Morning everyone

I have a few questions about using mutes.

How much do they reduce the sound by?
Can you still hear enough to correct intonation?
If I'm going to get one, which one should I get?

Any tips on using mutes would be appreciated as I don't know much about them.

Thanks
Spark

It really depends on what kind of mute you use. If you mean a tourte, they don't mute the sound hugely, they just make it a bit softer sounding. If you mean the heavy rubber or metal practise mutes, they considerably reduce the sound (probably by more than half) and yes, you can still hear enough to get your intonation right - the problem with playing with one all the time is that you won't learn a great deal about developing good tone with one.

I have one of the big rubber practise mutes but i barely ever use it - only when i HAVE to. It sounds weird and even feels weird - it feels like you have cotton wool in your ears or something Well, to me it does anyway!
Useful to have though, means if i feel like practising at 11pm at night i can

i've always wondered about that... while it is much quieter with a mute, i have a feeling that if i were to play at 11PM, even with a mute, it'd still travel through the walls pretty well.

Well the people in my house probably would be able to... but my neighbours wouldn't. When i don't even want the people in my house to hear, is when my electric violin + headphones comes in Though that still makes some noise!

A tourte mute - the little black round rubber type that's usually used by most orchestral violinists (and soloists) - are probably the easisest and most convenient mute available.

Yes for most mutes. However, using heavy-weight practice mutes do mean you have to listen a lot more carefully.

A tourte mute would be the best place to start if you've not used a mute before.

Don't practice with a mute unless the music calls for its use, or you are having to practice somewhere where it's prudent not to annoy neighbours/other people sharing the same building etc. If you do, then you will find your tone production will suffer in the long run.

A note of warning though - not just to string players, but all musicians. When it comes to extensive periods of time practicing in rooms with little or no acoustic properties, a pair of musicians earplugs (which reduce the decibel level without reducing the range of harmonics your ear hears) are essential to preserve your hearing in the long term. Prices start at about £14 for a pair you can buy in a music shop, which is not an awful lot to pay to save your ears from permanent damage.

I agree that Tourte mutes are the best for starting.
The tone sounds very different...

The heavy metal mutes cut sound by 70% or so and are great for practicing early or in hotel rooms. If you are looking for a mute to just cut sound down because of neighbours or whatever then this is the one to get. I don't find the change of tone too distracting, and under the ear the violin is still audible. Tourte mutes (small rubber things) are what you use when the music tells you to put a mute on, they're a very different bit of equipment altogether.

That's what I thought too. These are the orchestral mutes, aren't they? Not the same sort of thing at all! I have a heavy rubber prac mute. which reduces the resonance considerably, although I can hear the sound fine. It's useful for when I really feel uncomfy making a full sound.

I've got one of those rubber mutes too but I've never used it. I'm not quite sure how it fits onto the bridge, which side is which?

the bigger bit is closer to the chinrest, the small bit on the fingerboard side. They're only really used for orchestral playing, if you want a practice mute thats a whole other story as the others have said.

http://beststudentviolins.com/Tourtemute.jpg

The large round part facing the tailpiece. See Here

That's an interesting pic, Amanda. I've never seen one like that - totally different from mine. Guess there must be a lot of 'styles' to even things like practise mutes!!

Claudia, why not ask E tomorrow?? Given that we live in the same place (we must have lunch sometime over the exam period when I'm invigilating most of the day and could use some conversation in the middle of a day's silence!!!) we've probably got the same mute from the same shop!!!

The one in the picture is one of the orchestral mutes, Elisabeth - not a practise mute. Yours probably looks like a big rubber comb (I used to have one of those somewhere - I should look it out again for late night practise !)

Ah, I see. I did think it didn't look big enough to be a prac mute, but, as Claudia's in the beginning stages, I doubt an orchestral mute is what she meant.

Thanks for all your replies everyone - will have a look at the different types over Christmas

Amanda, your comment about musicians earplugs was really interesting - I always play in a small room at home so might look into those too.

Thanks again
Spark