I'm just curious about different types of mutes and which ones are the best?
I've got the basic rubber mute you get at the store, but I've seen players in the local orchestra I'm in with other kinds.
Also, some of you know my violin is a bit odd and is bigger than normal, so the violin mute I have doesn't quite fit right on the bridge. Should I consider either a viola mute or a different type of violin mute?
*I'm not asking about practice mutes, just normal ones!
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Rubber Tourte mutes (also stored on the middle string afterlengths) are to be preferred for situations in which you might need them on and off in a hurry. There both one-hole and two-hole types. I have found the two-hole mutes more likely to rattle in stored position.
I think the Sihon slide-mutes can mess up the string- afterlength windings and they can change the tone of instruments that engage vibrations of the afterlengths - they can, however, also act as wolf-suppressors for some instruments. I used this type of mute in my early years - on violin and cello. A very good cellist in our orchestra uses one and I have not asked her why - maybe I will next week.
Nothing wrong with Tourtes (or dollars, for that matter), but I personally do not like how they hang on the violin strings, and they *may* rattle a bit. The shield and leather mutes stay in place without buzzes, though I admit the Menuhin style didn't stay "hooked" *while in use* when I was using an steel A, as the uneven heights of D&A strings in the afterlength (due to the A fine tuner) prevented it to sit more normally on the bridge.
Also, I play second violin in the local community orchestra (most people are retired educators and retired philharmonic players, but some community players as well), so maybe I'd need something to help me blend with the rest of the ensemble. Warmth is always a plus, but my instrument is already really warm and dark.
I have noticed my little rubber mute will vibrate and buzz ever so slightly occasionally.
It shouldn't affect it, as most of the mutes we are discussing rest-if they do-between the D and A-my E is quite low as well, and that has never been a problem. My steel A was a bit too high in relation to the D for the Menuhin shield-most mutes do not have a problem with most "regular" violin setups, and I no longer have the problem.
I forgot if you live in a metropolitan area, but if you do, nothing wrong with trying them on a shop. Some are pricier, so you may (or not) save money that way.
I've got fine tuners on for all my strings, just to save me the headache of having to screw (haha) with the pegs each time I tune, so my D and A (synthetic EP Gold, but will change to Russian/Brilliant Vintage when these die) are pretty well-set.
I've checked out all the ones you all have suggested, and the ones that look the best to me are the Menuhin, The Finissima, and the Spector. I'd be wary to put the wire one on my violin, and I couldn't find a price for the leather one. The wmute is $42USD so that to me isn't worth it.
The next thing, is because my violin is a bit bigger than normal, the strings are spaced out slightly wider than standard too. My little two-holed Tourte mute struggles to sit nicely between my D and A, event though it usually stays in place pretty well. Would you all suggest that I try a viola mute, or would that be too big? There are so many variables, sorry for all the questions!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DFV76DW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The mute can serve as a practice mute, or an orchestral mute. Both "modes" of operation sound wonderful. I ditched my other mutes after getting this one.
A tip: Don't get a white one (they come in many colors), or you may lose it like I did. I got a second, orange one so I'd see it and not leave it behind. They are small mutes.
https://www.viowiess.com/viol/
http://www.kdrmusic.com/bows---bow-hair.html
They are neat and have a different sound. Well worth trying.
http://www.kdrmusic.com/bows---bow-hair.html
They are neat and have a different sound. Well worth trying.
It's fun to experiment with mutes -- you can get lots of slight differences in color or muting effectiveness. But in the end the best mute is the one that is always on your violin and very quick to put on and take off.
The one thing I would NOT do is rely on a non-attached mute. You will inevitably forget and not have it with you when you have a really critical muted passage in a performance. Or people drop them. Nothing sucks more than dropping a wooden mute on stage and have it skipping around during a delicate pianissimo passage.
There is a lot of music (especially in opera) where Con Sordino or Senza comes at a very inconvenient place and you have like half a second to get a mute on or off WHILE you turn a page. That's why people use Tourtes -- not because the sound is anything special.
(And by the way, if you do end up without a mute on stage, you can create an emergency one by rolling up a dollar bill and stringing it through your strings behind the bridge. Push it to the bridge, it mutes, pull it back
for senza. An old pro musician taught me that)
I might try the viola Tourte and see what that does for me. The dollar bill trick is smart, too, thanks guys!
Here in the UK if you go to a bricks and mortar shop a violin tourte will set you back about £2.50 but a spector will be around £8 so quite a bit more expensive but definately worth the expenditure when you consider the benefits.
I agree with what others have say about trying a viola mute if your A and D are further apart than usual.
You wouldn't set up a large violin with the string spaced wider than normal. That just adds insult to injury. We use certain numbers and spacing for a reason. If you were playing the large violin as a small viola then yes, the spacing would need to be wider.
As for the mutes, you should just try them. As a violin maker and frequent adjuster of instruments, I prefer to not color the players perceptions with what I think. I need to know what the player hears.
2. I tend not to use mute that affect the after-length part of the strings... Sihon and Menuhin alike. I use Tourte. I take it off whenever there is no con sordino in the piece. With the Tourte resting on the after-length of D and A, there is severe rattling when I play an open G note. It shows you how the after-length and tailpiece work together as a part of the whole instrument in its sounding mechanism.