Palm Muting Techniques Using Alternate Picking and Extreme Downstrokes

Hello metalheads!

On this new lesson I’m using Palm muting* to create some heavy riffs using triplets along with fifths and major minor dyads.

When it comes to metal, Riff is everything and along with a great riff comes Palm muting a great technique that all metal guitar players are using to create this raw and sinister sound, I’m playing here pretty fast riffs and while I’m palm muting, I use fast alternate picking, down up down up, and also very fast down picking, down down etc.

Also, the chords that I’m using here is fifths and some major minor dyads to create some more harmonious and melodic sound, that gives a lot of character and melodicism in your playing.

The key to palm muting is to dampen the strings such that they still have a little bit of sustain, but are not completely deadened.

As you can see, I’m Resting the outside of my strumming right hand (the area at the edge of the palm, on the same side as your little finger) across the strings to be played, just next to the bridge.

You only need to rest this hand gently on the strings- too heave and you’ll deaden them too much. Plus, you still need to be able to play the strings with this hand…

The closer it is to the bridge, the more sustain the notes will have. The closer it is positioned to the neck, the ‘deader’ the sound will be. Turn the gain up on your amp, switch some distortion or overdrive on, and mute some power-chords. You’ll get that distinctive ‘chugga-chugga’ effect you hear used extensively in heavy rock.

Make sure to turn your amp up and have fun!!!!!!!
Μarios

*What Is Palm Muting?
Muting is actually the process of keeping a ringing string from vibrating. When you put your palm on the strings at the point where they connect to the bridge, you silence the vibration a little – you mute it. This is why it’s called palm muting.