How to Read Fret Hand Muting on Guitar Tabs

Fret hand muting on the guitar is used to achieve a slightly muted sound. You perform a fret hand mute by using the tips of your fretting fingers to gently press on a string. Once you have your hand in position, play the indicated notes normally. You can also perform a fret hand mute on multiple strings at once.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Identify a palm mute by looking for an "X" over a line of the tab staff. If an "X" is noted over the top line of the tab staff, you will fret hand mute the E string.

2. Use the tip of one of your fretting hand fingers to place light pressure on the string.

3. Pluck the string to hear the desired sound. If the note still sounds fretted, place less pressure on the string as you pluck it.