit which caused some accuracy problems regarding placing it on the D string to mute it but slow practice overcame that.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Greetings all!

I want to explore the plucking hand muting style of John Patitucci utilizing the ring and pinky finger to mute more in depth. I've picked up a few ideas off the interwebs but I am wondering if there is a more definitive resource that includes specific exercises for developing this technique that I can build into my practice routine?

If anyone has suggestions or links that would be great!

Cheers

I remember a podcast where John had said one of his students asked about his muting techniques. John said that he actually had to look at his own hands to see what he as doing. So I imagine there isn't any resource that explains it. I have a copy of that podcast somewhere and if I can find it, I will post up that portion, if it has any useful info.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

I remember a podcast where John had said one of his students asked about his muting techniques. John said that he actually had to look at his own hands to see what he as doing. So I imagine there isn't any resource that explains it. I have a copy of that podcast somewhere and if I can find it, I will post up that portion, if it has any useful info.

I've rewatched John's teaching video, but I could not find any specific/unique muting technique.



I've watched John's live performance video. No special muting technique.

 

[Les Fret]

He is just holding his pinky and ring finger on the B and E string while playing on the higher strings with index and middle and sometimes pinky and ring finger are placed on the E and A string. Jaco also did that. You can see in the last video above around 0:30 and 4:20. I don't find that very handy myself but it works for him.

Scott also talks about it in below video from 2:00

 

[Jazzpunk]

Subbed to see responses. I'm happy using the floating-thumb technique for muting but would be interested in learning more about this....

Cool yeah, I am coming from a guitar playing background so muting is one of my big hurdles right now. I've been working with the floating thumb technique as well but still exploring to see what ends up feeling most natural. Very interested in Gary Willis's muting technique as well. Plenty to practice that's for sure!

 

[Lobster11]

Cool yeah, I am coming from a guitar playing background so muting is one of my big hurdles right now. I've been working with the floating thumb technique as well but still exploring to see what ends up feeling most natural. Very interested in Gary Willis's muting technique as well. Plenty to practice that's for sure!

Some years ago I spent a couple of months trying to learn both the "floating thumb" and "moveable anchor" muting techniques. In the end I found the former to feel more comfortable, but YMMV. Here are demonstrations of each in case you're interested: