When practicing scales and ascending, I have a problem of open strings continuing to ring out after I move to the next string.
For example, when moving from the A to the D string, after playing the last note on the A string and releasing in order to move to the D string, the open A will sound. I've found some videos on youtube that suggest using the tip of the first finger to lightly touch the string just played to stop it vibrating. I think the effectiveness of this approach would depend on the pattern being played.
Your suggestions would be appreciated.

In general, the fretting hand will mute all the strings BELOW the string it is playing and the picking hand will mute the strings ABOVE. However, this is just a general rule. Using the tip of the fretting hand fingers to mute the string directly above is a common practice and well worth your time to practice and master.

So, if I were playing on the G string, my picking hand would be muting the low E, A, and D while my fretting hand is playing the G string and muting the B and high E. The tip of my fretting hand index finger may also be pressed lightly against the D string in order to mute it.

Again, this is just a general example. There are many ways to mute and often people mix up and combine all the different ways.

Thanks uderoche

Thats a tuff one......

After you are successful in playing a pattern up and down "without noise".....try playing the pattern in thirds without picking or muting with the right hand....legato. This will be the test for your technique. Also...check to see if your hooking your tips???
Flat fingers=more noise
How about your tips? Still fleshy or solid rock?
The harder the callous the easier it is to maneuver through the notes.

The best example...Mr. Holdsworth.

Open string or extraneous noise is often overlooked. It is a real problem for guitarists who play with high gain or large shows. There is no secret losing the noise, you just know it has to been done. The first thing is to watch other guitarist. After that start exploring. I will tell you that it is a two handed job. The left hand is pretty obvious, you can use the fingers to mute any string beneath the one you are playing. I.E. If you are playing the 6th string your left hand can control all the other strings. With practice you can use this technique on the 5 string learning to let the top of your left hand finger mute the 6th. A little tricky but a little practice and you will have it. From 5 or 4 down is when you need to let your RH do the work. The guitarists that really taught me to mute out unwanted sound were Frank Gambale and Steve Morse. Steve's RH is amazing. You can find him talking about it on You Tube. While Frank uses the left and then right hand as you move to other strings. Hope this helped. Although in time you mute as second nature, at first remember it is a constant problem.

The best and the most awesome and exact description of muting of unvanted noise ever, for all times! "With any available surfaces on both hands."

Any surface on both hands arises a question in my head:
Ive been practicing Sarod for about 6 months now and recently it has come to my attention that ive been muting the open strings with the side of my thumb.. is it still proper sarod technique ?

You could answer this question for yourself just by watching players of Sarod instrument, by paying close attention on their arm position, angle of the wrist in relation to forearm, hand movements and micro movements between thumb and index finger. Almost every Sarod player would go for a floating hand, with an angle between wrist and forehand that makes a kinda pyramid hole shape in relation to instrument, with forearm almost parallel to strings, like Oud guys which looks they're hugging instrument from behind, and with motion described by Pebber, like you're shaking a spoon while mixing sugar in your tea, or espresso, I can't remember the exact words, but something like that. That could kinda describe original Sarod approach.

But, with guitar, we have distortion, and we need to filter out what we want to play, and what sounds we don't want to hear, so muting of some sort is a must. We need to adapt the technique to serve the purpose. I believe the reason Pebber described Sarod and Scalpel picking as isolated techniques is for people to INTEGRATE these techniques(motions) better into their style of picking, not to choose just one of these and limit themselves as kids tends to choose just Scalpel/forearm up/down combo, and they pick everything from thumb/index finger motion and these kids call that Sarod picking.

It's very easy to simply think about Sarod as forearm rotation, and Scalpel as thumb/index finger motion, but priority is the big question. I like to look at Sarod as big daddy of picking since this motion is main element of my picking, being it alternate or economy style, and while thinking about Scalpel I like to look at it as a side effect, a little brother of Sarod, as technique that is in use just to adapt the angle of the pick for a certain musical idea, or sometimes for some accents or pinch harmonics, and not to use as a single technique ever, even if musical idea is played on one string only.

Back to adapting Sarod with muting of unwanted open string noise... I'm doing it just like you, since muting with thumb turns out to be less conflict with rotation than touching the bridge with palm base like in situation where you do palm mute. As long as it is not planted as anchor, but just brushing across the strings. Everybody have their style for this, and it's natural for them, and this is natural for me.

I'm glad there's someone else using this approach also.

THanks for the answer Debilius, and nice to see your still around writing books ermm posts ;)


"I believe the reason Pebber described Sarod and Scalpel picking as isolated techniques is for people to INTEGRATE these techniques(motions) better into their style of picking, not to choose just one of these and limit themselves as kids tends to choose just Scalpel/forearm up/down combo, and they pick everything from thumb/index finger motion and these kids call that Sarod picking."


I keep forgetting that ;), you are right.


Anyways ive indeed seen Sarod players pick, but as you already mentioned they are usually not muting high gain Satriani solos ;).
I recently experimented for hours while asking myself how to mute while descending strings without compromising left hand technique by following everything with my straight index finger.

It is frustrating but i found out i can mute the strings above with the top of the curved pinky (only thanks to pebber suggestion of keeping the picking hand fingers tight in a fist like fashion) it seems great because it might give the left hand immense freedom and the ability to curve and move without worrying about muting, but im aware it is still to soon to be making statements,

The downside is you have to sacrifice pure floating sarod movement, but it is still relaxed and using a flexible thumb..
Im gonna practice for a few months and see where it takes me.

Nevertheless Thanks everyone for sharing info.

Roger that

Open string noise in PB Guitarstudio FORUMS
google