Complete noob looking for advice: I’m trying to play something like this:
And I have trouble muting the A string in the first bar - I try touching it with my 1st finger on the fretting hand while fretting F on the E string and A string keeps rining a bit into my F. Any advice what to do to mute it properly?
I use the index finger. I think if you keep practicing the full muting will come along. You could also try using one of the other 3 fingers, like the pinky, but in my opinion that is harder.
I would likely lay my index finger across all the strings when I fret the F and rest my other 3 fingers on the A string. Muting can be challenging when playing open strings, I often find that I have to get the ring and pinky fingers on my plucking hand involved to help out…do whatever it takes to keep those strings quiet
Welcome, @abbot. If you pop on over to the Introduce Yourself thread and tell us a little about yourself, the B2B group will be anxiously waiting to welcome you to the family.
When I fret something like this, I have my fretting finger held so that I properly fret the first fret on the E string and make it so that the rest of my finger is touching the other strings.
That way, all the other strings are muted just by using 1 finger.
If it is the other way around, I fret a note on the A string, I try to let the tip of the fretting finger touch the E string lightly, so it is muted. Coming around with the thumb to mute the E string is also common in that scenario, but my thumb seems to be too short
Fret F with your index finger, but still touching all the 4 strings. Keep your others 3 fingers muting the other 3 strings by keeping their tips on the A string, and the rest of the fingers muting D and G.
I always do the same:
Mute the lower strings with the plucking hand (by resting my thumb on a lower string) and the higher ones using the body of whatever finger I need to use to fret and the rest of the fingers.
For example, if I’m playing F (3rd fret) on the D string:
My plucking thumb rest on the A string, muting it, and the rest of the thumb touches the E string.
My fretting finger (let’s say, middle finger) frets the F note with the tip, and the body mutes the G string and my ring-pinky hangs on G string, helping to mute it (Index finger stays on D string, to help fret and reduce any chance to ring the string)
Yeah, muting isn’t fun to learn. You’ll get it. Nice straight fingers up and down on the fingerboard helps. The pad of the finger can simply rest on that a string. You’ll find it, it’s there.
Thanks for many inspiring replies! Experimented with various advice given here, and so far adding pinky or ring finger seems to work best for me. I tried hard muting this with one finger only, and of course it never came to me that just adding another finger to mute might be the solution Seems to be coming along now!