Tablature question about what “X” means

[William S]

Hi all, I am a brand new member and very excited about the site. I do have a question about the tab….does “X” in the tab mean to dampen the string or not to play at all? In EP620 I notice Brian does it both ways. Any help is appreciated, and thanks.

[charjo]

Hi William,

You are correct, the “X” generally means a muted note or strum. These usually occur because your hand is in constant motion with the rhythm. They are optional but add a nice percussive effect to establish the groove. They also can give you a moment’s cover to make a smooth chord change. Hope that helps.

John

[Michael Krailo]

EP620 is an acoustic bluegrass tune, but if you run across this on electric guitar, pay attention to the guitars pickup settings as well, those muted strums sound better when on position 2 (bridge and middle) for a Stratocaster. Assuming you want that funky vibe to the scratches. For a tele, the middle position has the same effect turning both pickups on. Just something to keep in mind when experimenting with the sound your getting when playing electric.

Go slow and practice correct technique, and your abilities will dramatically improve.

[sunjamr]

Yep, funk and reggae use those Xs a lot. Nile Rogers has some videos explaining its use in funk. The reggae guys call it a “chuck”, and it typically falls on beat 2 and/or 4. Mandolin players also use the chuck sound when playing bluegrass chords.

Sunjamr Steve

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