Muting Techniques

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Instructor: Richard Lundmark Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Rock

Excerpt: Welcome to this tutorial on Muting Technique! In this tutorial we will be taking a closer look at some various uses of muting for rock rhythm playing. First of is the good old palm muting we all know and love. When you read any rock tab in any guitar magazine, you are pretty much bound to see at least some parts marked P.M. However, there is not just one ty...

Media Length: 3:51

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Instructor: Richard Lundmark Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Rock

Excerpt: Example number 2 then. Here I have moved the right hand a few millimeters (or fractions of an inch) closer to the neck, away from the bridge. I can still feel the bridge touching the outside of my palm. This position produces a tighter muting, and the string will not ring out nearly as much. This type of muting will be perfect to use for almost any 80’...

Media Length: 1:31

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Instructor: Richard Lundmark Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Rock

Excerpt: Very well then, on to example number 3. Here I have chosen to play a riff more in the style of bands like Metalica. Less single note riffing, and more power chord based. Here I’m also alternating between palm muted and none-muted chords. Observe how I have moved the hand ever so slightly more from the bridge to create an even tighter attack and muting.

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Instructor: Richard Lundmark Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Rock

Excerpt: In example number 4, we reach the end of the line. This is pretty much as far as you can go from the bridge without completely killing the string. Also, with a heavier pressure and muting, you also run the risk of raising the pitch of the string to much in relation to the rest of the music. But, once you get this really “metallic” muting down, yo...

Media Length: 2:40

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Instructor: Richard Lundmark Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Rock

Excerpt: Very well then. Example 5a! Examples 5-6 will all explore a technique I call “slap-muting”. This entails using your left hand, slapping on the strings while palm muting with your right hand. This creates a percussive effect that will sound really cool at higher tempos. In example 5a, you will see a very common metal rhythm, where you play two not...

Media Length: 3:06

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Instructor: Richard Lundmark Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Rock

Excerpt: Here comes the fun! In example 5b, I use the fingers of my left hand to slap and fill in the “gaps” so to speak. That is, where ever there is a rest in the riff from 5a, I will slap, thereby creating a continuous flurry of notes, but also creating a driving almost echoing effect in the riff. Try it out at various speeds and you will find it very ...

Media Length: 1:28

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Instructor: Richard Lundmark Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Rock

Excerpt: Example 6a is a riff from my FretDance (2003) album from a song called Road Less Travelled. On the original tune I use a drop-A tuned seven string guitar for some really heavy riffing. This type of slap-muting sounds very cool indeed on a drop-tuned guitar. Check the tune out on my website. Same thing here, start out by learning 6A, which is the riff without...

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Instructor: Richard Lundmark Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Rock

Excerpt: Not much to say here really, just follow the same procedure as in example 5b and you will be fine. This rhythm is less consistent than example 5, and will thus be a bit trickier to nail at higher speeds, but keep working at it and you’ll be fine! Now move on to example 7 for some Dividing Rhythm!

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Instructor: Richard Lundmark Level: Intermediate Topic: Technique Style: Rock

Excerpt: So what is Dividing Rhythm? Well, it’s just a phrase I use to describe the concept of splitting up a riff into several lines or “melodies”, almost like a classical fuge. What I do is that I allow some notes to ring out, whilst others are muted, creating the illusion of two different rhythm guitar lines in one. This riff is also interesting ...

Media Length: 3:48

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Instructor: Richard Lundmark Level: Advanced Topic: Technique Style: Rock

Excerpt: Final example! Here I have the same exact notes and riff, but I mute out certain notes completely, whilst accentuating others (the upstrokes) but hitting them hard, not muting at all. This creates and interesting rhythm within the rhythm so to say, creating a very groovy riff indeed. Try it out, and once you truly have it down, you will be ready to move on t...

Media Length: 3:59