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How to Rake Strings?

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  • How to Rake Strings?

    I'm working on SRVs Cold Shot, which requires playing a note on the D string while raking the A, G, and B. I've been playing it by loosely resting my pointer finger two frets below it, like a barre, but for other parts in the song I feel there are more effective ways to do it, such as parts that require bending, which is tough to do with the barre in place and my hand positioning.

    What do Ya'll say I should do?

  • #2
    Re: How to Rake Strings?

    A short video of you playing might help us see where the trouble spots are.
    But, without seeing what’s going on I can tell you that effective muting is the key. Both your picking hand and the fretting hand share the work.
    I’m assuming you’re referring to what essentially would be the chorus “That’s a cold shot”....where he plays single notes but is actually striking multiple strings for that more percussive attack.

    Yup....it’s all In the muting.

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    • #3
      How to Rake Strings?

      What you’re doing is the easiest.

      You can also mute with the finger you’re playing by angling it a bit flatter. So if you play the d string with the 3rd finger for example, it can rest/touch enough to mute the b.

      And of course you can use any idle left hand finger to mute any strings. Or a combo of both. If you have tabs of the passage it may be easier.
      Last edited by Blille; 07-29-2018, 03:17 PM.

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      • #4
        Re: How to Rake Strings?

        The Hendrix/SRV style is to use the fretting fingers to mute the strings higher than those you are playing and the thumb to mute the lower strings.
        Oh no.....


        Oh Yeah!

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        • #5
          Re: How to Rake Strings?

          Yup, all in the muting. One other thing, make sure you’re not trying to play all 6 strings. This is an example of where only one string is ringing, everything else is “chunking”, so focus on muting just those string around the note and target your pick attack there.

          And, to your original post, keep that right hand loose and strumming.


          Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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          • #6
            Re: How to Rake Strings?

            These sort of secondary techniques are so personal in my opinion when figuring out how to perform therm. For example, as someone mentioned above, SRV and Hendrix muted the bass strings with theirs thumb but this is because they had long and flexible fingers to have the ability to do this. Other artists like Lukather (who has shorter fingers but is still a phenomenal player) rarely mutes with his thumb. The way you do it naturally the first time is most likely the best way for you and your hand in my opinion. Although, when I was learning to do this for some funk songs, I foud it extremely helpful to focus on each note individually really slow just to make sure all the other strings are infact muted. Then slowly speed it up, then add th eother notes slowly ect.. that way your fingers get used to the positions and quick changes instead of trying to keep up with the right hand inaccurately.

            Good luck! It's an excellent technique to know!!

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            • #7
              Re: How to Rake Strings?

              Actually, while I'm here. A really good exercise that helped me was Can't Stop by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. This technique is used throughout the riff. It might seem like an easy riff to play but Frusciante mutes all other 5 strings when playing the single notes on the G string which is pretty difficult. Again starting slow and then progressively increase speed with a metronome is always the quickest and surest way of getting there.

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              • #8
                Re: How to Rake Strings?

                Originally posted by contiContiCONTI View Post
                Actually, while I'm here. A really good exercise that helped me was Can't Stop by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. This technique is used throughout the riff. It might seem like an easy riff to play but Frusciante mutes all other 5 strings when playing the single notes on the G string which is pretty difficult. Again starting slow and then progressively increase speed with a metronome is always the quickest and surest way of getting there.
                Yup, Can’t Stop is an amazing riff.


                Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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