Left-hand muting is a performance technique for stringed instruments, where string vibration is
damped
In physical systems, damping is the loss of energy of an oscillating system by dissipation. Damping is an influence within or upon an oscillatory system that has the effect of reducing or preventing its oscillation. Examples of damping include ...
by the fingering hand.
(Left-handed players use the right hand.)
First variant
A string is played with the right hand, while the left hand presses the string against the neck. Lifting the left hand stops or suppresses the resonating string.
Strumming
barre chord
In music, a Barre chord (also spelled bar chord) is a type of chord on a guitar or other stringed instrument played by using one finger to press down multiple strings across a single fret of the fingerboard (like a bar pressing down the stri ...
s or other chords in which there are no open strings, left-hand muting may punctuate the rhythm, so that instead of the continuous ringing sound of the strumming, short silences are introduced. Left-hand muting is used to produce chops (chords that are released the instant after picking). Chops are sharp and percussive.
Second variant
A non-vibrating string is pressed partly with the left hand — not to the neck — then struck, plucked or bowed with the other hand.
A struck string sound includes a muffled click; a bowed string, a scratchy noise. The string may be touched with the tip of one or more fingers, or with one or more fingers laid flat across the neck. If muted strings are played with a single stroke, hitting a non-muted strings loud and clear, the result is a rake, where muted notes act as a
percussive
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
lead to the main note.
See also
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Palm mute
The palm mute is a technique for guitar and bass guitar known for its muted sound. It is performed by placing the side of the picking hand across the guitar's strings, close to the bridge, while picking. The name is a misnomer as the muting is ...
References
[{{Cite web
, url = https://smartbassguitar.com/muting-bass-guitar/
, title = Muting on Bass Guitar Explained
, date = April 1, 2014
]
Guitar performance techniques