Bass Lesson 14 - Muting

Keeping those big bass strings under control isn't always easy, especially in the early stages. When you are playing, you might have troubles with the strings you are not playing ringing through; this is a common issue for beginners. This article will cover a few tips you can use to help clean up your sound.

So, why do we need to mute strings? If you are just starting out, it's probably pretty hard to change notes without touching the strings that you are not playing. There are two ways to mute these strings: one way is with the fretting hand, and yes, the other way is with the strumming hand. To mute strings with your fretting hand you will use the finger that are not using to fret the note to stop the other strings from vibrating. If you are using your pointer finger to fret a C, then you would use your remaining fingers to stop the E D and G strings from vibrating. Then, to stop the C note from vibrating, lift up on the A string so that the string stops vibrating; at the same time, you can place the rest of your fingers over the note. This might seem difficult, but it's really easy once you get the hang of it. The easiest way to learn this is to see it on the fretboard, so let’s look at this riff.

The first measure consists of 4 eighth notes on the A string, 3rd fret. To finger this note, use your first finger. Muting the other strings should be fairly easy. Your index finger should lazily lie over the top strings, and after you pluck the note, your strumming hand index finger should end resting on the E string, muting it. In between each note, gently lift up on the string, muting it all together. On the next measure, use your ring finger in the same manner. Mute the higher strings with your ring finger, slightly touching them, and mute the E with your plucking hand’s finger. See the video for more descriptive examples.

Let’s also check out another example.

This example uses octaves. To play this example, pluck the notes as written, but focus on muting the strings with your plucking hand. As you play each note, let off of the string when you are going to play the next one so that each note is short and detached. As you pluck each note, rest your plucking finger on the bigger string below it to mute it, even if it isn't ringing. Your plucking fingers won’t mute the strings for very long, but if for some reason they start vibrating, the only thing needed to stop them is a little tap. Make sure to watch the video all the way through a of couple times if you have any questions. If that doesn't help, you can always ask questions in the forum with ease!