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Topic: Palm muting (not palm blocking) |
Phillip Hermans
From:
Berkeley, California, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2023 11:41 am |
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Howdy all!
I've searched around for this, but the discussion of pick blocking and palm blocking seems to always come up. This is not what I am talking about.
I am curious about the technique of "palm muting" akin to what a rock/metal guitarist would do on electric guitar, or what a classical player would call pizzicato. That is, muting the strings just enough to deaden the sustain, but still allowing the note to be heard.
I have been attempting it on lap steep, but in order to mute the correct amount my fingers picks end up at an angle and the don't hit the strings well.
I know some player's angle their picks on their fingers, do you? (I would be interested in general to see how other player's wear this finger picks.)
Does anyone use this "palm muting" technique on steel successfully?
I am curious about other folks thoughts and approaches.
thanks! |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2023 12:08 pm Re: Palm muting (not palm blocking)
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| Phillip Hermans wrote: |
Does anyone use this "palm muting" technique on steel successfully? |
For consistency of the effect, I have been most successful using one specific instrument set up with a chunk of foam rubber crammed between the pickup and the bridge which comes into slight contact with the strings from underneath. It did take a little experimentation before settling on the proper sizing of the piece of foam to achieve the best effect.
I got the idea from reading how the Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian did exactly that for the boom-chicka-boom-chicka rhythm guitar part on Nashville Cats.
Some Fender pedal steels and Fender and Gretsch electric Spanish guitars (among others) use a similar -- albeit slightly more elegant -- approach. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 9 Mar 2023 12:35 pm
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I use the effect quite a bit and I do it often by using my thumb to pick, often sweeping when I want that muted arpeggiated sound.
But it is also possible to play with all fingers and simultaneously muting without changing the angle of your picks. The only discernible difference in my hand positioning is that the side of my palm is meeting the strings at about a 90 degree angle.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Sebastian Müller
From:
Berlin / Germany
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Posted 9 Mar 2023 1:55 pm
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On a horseshoe equipped steel guitar like a Rickenbacher you can use your pinky behind the Pickup to mute the strings. Great sound, you can hear it on many recordings of David Feet Rogers of Sons of Hawaii.
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https://hawaiian-steel-guitar.com |
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John McClung
From:
Olympia WA, USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2023 2:55 am
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I use palm muting when playing reggae songs on steel, I'm a palm blocking-dominant player anyway, so i just move my palm slightly off the bridge rollers, right side, and just leave my palm down while doing reggae rhythm guitar work.
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▪️ If you want to have an ongoing discussion, please email me, don't use the Forum messaging which I detest! steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net |
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