In this lesson, we introduce palm muting as a way to shape your strumming tone and dynamics. By lightly resting the soft, fleshy part of your palm near the bridge, you’ll create a tighter, more controlled sound while keeping the windshield wiper motion relaxed and consistent. The focus is on finding the right hand position and pressure so the strings stay muted without losing clarity, adding another expressive tool to your strumming.

Explanation

Palm muting is all about hand placement. Rest the soft part of your palm lightly on the strings near the bridge. Too far forward and the sound disappears; too far back and the mute is lost.

Keep your hand relaxed and make small adjustments until you find the sweet spot — a tight, punchy sound that still has clarity.

We’ll start by applying palm muting with downstrokes only, focusing on consistency before moving on.

Use the Soundslice example below to practice along.