ants marching muting\style help

[xan.]

I can play a good amount of dave songs really good but when i play the verse of ants marching it just doesnt sound all that good. I am hitting all the right notes, i just think its my style and muting. when i watch dave play it he strums the song (i pick it) and it sounds boring when i play it. i know he is hitting extra strings other than what he is supposed to. but when i try to strum other strings ring out. i did a search and found some info saying when dave plays the notes in the verse he is muting the other strings with his left hand but i also read that he palm mutes and doesnt mute with his left so im confused on what to do. i just dont know how its possible to do the slides in the verse and also mute the other strings around it. would someone be so kind to make a video showing both hands explaining how to mute the strings and strum it? or just explain how dave plays. the way i play it now sounds okay but it just doesnt have the fullness from when dave strums it. thanks for the help.

[andreasolsson]

I can play a good amount of dave songs really good but when i play the verse of ants marching it just doesnt sound all that good. I am hitting all the right notes, i just think its my style and muting. when i watch dave play it he strums the song (i pick it) and it sounds boring when i play it. i know he is hitting extra strings other than what he is supposed to. but when i try to strum other strings ring out. i did a search and found some info saying when dave plays the notes in the verse he is muting the other strings with his left hand but i also read that he palm mutes and doesnt mute with his left so im confused on what to do. i just dont know how its possible to do the slides in the verse and also mute the other strings around it. would someone be so kind to make a video showing both hands explaining how to mute the strings and strum it? or just explain how dave plays. the way i play it now sounds okay but it just doesnt have the fullness from when dave strums it. thanks for the help.

I have the same problem. I think he mutes with his left hand...

[Nuladion]

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/15676

[xan.]

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/15676

I know about Pat's ants marching video, but i was hoping someone can make a video with them explaining how to mute and strum it, basically explain how to play it like dave? Pat's video sounds great but only if he could show both hands and give an explaination on muting. thanks for the help tho.

[jsgksu]

I did a video and I have it in my soulseek folder. It might help, try catching me online and sometime soon someones going to dl all my videos and add them to that ourmedia site.

[xan.]

i dont have soulseek, can i get them from you antother way?

[jsgksu]

well, hopefully someone dls them from me soon and uploads them to the ourmedia page. If they do, I or they will post in here and let you know.

[xan.]

can someone please help me out?

[meicjos]

I just thought I would top this, see if anyone has any suggestions, I am listening to dave play it and watching the video of pat, and it sounds so much more full. Just looking for some tips on muting to get my version to sound full.

[Kukini]

I just thought I would top this, see if anyone has any suggestions, I am listening to dave play it and watching the video of pat, and it sounds so much more full. Just looking for some tips on muting to get my version to sound full.

Alright... mute the low E on the slides with the top finger (middle the first time, index the second) by pressing the tip of your finger against it while still sliding just in case you accidentally hit it. Get more accurate and down stroking to hit just one note. The strings below should be muted by holding the fingers on your left hand over them. Always keep them close to the board. I wish I had a video so I could do a clip but most guitar books that I've read talk about keeping your fingers perpendicular to the fret board but when trying to play Dave's music, you need to keep them tight over the rest of the strings so you can strum most if not all of the strings while only sounding a few.

Sorry if that makes no sense, but that's the best I could do.

[Sciaracastro]

kukini got it
u dont have to keep ur fingers perpedicular to the frets
when u use the index to must, it's like u are barring the fret, but u just press on the string u wanna play
in some parts of this song u also use the middle finger to mute...u actually cant mute all the strings w/ this finger, so just mute the lower one or the higher...in this case it's the lower (low E)
i hope it makes sense

[Elliottman]

i ended up not muting it and just hitting the notes. Doesnt sound as full but it ok.

[meicjos]

Thanks for the help, Ill work on it, and hopefully get it to sound a little better.

[IvoryZion]

I'm having a lot of trouble with muting as well. I don't understand which hand mutes, do both mute, how are individual strings muted? A video showing the strum hand would be really helpful. I've watched Pat's video and got the fretting down for the most part but all the strings ring together when I strum and it doesn't sound very good.

[briguy945]

I think another technique that is overlooked with muting is you have to play "hard" or loud. I think Dave said once that he is only able to play loud. If you don't then you won't really hear the mute as Dave does it. Not sure if that makes sense, but give it a shot.