Muting technique

[zujo]

Hey what's the deal with muting, how does everyone apply muting technoques to their playing? I have noticed that whenever I solo my muting technique goues a little weak. I use a shiftable right thumb thing to mute any open/unplayed strings at the time I am playing other strings.

 

What do you guys/girls do?

[BenLoy]

Jaco's instructional video, while having more value as an entertainment piece than a source of instruction, has some good things to say about muting that I had been using in my playing before I saw it. Jaco uses his ring finger and pinky to help mute whatever strings he's not playing, in addition to using his thumb on the E string or A. Left hand muting is important, too, your fingers can help a lot by laying across the higher strings as you fret a note.

[Ed Friedland]

Generally, I start with the thumb on the pickup, then move it to the E string when playing the D string. When playing the G string, I either drop the thumb in between the E&A covering them both or use my third finger to cover the A string. On a 5 string I cover the B&E with the thumb, and the A with the third finger while playing the G. It's important to practice this with basic mechanical exercises like the chromatic 1-2-3-4 thing, or scales. Get it to be a habit, this way when you're going for it, it will already be in place. You don't need to be thinking about this when you're soloing.

 

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