Floating thumb / muting issue

[kumimajava]

I've looked round other FT threads, and didn't find an answer to this particular issue... so let me try to explain.

I appear to have relatively pronounced "knuckles/joints" in my fingers - thumb included. When I follow the FT advice given in the threads here, and in various online videos, there often is a gap between my thumb, and one of the strings i'm trying to mute.

So, for example (on the 5-string), when I rest my thumb on the A-string, the A and B are muted - but there is a gap between my thumb & the E-string. If I try to go full-FT, without resting my thumb on a string (and having it fully floating), this issue gets worse.

In case the above explanation is not very clear, I've attached a (very out of focus) pic of the kind of gap that I mean. On the pic, thumb is resting against my laptop - similar gap forms when I try to do FT on the strings.

I have tried to contort my right hand in various ways to eliminate this gap, but without much success - and certainly not in a position that would feel natural...


Has anyone else come across a similar problem? And if so - how did you solve it?

Any advice warmly welcome

[Hector]

I have a similarly-shaped thumb. Unfortunately the solution I found was just to experiment around with hand positions until you get something that mutes effectively....sorry it's not the solution you were hoping for! It depends on physiology and string spacing etc.

Dunno if it's helpful, but I found that experimenting with placing my thumb away from parallel across the strings (i.e. changing the angle between thumb and index finger) eventually yielded good results.

Good luck

EDIT - Oh, also try rotating the wrist a little bit either way - that's a parameter than can affect how well your thumb mutes.

Edited January 20, 2017 by Hector

[Fastfret24]

Simple suggestion, have you ever tried using your ring and little finger to mute the lower strings? It's an unusual technique but I have a similarly shaped thumb to yours and I've found it very helpful.

So if you had a 5 string and your thumb is resting on the A string, you could have your ring finger muting the E string and your little finger muting the low B. I've showed this to some of my students who have had similar problems and a few found it helpful (most just found it horribly uncomfortable).

Because everyones' hands are totally different there is no one technique that can work for everyone. Trial and error is the key

[kumimajava]

Thanks for the advice - apologies for the late response; the auto-notification seems not to have worked.

[quote name='Fastfret24' timestamp='1484919170' post='3219699']
Simple suggestion, have you ever tried using your ring and little finger to mute the lower strings? It's an unusual technique but I have a similarly shaped thumb to yours and I've found it very helpful.

So if you had a 5 string and your thumb is resting on the A string, you could have your ring finger muting the E string and your little finger muting the low B. I've showed this to some of my students who have had similar problems and a few found it helpful (most just found it horribly uncomfortable).
[/quote]

I've found myself doing this "instinctively": whenever I hear the un-muted boom, my pinky& ring-finger sort of drift to mute the noise. Wanted to check here that I wasn't developing any "bad habits" by doing so.

Glad to hear that you're doing this successfully, and it's not a hindrance. I think this is what has come naturally so far, so I'll just let it happen. I'm still at a very early stage, trying to figure out when to use middle/index finger vs raking, etc. - so wanted to be double-sure to check that my muting isn't going to cause long term issues. Very easy to pick up bad habits now. which may take ages to fix later, etc.

So - thanks for putting my mind at ease

[quote name='Hector' timestamp='1484918931' post='3219697']
Dunno if it's helpful, but I found that experimenting with placing my thumb away from parallel across the strings (i.e. changing the angle between thumb and index finger) eventually yielded good results.

EDIT - Oh, also try rotating the wrist a little bit either way - that's a parameter than can affect how well your thumb mutes.
[/quote]

Thanks, will consider that too, the alignment/rotation of the thumb.

[ambient]

I find playing a 6 string, that muting is a combination of the 2 hands. I use a moving thumb rather than floating thumb i.e. my thumb moves down the strings following the notes that I'm playing. I also use the free fingers of my left hand to mute. Unless I'm playing chords or double stops then I will probably only have one finger at a time doing the fretting, so the spare ones mute.

[Crawford13]

I'm with ambient on this one. Muting is a 2 hand job. I think at least 50% of my muting comes from my left hand, whether it's fretting with the pads of my fingers using the tip to mute the string above, or mainly fretting with my first finger then using my middle and ring fingers to mute