Chunk

The chunk, or palm muting technique as it's also called is something I could use some help with. The second name is actually what's confusing me and after watching some different videos I am not sure on how to proceed.

I strum down with the nails on the ring finger and the long finger, and perhaps more importantly for my question, UP with my thumb nail.

This means, if I were to mute the strings with my palm, my thumb would be above and over the strings rather than under them and ready for an upstroke...how does one deal with this?
I tried muting with the side of my hand, kind of the side of my thumb base, and it worked okay I think but I dont want to get into bad habits that's hard to unlearn later.

Thanks!

hi. I have trouble with this also I usually go back to this video help me to clean up my chunk. have fun! https://youtu.be/O5yFj1RnRvQ

hi - i don't up-strum with my thumb (usually), but I do chunk using the side of my thumb like you're mentioning, and that position will allow you to up-strum with your thumb since your thumb needs to sort of cock or wrap around your fist in order to mute the strings.

So, I don't think that what you're proposing is a bad habit, as long as it works for you. The one recommendation I'd make is to practice different types of strum patterns with your chunking as you learn to do it. When I first learned how to do it, I would 'only' chunk and then up-strum afterwards. I later had to refine my chunking quite a lot when I started working on things that required a blank space after the chunk instead of an up-strum. So try down-up-chunk-up-down-up, but also down-up-chunk-miss-down-up and other variations so that you can work it in wherever you need or want it.

This is one of those techniques that sounds and feels like a complete train-wreck when you first start doing it, but as long as you stick with it, you'll get dial it in relatively soon, and before you know it, it'll become 2nd nature. Good luck!

I'm still learning, but did some on a couple of my blues vids. what I did in essence was to strum down with my finger nails, & chunk by opening up my hand & playing through onto the strings, needed to do it quite quickly, else you get a strum.

(Still got lots more to try & learn, but it's all good fun! )

SeattleSean said:

So, I don't think that what you're proposing is a bad habit, as long as it works for you. The one recommendation I'd make is to practice different types of strum patterns with your chunking as you learn to do it. When I first learned how to do it, I would 'only' chunk and then up-strum afterwards. I later had to refine my chunking quite a lot when I started working on things that required a blank space after the chunk instead of an up-strum. So try down-up-chunk-up-down-up, but also down-up-chunk-miss-down-up and other variations so that you can work it in wherever you need or want it.

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Thanks Sean, the variation of strumming patterns is a great suggestion and one I should apply in general as well (as I tend to revert to DDUUDU).

MainlandGal510 said:

hi. I have trouble with this also I usually go back to this video help me to clean up my chunk. have fun! https://youtu.be/O5yFj1RnRvQ

Click to expand...

Thanks, he actually mutes like I do, only a LOT better .

uke1950 said:

I'm still learning, but did some on a couple of my blues vids. what I did in essence was to strum down with my finger nails, & chunk by opening up my hand & playing through onto the strings, needed to do it quite quickly, else you get a strum.

(Still got lots more to try & learn, but it's all good fun! )

Click to expand...

Practicing is (more than) half the fun mate!

I also learned chunking a while ago by watching the video of Aldrine posted above, and I find that chunking with the side of the thumb works well. I don't upstrum with the thumb, but I don't see why you couldn't if you are using the side of the thumb to chunk. before I started incorporating chunking into strumming patterns, I just practiced "chunk-up" over and over again so that I could get the transition seamlessly. Then I started using it as a rhythmic tool to simulate playing with a drummer. I particularly like chunking at the same point in each measure when I have a complicated and varied strumming pattern. For instance, I recently did a song where I used the pattern DXUDUXU DUXUUXU so that the chunk (X) always falls on the 2 and the 4 beats, even though the rest of the strumming changes from one measure to the next. Having that constant beat helps to tie it all in.

I made a video on this awhile back and it was well received. A blind member actually told me I explained it so well they learned how to do it from my video without being able to see. So maybe it'll be able to help you. BTW I don't think muting it with the side of your thumb is a bad habit. When you do it well enough, you can't even tell when your hand is doing it because it's in perfect motion with how you normally strum.

Thanks Kyle! Should be able to get it with yours and Aldrine's videos, it'll just take some time I guess.

Seems to be lots of fun ways to put this into strumming patterns !

I tried a lot of tutorial vids and methods before I was able to chunk with any consistency. There was one that finally got me chunking, I don't know where to find it now but the basics went like this...

1. Strum just downstrums and count 1-2-3-4 and just do that with counting until you are keeping time without having to think about it.
2. No longer strumming, just keep the count of 1-2-3-4 by hitting the strings with the palm of your hand, not strumming, just kind of smacking down with your palm on the strings, treating it more like a drum than a uke. Do that for a minute and feel the motion, you're not having to think about doing it anymore, you're just feeling it.
3. Now just kind of do both together. You will probably end up muting with the fleshy part of your thumb or maybe the side of your palm by the pinkie, it doesn't really matter as long as you find a motion that feels right. I think I was using the pinkie side in the beginning but switched over to thumb side at some point.


Maybe this helps, maybe not, just keep trying stuff until you find something that works for you.

I think I got it now, took me a week but it's starting to come together !

woohoo! good job!

I do mostly finger style and find it easiest to do a very short stroke with my fingers and stop quickly as soon as they hit the strings. It gives a nice subtle effect. I notice that Corey and Kalei on theukulelesite.com do a mute with the palm and then flick the strings with their index finger. I've been working on this but it's a lot more work then the method I discovered on my own. I do like the sound they get with it.