PALM muting habits

[mexstrat]

I've recently been doing some more funky strumming that involves muting the strings more often than I used to, and I've realized that I have a strange way of muting. Instead of using my palm, I tend to use the top of my fingers, which may not be a good habit. The result of that is shown below. Should I just embrace my rather unusual muting technique and patiently wait for strong enough callouses on the top of my fingers, or should I try to get into the habit of palm muting? If I should palm mute, I'd appreciate any advice people could give.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: PALM muting habits

If you have a decent way to record your playing, do so and listen back. If you like the sound you're getting, embrace it for sure. No need to fix what ain't broke and music would be a boring place if there were too many rules. Your hands should adapt and callous in the right places if you do it long enough. Aggressive fingerstyle and slap bass techniques are hell on my fingers when I haven't done it in a while.

 

[Swampy]

Re: PALM muting habits

I'm trying to picture how you "Top-of-finger mute". You curl your non pick fingers over the saddles? Seems like it'd be less controlled, but if its working for you soundwise. But hose cuts look like they'd be annoying as hell, especially right on the knuckle.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: PALM muting habits

I use my fingers curled under to mute all the time, especially when I am pulling off a pinch harmonic. Like everything else, you will grow callouses there eventually.

 

[Mincer]

Re: PALM muting habits

Ouch! I tend to avoid activities that hurt. I wouldn't care about someone's unorthodox playing unless it causes them to bleed. I'd say work on some better technique so you don't hurt yourself and don't have to stop to wipe the blood off of the strings.

 

[Jacew]

Re: PALM muting habits

Didn't Wilko Johnson say in Oil City Confidential about his fingerstyle playing that he used red scratchplate, so you can't see blood...

Anyway that doesn't seem like a good technique... But I can't say for sure. If it works and doesn't hurt in a long run...

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: PALM muting habits

I'd say move the edge of your palm in just a bit, but your tone will change since you're picking further in. And yeah, string and finger funk in a cut on your fingers = bad things, man.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: PALM muting habits

What kind of sound are you after from the palm mutes? Heavy metal chunk palm mutes? Funk?