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Muting
Muting a string is simple: with the fretting hand, touch the string with a finger, but do not press it down, and strike the string. It is usually best to do this where a harmonic will not result, but strings can be muted at harmonics for special effect. In tablature, muted notes are marked with an "x" instead of a fret number.
Palm muting
Palm muting may or may not make the pitch of the string discernable. Very lightly rest the palm of the hand on or near the bridge, then fret and strike strings normally. Palm-muted notes are sometimes notated the same way as muted notes when the pitch is not discernable; otherwise fret numbers are |
given normally and the muted notes are marked "P.M." in tablature.
The Palm Muting Technique
The idea is not to mute the strings, but to dampen them, so that the notes are still clear, but with less
sustain. To start, hold your guitar like you normally would, but let your palm brush against the strings,
near the bridge. Remember to "let" the strings brush against your palm, not putting any force on the
strings. The closer to the bridge, the more forgiving it is. As you get better, try adjusting the amount of
muting by keeping your palm at different distances from the bridge.
Raking
Raking is not a kind of muting, but a technique for applying it. It is vaguely related to sweep picking,
but instead of an arpeggio, the result is usually a single percussive-sounding note. (However, sweep
picking is sometimes incorrectly notated as a rake in tablature, and sloppy sweep picking may
accidentally become a rake.) Between two and four strings are struck, only one containing the desired
note and the rest muted. Rakes may be notated in various ways; the most common way is to add muted
grace notes, possibly adding the word "rake" to the tablature for clarification.
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