Palm mute

Damping the strings with the palm near the bridge.

Palm mute is a technique where you lightly rest the side of your right hand (palm) against the strings near the bridge, just after striking them. The sound becomes muffled, percussive, muted. Widely used in rock, punk and metal for rhythmic riffs, palm mute creates a sharp contrast with fully ringing chords. Adjusting the pressure of the palm controls the intensity of the muting.