All Down Strums & Palm Mute Technique

The strumming pattern in this lesson is a great one for creating contrasting dynamics in your guitar playing!

Does this work just was well with an electric? On my strat the metal screws on the bridge are uncomfortable on my hand, and the volume knob makes it more awkward.

@netwiz. Many a Strat player curses the location of the volume knob. It is a much-discussed design feature / flaw.
You can buy shorter length grub screws for your saddles if they protrude too far and dig in while palm muting.
I hope that helps.

Cheers :smiley:

| Richard | JustinGuitar Approved Teacher, Official Guide & Moderator

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Hi Guys!

I got a doubt about palm muting and the position of fingers: middle, ring and pinky, what is the correct technique is it like this (those fingers relaxed) like in the first image

image

Or should be like this:

Or is irrelevant ?

I really want to play Basket Case, but struggling :pensive:

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Hi @vanessa_z

There is some research that says curling the fingers will help with speed. If you watch some videos of the folks that speed-pick you will see them curl under.

Alternatively, leaving them out will help to prevent you from making noise dragging your knuckles across the strings.

I tend to leave mine out, curled only a little, maybe a mix of both your pictures. You should try each and see which is comfortable for you and causes the least trouble.

One thing I see that is very different in your pictures than I see looking down is the angle of the hand. Mine is angled along the bridge more parallel to the line of saddles so I get a somewhat even mute across all strings. Your mutes will be very complete on the smaller strings and maybe partial on the big strings. You will eventually get to where you can scoot your hand along the strings and get the muting sound you desire.

Maybe you have the guitar very high to try to get the picture. In order to change your hand angle you would need to seat the guitar far lower than it is in the image, straighten your elbow out and the hand would naturally change angle. If you are very short, then this could be why your angle looks so different.

I have always felt that the volume knob on Stratocasters was too close to the picking hand and I would hit it playing. You may need to get used to avoiding it. Hopefully someone that plays a Strat will comment.

Thank you :smiley:

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I’ve played Strats for decades and never hit the volume knob nor took skin off on the bridge screws when playing. Quite the opposite I find the volume knob in the ideal position to find it without looking unlike on a Les Paul. A great benefit for us old-school players who play on the volume control especially live.

If you look at players like Frusciante who have scratches on their Strats’ body from over strumming, they are well away from the bridge so suggest moving the hand in that direction.

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@vanessa_z So last night I got a Strat out to check. Although it’s called palm muting you are actually using the very edge of your hand not the whole palm. So the first image above is better. I find that, same as Justin, I am using outstretched fingers that often rest on the pickguard.

When I look where I strum it is between the neck and middle pickup on a Strat.

Also note that Justin is using the toggle switch of his Les Paul Standard to turn the volume of the guitar on and off and not the volume knobs.

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Vanessa. Try to relax those fingers and uncurl them. You don’t want a fist shape. You need to allow them to be stretched out more like the first photo. You don’t want them out dead straight and rigid. Definitely uncurled, a little curve to them and relaxed.

@sequences is correct. Your angle is very acute and needs to be more perpendicular to the strings.
In Justin’s palm mute lesson, when he opens his hand up to show us what is happening beneath the surface, this is what can be seen.
Look at the outstretched fingers and the angle of the hand.