Rake?

[tot_Ou_tard]

Sunvalley mentioned a rake in his thred on guitar lessons.

ummm, what's raking?

Is that slowly moving the pick across the strings?

[sunvalleylaw]

It is hitting muted strings in succession, often on the way to hitting strings that are going to be played. The muted strings make a noise, but don't ring out, as the pick goes across them. I was learning it in the context of a Tom Petty lick from Mary Jane's last dance that has the pick raking across muted E, A, D, strings and playing the G and B strings. Does that make sense?

[tot_Ou_tard]

It is hitting muted strings in succession, often on the way to hitting strings that are going to be played. The muted strings make a noise, but don't ring out, as the pick goes across them. I was learning it in the context of a Tom Petty lick from Mary Jane's last dance that has the pick raking across muted E, A, D, strings and playing the G and B strings. Does that make sense?

Yes it does. Thanks Sunvalley!

[luvmyshiner]

I'm not sure I understand it yet, but I'm intrigued enough to check it out and give it a try. Sometimes I'll mute all the strings a little when I'm strumming, on the off stroke, gives it kind of a gritty sound, but I've never tried combining the two.

[sunvalleylaw]

Yeah, players do completely muted rakes, like you are saying Shiner, as a rhythm thing all the time. SRV, Mayer, others come to mind. SRV liked to combine raking muted strings on the way to playing strings as well, as I understand. Lots of other players do too.

[marnold***]

SRV does one right at the beginning of "Little Wing."

[sunvalleylaw]

SRV does one right at the beginning of "Little Wing."

Yeah, thanks Marnold. I couldn't think of an example last night. Re: the complete rakes Shiner, think the Clash on "Should I Stay or Should I Go" right in the beginning.

[tot_Ou_tard]

SRV does one right at the beginning of "Little Wing."

Thanks Marnold!

Always good to hear an example.

[marnold***]

More completely, I should say that Jimi did it first:


and then Stevie did it: