Silencing the strings on the 2 count (percussive technique)

Lesson #325 • Aug 23, 2020

Hey friends, here’s a quick percussive technique video showing you how to silence the strings with you picking (right) hand – which in this lesson, uses two 1960s riffs where we’ll be silencing things specifically on the 2-count. Aside from being a helpful technique for you to be familiar with, it’s also neat to hear the similarities of this trick as used in these songs I’ll show you – being “My Girl” (The Temptations, 1964) and “Stand By Me” (Ben E. King, 1961).

Note, I do have a full video lesson for “Stand By Me” if you want to learn that song… check out lesson #308 here on my website.

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Follow along with the print-friendly PDF!

It includes all of my notes for this lesson, allowing you to follow along at your own pace. You're free to download, print, and share the PDF across your devices.

To download the PDF, upgrade to premium or log in.

Silencing strings with your fretting hand (#311)

A very different way to accomplish a very similar outcome is to silence strings with your left hand (by loosening your fingers from the fretboard, but keeping them on the strings). I show you that in detail in this lesson. PDF available here.

Slap-strum technique (#197)

You might also like this lesson, which shows you how to use your strumming (left) hand to add a percussive “hit” on the string as part of the strumming motion. This also is an effective way to silence the strings, but notably does so immediately after a chord is played – which adds some distinction to this sound. PDF available here.

Palm muting basics (#187)

We also have palm muting, which is related to all of this. Here, we’ll be resting our right (strumming/picking) hand on the very bottom part of strings – where they connect to the pegs – as we play them. This lets the notes continue to ring out, but they’re “muted” and muffled, in a way that can be advantageous. PDF available here.

“Stand By Me” by Ben E. King (#308)

Finally, here’s my full lesson for Stand By Me, if you’d like to learn that song.

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