Advice needed: How To Avoid Unwanted Tone

[KlausP]

Hi Everybody

I have a problem when I practise the lick depicted below or similar ones:

-------------------------
--5h7h8p7p5------------
-------------------8----
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------

As soon as I try to speed up, it often happens that I release the g-string and it sounds like a pulloff, means that the sound of the open g-string can be heard.

Any advice how to avoid these unwanted tones is highly appreciated!

Thanks,
Klaus

[vanhalen]

try to release it a bit so your muting the g-string with your finger, then release it completely... that's what i probably would have done, but beware im a newbie... im sure other guys can give you better advice.

[Unhorizon]

I'm assuming your hammering on to that E flat on the g string, so what I would do is just as soon as you pull it off to repeat, brush your picking hand against the g string. Another idea is to bar your pointer finger thats fretting the E on the B string, so it slightly touches the g string. That way, the only thing that will be heard when you hammer on to the 8 th fret is that E flat, and your pointer finger mutes it when you pulloff because its slightly touching it.

I hope that made sense.

[KlausP]

Hi,

Thanks for the input so far.
I have a video from an education site on the web where this lick is played by a professional. He definitely doesn't bar the index finger across strings 2+3.
Is it possible to dampen the g-string with the middle finger on the 7th fret while you fret it with the ring finger on the 8th? This is what it looks to me on this video. Unfortunately the picking hand cannot be seen.

Regards
Klaus

[Unhorizon]

Well, you can probably do whatever you like to mute the g string, as long as it sounds good and clean. Theres no right way to do this. When I play that lick I prefer to mute it with my picking hand

[EricV]

Klaus,

I recorded two short video clips for you... I dunno whether they´ll be helpful, cuz I set the resolution to a rather small value in order to keep the file-size small.
Anyway, maybe you can see what my hands are doing. I kinda mute the lower strings with my r.h. palm, and I mute the G-string with the finger-tip of my l.h. index finger ( the one that is fretting the E on the B-string and remains there stationary ). That way, even if I would pull off the pinkie of the G-string, you wouldn´t hear the G cuz the string is being muthed by the index finger. I used plenty of gain, which would make any unwanted noise even more obvious. Here are the URLs:

http://www.ibreathemusic.com/forums/eric/video/pull1.wmv
( Windows Media Dile, you should be able to play it back with the Media Player )

http://www.ibreathemusic.com/forums/eric/video/pull1.rm
( Real Media Player of the first one... Real One Player plays that one )

http://www.ibreathemusic.com/forums/eric/video/pull2.wmv
( Another version, slightly different angle )

http://www.ibreathemusic.com/forums/eric/video/pull2.rm
( Real Media version of #2 )

Hope this helps
Eric

[RayenD]

Thanks Eric, this is very helpfull.
I noticed the position of your thumb :) Well, I do the same/similar (and people tell me I am weird).. Do you have any problems with light pain in the middle of the thumb when doing 6-strings sweeps or scale runs in 1st/2nd position (with stretches). esp when you change position a lot? I have that syndrome from time to time for some unknown reasons, i am rather relaxed when I play.

[EricV]

Rayen,

No I don´t... cuz my thumb isn´t always like that. Especially when I do scalar stuff in the lower positions, I put the thumb behind the neck, kind of like the classical position.
That allows for wider stretches and more relaxed playing...
So you could say that I constantly change the position of my thumb, depending on what I am trying to play.
Eric

[KlausP]

@all

Thanks a lot for your input and Eric especially for the files.

best regards
Klaus

[snufeldin]

Well I kind of have a problem like this... but with a different lick.

Here it is:

E --5-------------5------------
B -----5--8^10----5--8^10-

When I release the bend the g string always makes a thump... I am muting the string with my right hand, but it still thumps. Any advice on how to get this to work, it is really really frustrating.

[KlausP]

I have the same problem when the string height is too low or too high on my guitars. I always adjust it so that, at the moment of bending the b-string, the g-string sits right on top of the middle of my ringfinger's tip. That works good for me.

Regards
Klaus