Is Use of Heavy Practice Mute Harmful to Violins?

January 10, 2007 at 02:57 AM · I doubt that it would cause any damage. But I do prefer the Rubber ones better, they damper about as much but with better sound quality. And I use mine Daily.

January 10, 2007 at 03:05 AM · Greetings,

there are two possible ways to damage the instrument one of which is open to debate... First be really careful that it doesn`t fall off onto the belly of the instrument. This is failry easy to do and the consequences are not open to discussion. I have found in the past that frequent use of practice mute had dampening effetc on the sound of some instruments. I know others who have had similar experiences but it is not consistent probably works on some kind of case by case basis.

As an altenrative, it is worth thinking about all the many exercises you can do silently on the insturment including son file with the bow 1cm above the string and many for vibrato etc. Then ther eis mentla practice and study of scores which brings abotu very tabgible benifits in the long run.

Cheers,

Buri

January 10, 2007 at 03:07 AM · I was once told by my teacher that I should use one of these heavy mutes when adjusting the bridge so that it remains at the right angle to the violin body. However, once I got my mute, and used it for this purpose for the first time, my bridge fell over, which caused a slight scratch on the body. I haven't used it for that purpose since.

I don't think that it should cause any permanent damage to the violin by constant use. Just make sure you don't jam it on there - about the only thing I could think of would be that it damages the bridge, and you might need to get a new one, but that's about it.

January 10, 2007 at 10:51 AM · Hi,

right - it won't cause damage, but it will cause wear on the bridge.

Any violin should always be handled with care and protected from heavy objects falling on it. Since you could as easily drop the violin during a careless moment as drop the practice mute on it, let's just say to watch it. A rubber mute has of course less potential to damage your instrument. However, it does not kill the sound as effectively. So, if your goal is "near silent" practice, the heavy metal mute is the best.

Bye, Juergen

January 11, 2007 at 10:22 PM · A word of caution: My dad told me that he got in the habit of practicing with a mute until he realized that it was masking his mistakes.

January 11, 2007 at 11:24 PM · I bought a heavy metal mute a few years back... It didn't damage my instrument (I was really careful) but it made my arm hurt really, really bad! It's a lot of extra weight to be added on to your instrument, and I couldn't handle it so I stopped using it. Maybe one of these days I'll buy a rubber one..

P.S. I have a Roth too - love it.

January 12, 2007 at 12:22 AM · Rubber {Ultra} Practice mutes are the way to go, in my opinion. It doesn't muffle the sound as much, but it does enough. Plus it is safer than a metal one and has a better sound quality than a metal one. When I am looking for a "sad" or "dramatic" sound out of my violin I even use it for concerts/recitals.

January 12, 2007 at 12:54 AM · I like the rubber mute because of the weight. Only had the heavy ones 100 years ago when I was practicing so much in the college dorm. :) However... I'd suggest not doing ALL of your practing with a mute. The tone is so, so different it always gave me a shock when going without it again.

Best fiddling to you! :)

Katie

January 12, 2007 at 01:43 AM · I just started experimenting with homemade mutes. Any hints folks? I was just fooling around and clipped on a ligt curtain hook--yep a curtain hook, and it was really effective. But there was 'a little distortion' and what I'll call wolf tones for this thought.

I just wanted to see how much it tones down the volume. It was significant. I read somewhere a carved wooden clothes pin does the job.

January 12, 2007 at 07:02 AM · This isn't completely related but someone who has perfect pitch told me using a practice mute changes the pitch very slightly.

September 30, 2011 at 05:12 AM ·

September 30, 2011 at 12:50 PM ·

I asked the same thing of my teacher. He said they could damage the bridge as well as come off and damage the violin. I use a rubber mute although it's still too loud for my tastes late at night when I many times like to practice.

My solution will be to purchase an electric violin some time in the future. My choice at present is one of the Mark Wood SV4 Stingrays. I'm sure there are better electric violins but my purpose in securing one is primarily for practice. I've thought about a cheap Cecilio but I'm not sure whether they would have a similar feel and playability as that of my acoustic.

I would sometimes like to go outside on a nice day and practice but the heat and humidity in these parts wouldn't be good for my acoustic. I'd think the Stingray and a cheap bow (or CF bow) would survive just fine and be fit to fight another day.

Maybe someone could comment on the Cecillo violins for use as a late night practice stick? Would one be adequate for that purpose if set up properly?
 

September 30, 2011 at 12:55 PM ·

Menuhin used to practice with a mute like this - on his Stradivarius and Guarnerius violins. Apart from some light marks on the bridge, the practice mute will leave no trace on your instrument - unless you drop it onto the violin while mounting/dismounting it ;-)

The Yehudi Menuhin Music Guide for Violin & Viola contains a picture of his setup - which includes a paper handkerchief to fixed by the practice mute to prevent rosin from falling on the violin's top.

:-) Jürgen

September 30, 2011 at 04:00 PM ·

@Ben Clapton "I was once told by my teacher that I should use one of these heavy mutes when adjusting the bridge so that it remains at the right angle to the violin body"

With respect to the teacher that seems to me like a potentially very damaging procedure if a heavy mute is in effect being used as a lever to adjust the bridge.
The way to go is to ease off the string tension a trifle (this might not be necessary with gut strings) and adjust with the fingers, gripping the bridge fore and aft on either side. You then have full control and can sense if things aren't going right. It is essential to have the bridge grooves properly profiled and lubricated with pencil lead.

September 30, 2011 at 08:42 PM ·

A clothes pin works just fine, two work even better! one on each side of the bridge.

You could also try putting tape over the f holes....just don't press it down too much and

remove it immediately after finishing your practice.