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raymcc85 Registered User (4/23/01 4:22:03 pm) Reply	the mutes speak! Any info on practice mutes? Do they really cut down on the volume? Do they change the pitch in any way? I'm a newbie so I'm really concerned with training my ear; will the mute be bad for me in that regard? Lastly, are certain mutes bad for strings or cause them to break? Opinions, comments, humorous anecdotes, and general chatter appreciated. Enquiring new cellists want to know! Thanks. -r
DWThomas Registered User (4/23/01 9:05:41 pm) Reply	Re: the mutes speak! Well, I have a rubber one that looks like a fugitive hunk of tire (probably one of those bad Firestones off an Explorer). It's a comb-like device that slides onto the bridge, the "teeth" of the comb (there's two rows) grip the bridge, the gaps between the teeth are openings to avoid hitting the strings. Does it quiet the instrument? Yes Will your spouse trying to sleep in the next room still hear you? Yes Does it affect the pitch? No Does it affect partials and harmonics and other parameters that might impede ear training? Yes I understand the metal ones, which add more weight to the bridge, are more effective in quieting things. Of course if you spaz and drop a metal one on your 1696 Gofriller, you've made a mess! The practice mutes (that I'm aware of) do not touch the strings, so there should be no string damage. Others may have further enlightenment. Dave
lblake Registered User (4/23/01 9:17:57 pm) Reply	Re: the mutes speak! Those that are typically called practice mutes are much heavier than those typically called performance mutes. Mutes should not, in any case, change the pitch. However. the more they dampen the sound, the more they also seem to alter the tone. Performance mutes are small, usually rubber with one or two holes and a slit that allows them to fit over the afterlength of the string, until you pull them into place onto the bridge. No mutes, while applied, seem to actually touch the string(s). If any of them do - the rubber single or double-hole ones might - but they are rubber, and put very little wear on the strings. Two typical sorts of practice mutes are a) big rubber practice mute, and b) heavy metal practice mute. Both have tines that wedge the mute in place onto the bridge. The big rubber ones tend to have 5 tines - 3 between the strings, and then 2 that fit around the end of the bridge. Those suckers are big, ugly snug things. Metal practice mutes are tall, heavy brass things. They typically have 2 tines, I think. Being metal, though, they dampen the sound more than any other mutes. They make a lot of us nervous, though, as they seem almost like they could come loose and drop down onto the belly of your cello. I've never heard of that happening (although, I have heard of someone dropping one while taking it off or putting it on). Many of us can't tolerate the ugly tone of a heavy, metal practice mute, though - unless we absolutely have to - like in a hotel room. Most people seem to agree that this is the best option for a real cello in a hotel room, too, though. There. Hope that little dissertation helps! Oh, and one other note - if you're a rosin freak, be warned - rosin decomposes rubber. So if you keep a performance mute on your cello, it might dissolve a little onto your bridge, and make a big, ugly mark... not to mention the black goo it'll leave on your string! blech. Edited by: lblake at: 4/23/01 9:17:57 pm
cellochris99 Registered User (4/24/01 4:58:11 am) Reply	mutes and toots I've found that the ebony performance mute at Shar works pretty good. You just slide it firmly on the bridge between the strings when you need it. It's pretty small and light. You don't have to junk up your cello like with the permanantly attached rubber mutes. Chris
Ellen G Registered User (4/24/01 6:57:20 am) Reply	more on mutes In my opinion the rubber practice mute gives a better universal fit. Obviously it is more forgiving depending upon the cut of your bridge, and there can be a lot of variation between bridge thicknesses and angles. The metal ones are pretty specific. There is one metal mute which resembles the ebony mute; it's a narrow, taller mute and requires an extremely thin bridge or it won't even slide on to begin with. So the thickness of the bridge is a factor here. There is another broad, lower mute which is cut deeply and sits just flat enough that it has in fact sat on the tops of the strings on some bridges. The curvature of your bridge is a factor here. Another resembles a bit inverted U and is less likely to interfere with strings, more likely to fit the bridge despite thickness and curvature. Some of the mutes impart a nasal tone to the pitch, but I think the point of a practice mute is to be able to carry out the physical motions of playing. While the sound may be irritating to listen to, I don't think it should particularly affect the way you play the cello. You don't play to compensate for the sound. You practice like you always do, but with this impediment/restriction. Some people still say clothespins work the best. And incidentally, I have seen those metal mutes fall off and would only use one if I knew it had an incredibly secure fit on my bridge. Even then, I'd think twice. E
Steve Drake Registered User (4/24/01 8:48:47 am) Reply Community Supporter	Re: mutes and toots Ebony mutes are pretty popular here, but no-one actually uses them. In an orchestra, theres lots of mute moving during quiet spots in the music, and when an ebony mute accidentally falls during one of these spots, the look you get from the music director is pretty clear - get a rubber mute. I don't think rubber mutes "junk up" an instrument - they're just part of the equipment. You can take them off the instrument easily enough if they offend you during photo shoots or whatever. The jury is still out about which is better - 1 hole or 2 hole mutes. My MP3's My Cello Homepage
Andrew Victor Registered User (4/26/01 8:52:52 am) Reply	Re: the mutes speak! This is not about heavy practice mutes, but about performance mutes. The sliding metal (wire) mutes that are kept at the string afterlengths can case the string windings to wear out - and in extreme cases can even cause wear and string breakage. They also damp the vibrations and sound of some instruments - those that are favorably affected by a 6/1 ratio of string length from nut to bridge to the after-length from bridge to tailpiece. But as I said, these are not strongly sound-damping "practice mutes." On my "main" cello, I use a two-hole Tourte-style mute with a tiny piece of steel in it and a small magnet glued to the tailpiece. This keeps the mute in place and prevents sound damping and rattling when it is stored on the string afterlengths. I bought it from SHAR a few years ago and have moved it between at least four tailpieces. This mute setup cannot be easily used in conjuction with add-on fine tuners, but it works well either without fine tuners on the D annd G strings or with any of the tailpieces that have built-in fine tuners. Andy
JanJan2 Registered User (4/26/01 9:07:34 am) Reply	Re: the mutes speak! I have one of those heavy metal practice jobs. I use it only on lesson days when I need to practice at lunch in my office and don't want to offend my "neighbors"! It really cuts the volume dramatically. But I also find it adds a buzzy quality to the G and C - especially the C. And of course, you have to be extremely careful putting it on and taking it off not to drop this puppy on your instrument. Someday when I have money to burn (yeah, right!) I'll spring for a rubber mute just to compare. Janet
bridge Registered User (4/26/01 12:18:21 pm) Reply	Re: the mutes speak! My findings: Metal mute cuts the volume enormously. I've never dropped my mute on anything but the floor. It makes my cello sound like a plastic ukelali (sp?).