Guitar Damping Techniques - Learn To Play Guitar Damping Techniques

Guitar damping is something that you will do naturally eventually but there are shortcuts to mastering this useful technique…

Guitar damping is when you deaden the strings either before or while you are playing them. The sound a muted string makes when played is nearly percussive and damping is a great way of giving your songs rhythm and drive.

If you’re really advanced try combining damping with pinch harmonics for maximum effect.

There are 2 types of damping – right hand damping and left hand damping. Whether you’re a lead guitarist or a rhythm player you’re going to have to get your head around damping sooner rather than later.

Right Hand Guitar Damping Technique

Right hand damping is a great technique especially for acoustic guitarists. The hollow body of the acoustic guitar lets the notes sound fully, albeit with a muted tone.

Personally I use the edge of my hand to damp the strings but it is common for guitarists to use the heal of their hands as well.

Left Hand Guitar Damping Technique

Left hand damping is slightly more complex than the right hand kind. It’s a matter of precision and using the fingertips or edges to damp and mute some strings while others sound cleanly.

A useful, great sounding and very easy version of left hand damping can be played using barre chords. Simply lift your barre finger slightly while strumming so it mutes the strings.

With a little practice both of these techniques can become second nature. A lot of guitarists never actually sit down and learn about guitar damping techniques. – they simple pick it up by accident or necessity over time.

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