In which modules/lessons does BTB go into muting?

I’m just starting the course and I sort of want to “peek ahead” a bit. I just cannot really find where to look for muting lessons.

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I’m not sure, but Josh has a video on it

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There isn’t one specific lesson about it. He addresses it throughout the course.

Since your muting technique changes depending on what you play, it ends up being different for every song. For the most part, your muting will develop naturally as your fretting and plucking develop.

Also, it’s not something you just learn and have down. It’s something you develop and refine over the entire lifetime of your music playing.

It’s good to be aware of it but since your just starting, give it some time. It’ll come together.

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It’s usually hidden in the workouts. Usually Josh introduces muting tips in the medium or fast workout.

I guess it is because he feels teaching it all at once might overwhelm you. Hit the notes first and then worry about muting.

BB’s muting youtube video was already posted too.

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Muting confuses me - In the beginning modules (Van Halen Workout) someone asked if you can use your plucking hand to mute. Josh says use your fret hand instead, yet in the muting video he says go ahead and start with your plucking hand, then work to the fretting hand.

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You can mute with either hand, it will depend on what you’re playing sometimes or simply on what feels more comfortable to you…. If I remember the Van Halen work out was one finger on the fretting hand and most of the action was on the plucker, so it’d be easier to assign the muting to the hand doing the least work, however you can also mute with the plucker…. There’s no rule for muting and it changes from song to song

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I use a floating thumb technique. I’m at work or I would lookup a link to it.

Basically, all the strings above the one I’m plucking gets muted by my plucking hand; resting my thumb on the string next to the string I’m plucking, and against the strings above it. So if I’m plucking a D, thumb rests on the A and touches the E, doesn’t take much of a touch.

At the same time my fretting hand is muting the strings below the one I’m plucking. If I’m fretting an A on the fifth fret of the D string, I’m touching the A with fingers, which ones depends on what I’m playing, but I go for least effort.

Trying a 5 string really forced me into good technique as the harmonics are such an issue. My fingers on my fretting I learned to keep straight and parallel to each other, and against the fretboard as much as possible.

This is what works for me, ymmv. I do advise checking the floating thumb. My in person bass teacher is sufficiently impressed with it he’s going to learn it himself

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Also need to consider that there is muting to stop unwanted strings ringing/noise and muting to stop a note for a ‘rest’.

I’m currently in module 3 and Josh has mentioned both quite a few times in each module so far.

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Hey @Schniemand ! There are no dedicated ‘muting lessons,’ it’s baked into lessons sprinkled throughout the course. That video @Wombat-metal linked to above is the best dedicated muting resource I’ve got. :slight_smile:

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