Strumming octaves?

[lincolnblue]

I will do my best to describe what I'm after help with.

On some songs there are lead guitar sections where the guitarist will strum one note - either singularly or as an octave - (eg the same not on the A string and, 2 frets down the same note on the G string). A bit like the first 25 secs on this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UucKOQH8e_s
Whenever I try to do this I end up playing all the other strings by mistake and it sounds rubbish. sometimes you need to strum they rhythm but only play one note - how do I do this?

[Not_the_DJ]

Left hand muting (assuming you're right handed).

Just lightly touch the other 4 strings with the fingers that aren't fretting the two notes you want

[erictheweary]

Left hand muting (assuming you're right handed).

Just lightly touch the other 4 strings with the fingers that aren't fretting the two notes you want

I can't do youtube from here but essentaily this ^ or this combined with hybrid picking ( hitting one string with your plectrum,the other with a finger).

The hybrid picking approach can sound slightly different and probably isn't as fast/fluid but it can be a bit cleaner and, to me, feels a bit more certain although I use (a very unsophisticated form of)hybrid picking on quite a few things.

You can also go all wes Montgomery and strum with your thumb. Probably not very helpfull if you are a pick player but again it helps you feel what you are doing a little bit better.

[Sir Axeman]

I generally play octave strumming like a power chord...ie 1st n 4th fingers (and the index mutes the string in the middle and the underside of the pinky kills the strings underneath it. Dead easy once you get it...loads of Foos, Blink, etc etc use these strummed/sliding octaves. Bit more difficult when your doing the D&B string octaves with a 3 fret gap as opposed to two tho.

[Viz]

Watch steve vai on Tender Surrender for perfect octave playing (or Wes Montgomery)

[Mike.L]

My way is to fret with my index and ring fingers, and use my middle & little fingers to mute any unwanted strings, combined with palm-muting the lower strings, there shouldn't be any extra noise

[Big Paulie]

As above. Fretting hand muting.

It's possible to whack all 6 strings, but only sound one if you mute them properly.

Learned to do this back in the day by reading one of the Troy Stetina books. Can't remember which. He had a nice diagram to explain it. The closest I can find is this.

[Bidley]

I use this quite often, I just play them the same way I would a normal power chord - muting with my fretting hand, as most have said.

[erictheweary]

I generally play octave strumming like a power chord...ie 1st n 4th fingers (and the index mutes the string in the middle and the underside of the pinky kills the strings underneath it. Dead easy once you get it...loads of Foos, Blink, etc etc use these strummed/sliding octaves. Bit more difficult when your doing the D&B string octaves with a 3 fret gap as opposed to two tho.

What I think I do is 1st and 3rd fingers when the lower note is on the E or A strings, 1st and 4th when the lower note is on the D or G.No idea if that's good to do or not!