How to Play Percussive, Muted Strumming
Muted strumming isn't a separate technique - it's the same hand pattern, except part of the strings touch the edge of the palm at a specific moment, deadening the sound into a dull 'chuck'. That one move is what gives rhythm guitar its percussive, almost drum-like role.
Where the dead sound comes from
The edge of the picking hand (the pinky side) rests on the strings right at the bridge a split second before the hit - just enough contact that the strings don't ring open, while a pick or finger strike still produces an audible rhythmic 'chuck' rather than total silence.
Finding the right amount of pressure
Too much palm pressure kills the sound entirely - just silence, no rhythmic 'chuck' at all. Too little and the strings ring almost open, with no audible mute. The right amount sits in between: the strings are deadened, but the hit still reads as a clear rhythmic accent.
Constant muting versus targeted muting
There are two distinct approaches: the palm stays on the strings the whole phrase (giving an even, chugging 'chuck' on every hit), or the palm only touches the strings on specific, pre-chosen hits in the pattern and lifts off the rest of the time (giving a contrast between open and muted sound within the same strumming pattern).
Where to place muted hits in a pattern
The most common move is to mute the hit right before a strong beat (usually before beat one) - it creates a sense of build-up before the accent, familiar from funk and reggae. Another option is muting every upstroke while leaving downstrokes open, which gives a more pronounced, 'chopped' rhythmic feel.
How to train it
Start slowly on a single open chord: alternate one open hit and one muted hit, listening to the difference between them on its own, before moving to a real strumming pattern that mixes the two. A metronome matters here just as much as in regular strumming - a muted hit is easy to accidentally shorten or drop in duration if you're not tracking the tempo.
Try it in practice
Open the metronome