Palm mute

The palm mute is a technique for guitar and bass guitar known for its muted sound. It is performed by placing the side of the picking hand across the guitar's strings, close to the bridge, while picking. The name is a misnomer as the muting is not performed using the player's palm.

Palm muting is a standard technique used by both classical and electric guitarists. It is widely used in heavy metal and rock music but it is often found in any style of music that features electric guitars with distortion. It is responsible for the characteristic "chugging" and "crunch" sound of distorted guitar music. Palm muting can also be used in conjunction with a wah pedal to produce the distinctive scratching sound often heard in disco music.

Quotes about the palm mute

• More than 40 years after the release of Van Halen, the opening riff in “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love” - an arpeggiated Am-F-G5 passage played with palm-muted downstrokes - is still a favorite among beginning and intermediate pickers.
  • Dale Turner of Guitar Player (October 8, 2020) [1]