Help with percussive strumming

[wangdaning]

Not sure, but I think I do that. But I do it mixed between what the video shows and muting with the fretting hand. Also, no pick. Definitely has nothing to do with action or slapping the strings down. It is muting the strings at the same time as strumming.

 

[VintageSG]

This works on acoustics too.

 

[Hodgo88]

I think I know what you mean - watch Mayer's right hand on these tracks:





Particularly the angle and speed of his thumb. If this is the technique you're talking about, it's almost closer to a "left-hand" muted bass slap than it is a percussive right hand mute, although it really is a right hand technique when you slow it down. It's a slap-mute. And it's a pain in the ass.

 

[Telecaster88]

I only watched the first minute of the video, but if you watch his fretting hand, he lightly lifts the pressure on the strings each time he goes for the percussive raking sound. So the strings are lightly muted at the frets, but the strum continues. So instead of producing the notes of the chord, you just hear a rhythmic, percussive raking sound from the pick. I do this in my playing, but have never thought about how to describe it before.

 

[Twangsalot]

So I feel pretty dumb posting this, but I need the help. I've been trying to learn the percussive strumming technique where you slap the heel of your hand on the strings and it makes a "snare-like" sound by the string hitting the frets.

I cannot get the strings to hit the frets without *REALLY* punching the guitar - much more so than I would do on any guitar. I've tried on three different acoustics. The only thing I can think of is the action is too high but the guitar feels comfortable to play.

I've attached photos of the low E and hi e strings completely unfretted as a reference.

Here is the technique.

View attachment 974424 View attachment 974425

You’ve got the wrong idea unfortunately, mate. Try playing a chord, for instance, then mute the strings using all four fingernails of your strumming hand, or three if you are holding a pick. Practice and you’ll get it, that is if your guitar is still in one piece from banging the strings the way you described

 

[JazzDreams]

He posted a link to this video, but people have a hard time with links, apparently.

I wondered why the original post contains "Here is the technique". On my phone, at least, there is no link visible or otherwise.

First tune that comes to mind is 'Proud Mary'.

 

[Mr Mojo 54]

Your setup is incorrect, ime. The treble side should be lower than the bass side. FYI, you need to show us what your action is at the 12th fret if you want us to understand what your setup is. That said, I reiterate that your setup is incorr3ct due to the treble side measur8ng the same as the bas side. At the 12t( fret, a high action for an acoustic will be 7/64” on the bass side and 5/64” on the treble side. Low action would be 5/64” and 3/64”. Amp
however, imho, this has nothing to do with your question. The action has little or nothing to do with ‘percussive’ rhythm. And percussive rhythm has nothing to do with rattling your strings against the treats. Percussive rhythm has to do with proper muting with the fretting hand, Ime. Fwiw, I have been doing such things for about 57 years. Muting of the strings and percussive rhythm is an art.

Never understood the need for raising the bass strings unless they buzz. I keep them all at the same height and never a problem. That's the most comfortable for me. I think it's just conventional wisdom that doesn't necessarily apply with modern guitars with steel truss rods. I used to follow that "rule" but it never made any sense unless there was fret buzz. They intonate a little better closer to the fret and the action is more comfortable. I have them around 4/64", maybe a couple thousandths higher. They could go much lower but I prefer it there because I bend strings a lot. I guess one size doesn't fit all. By all means, do what works best for you in any case.

 

[HootOwlDude]

I echo what others have said about the misunderstanding of what exactly is going on when you get a “chuck” sound or snare sound when strumming percussively. It is not about the strings hitting the frets. It’s muting a strum. It’s one of the first things I learned to do after I learned my first chords back in high school. Literally my first “a-ha!”moment as I taught myself to play. (Unfortunately there have been few since! ) I haven’t defamilarized myself with the mechanics of it to express exactly all that’s going on, but a simple explanation it that it is a muting technique and you can get a lot of variety in how that “chuck” or “chicka” or whatever sounds. The main takeaway here is that it has very very little to absolutely nothing to do with the strings contacting the frets to make a percussive sound.

 

[gentrywhite]

Watch U2 live at the Red Rocks "Sunday Bloody Sunday" I think that's what you want.

 

[mandofrog]

This whole thread is ridiculous, @rockymtnguitar. The video you linked explains how it’s done and doesn’t mention anything about the strings hitting the frets.

At about 4:45 in the video he talks about part of the sound coming from the strings hitting the frets. It's not the way I've done percussive strumming, but it's a different technique and now I gotta try it.