Right Hand Techniques Guitar - Palming And Dampening The Strings
As a beginner guitarist, it is important that you practice proper
techniques. Carefully analyzing your practice routine will help you develop good
playing habits. The approach you use during your practice time can have a great
positive or negative impact on the habits you will develop. Be sure to have
books that cover
different styles of music. When you study various styles of music you will tend
to naturally develop different methods of
playing the guitar.
Lets cover two different techniques that will prove to be useful. Both
of the techniques I am talking about are right hand techniques. The techniques I
would like to mention are called "Palming" and "Dampening" . "Palming" and
"Dampening" are very important in both rhythm and lead guitar.
Lets break it down:
The need to control and mute certain strings at different times becomes
evident to the beginner guitarist very
early on. Palming and dampening are techniques that will help you keep the
strings in control. When used properly, there is
no substitute for the palming and dampening techniques. Using the techniques correctly will allow you to mute or dampen the
strings and control notes that should be omitted
at various times during a song.
Whether you are playing rhythm (strumming) or lead (picking melody), it
is vital that you develop good palm techniques. As you strum or pick the strings with your
right hand, practice positioning the palm of your
right hand very close to the bridge of the guitar. As you play, lower your palm
towards the bridge of the guitar and practice
muting and dampening the strings. Experiment with chords that do not require all of the strings to be played. Practice palming the
strings that should be omitted. Learn to control
the strings and the the sound by "palming-out" the strings you want
to omit.
Tip: When playing acoustic rhythm guitar, a very
pleasant effect can be created by using the palm
techniques to dampen all of the strings just a bit
during the song.
Tip: Remember that palming and dampening the strings
almost always works best at or very near the
bridge location.
Tip: If you are a left-handed guitar player this
lesson applies to your left hand, not your right.
In the beginning, palming and dampening the strings
will seem very unnatural.
As you discipline yourself
to develop the technique, it will quickly become one of the most natural and
useful right hand techniques you can establish.
Add "palming" and
"dampening" to your daily practice routine. You will be amazed how quickly you come to love and appreciate this
technique in your playing.
