Thumb Anchored on PU or E String: How to mute ringing A string when plucking G string?

[tpoez28]

I've chosen floating thumb because I just can't talk my ring finger into staying still when I'm doing quicker runs (like some Iron Maiden lines), but one of the things that helped me the most was learning the part slowly as usual, and then consciously deciding when my thumb was going to move to the A string. I tried to let feel dictate it, but I would find myself hesitating or "being late" to the mute, so I would build it into my learning of the song itself. Now, I don't need to do that as much after a lot of practice.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I've tried the floating thumb technique and found it to be uncomfortable. I found that anchoring my thumb as the Op describes works best for me as far as comfort. I play only 6ers and found that trying to mute strings was difficult. So, I cheat and use Fretwraps. They work great and I no longer have to think about muting un-played strings.

 

[logdrum]

Movable anchor but anchor it on the side of the knuckle so you can slide it and avoid the jumps required if you anchor towards the tip of your thumb. You cover 2 strings or even 3 this way.

 

[Groove Doctor]

I morph between 4 styles

Floating thumb for 3 finger plucking. - mute with side of plucking thumb and left hand.

PIMA aka 4 finger plucking thumb Index Middle Ring - palm mute with side of plucking hand. Similar to finger style guitar.

Moving Anchor when digging in
occasionally - mute tip of plucking thumb and left hand

Fixed anchor - rarely, all left hand muting.

 

[MCF]

Skill Level:

• I'm on last two pages of Ed's MB-1 (second pass thru book) so not much.
• I started with floating thumb bc of intrinsic muting, but I don't like having to move my entire hand at every string change, catch my nail/edge of thumb...just a lot of gyrations.
• Switched to Ed's method on page 6 of book (~ two weeks ago). It feels better to me, it' close to feeling more automatic than floating thumb (conversion taking a little while, of course), muting is taken care of and there's a little less hand movement required and I could easily live here; and I'm guessing that Ed's instructions are the distillate of a lifetime of instruction/wisdom/experience.
• But being a curious and sometimes a difficult/pig-headed student, I tend to wonder things, like in this case: I've seen videos of folks who (far as I can tell) limit anchorage to thumb on PU or E string. I like the idea (even less whole hand movement, two index points rather than three) but I don't see how to mute the A string if plucking the G.

So:

• How does one solve that problem?
• By not causing it in the first place, AKA shutting up and doing what the teacher says without question (which is what the obedient student in me constantly says)?
• Or is there a clever, reasonable way for someone at my level to deal with the problem I noted?

Send me to the guidance counselor?

Just need more practice with the FT technique. After a while it becomes second nature.

 

[dreamadream99]

I also anchor my thumb on the pickup.

• The fretting fingers mute strings higher in pitch than the one you are playing.
• The trailing fingers of your plucking hand mute strings lower in pitch than the one you are playing.

 

[Ritter667]

Floating thumb!