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Trumpet Practice Mutes - A Review



 
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Basically Buzzed
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Joined: 22 Jun 2003
Posts: 443
Location: San Diego, CA

PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2022 6:23 am    Post subject: Trumpet Practice Mutes - A Review Reply with quote

https://youtu.be/eOHMt2fDhEM

Trumpet Practice Mutes - A Review

Over the course of several “Ask Me Anything” sessions on Instagram, several of you asked for a practice mute review video. I don’t know WHY this was so important to you, but this was one of the most requested things - outside of recording orchestral excerpts (more on that at a later date).

Last week, Tim Saeger and I needed to test out some mics and scenes for an upcoming project we have in mind - so we took the opportunity to record and review nine different practice mutes:

“No Name” Practice Mute - website unavailable (thankfully)
Humes and Berg Stone Lined Practice Mute - https://humesandberg.com/product-category/mutes/trumpet-mutes/
Shastock Practice Mute - Currently unavailable
Best Brass Practice Mute - https://www.bestbrass.com/stf/warm-up.html
Sshhmute Practice Mute - https://www.sshhmute.com
Yamaha Silent Brass - https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/winds/silent_brass/index.html
Don Maslet Practice Mute - https://osmun.com/maslet-trumpet-practice-mute/
Rejano Practice Mute - https://rejanomutes.com
Mark Hughes Practice Mute - https://markhughestrumpet.com/store

While we tried to have fun with this video - we did also attempt for this to also be educational as well.

One of the common refrains among trumpet players is that “I can’t play in a practice mute because it messes up my chops and my embouchure gets too spread”

If this is your complaint - then this video is for you!

My theory is that we mess our chops up because we’re seeking that buzz in the sound that many practice mutes take away. It’s not an issue of volume or dynamic feedback - it’s an issue of buzz or vibrancy feedback. If we’re playing louder and louder and pressing harder and harder trying to find that buzz on a mute that is NEVER going to give us access to that buzz - it would stand to reason that we will eventually tire and get fairly spread in our embouchure.

As you’ll hear in this video - not all hope is lost as this is not the case with all practice mutes!

So - if you’re one of these people who like to complain about practice mutes - I encourage you to watch this video!

A special THANK YOU to Tim Saeger. Not only is he the audio and video visionary and guru - Tim is also incredibly patient. What was supposed to be a quick and easy video turned into him listening to me ramble on and on for over an hour - and then edit that down to the 30 minutes or so that you’ll see here.

Thank you to everyone who decides to watch. We have lots more adventures planned and hope you’ll continue following along!
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Christopher Smith
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San Diego Symphony
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kehaulani
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Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 8965
Location: Hawai`i - Texas

PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2022 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is invaluable, thank you.

For years, I have relied on Bill Dishman's practice mute comparison/contrast study. https://everythingtrumpet.com/practice-mute-comparison-survey-by-bill-dishman

There's a difference if the hearer's ears are behind the bell, from the trumpeter POV, or in front, from an audience POV. The written word makes nice contrast but there's no substitution for an aural comparison.

This review goes further in that it includes the reviewer's taste. Which is also vry valuable as it tells you what the reviewer's criteria is. Which, BTW, is the opposite of mine. For me, as silent as you can get is my priority. I live in an Independent Living Facility, where my neighbors are both very close but can get cranky, too. Others' living conditions cn have different conditions.

Not only must it be silent, per se, but that very buzz the reviewer likes is anathema to me. I have had several practice mutes with that buzz and the upper partials carry more than, what Chris calls a dull sound andwhich does not carry as well.

So, the review is very helpful in that is not only a best-to-"worst" list, but verbally communicates the reviewer's criteria and, most helpful, an aural comparison.

So, Chris, it might be dumb to you, LOL, but it helps some of us, nevertheless. Thanks.
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Last edited by kehaulani on Sat Apr 02, 2022 9:57 am; edited 1 time in total
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Basically Buzzed
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Joined: 22 Jun 2003
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 02, 2022 9:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kehaulani wrote:
This is invaluable, thank you.

For years, I have relied on Bill Dishman's practice mute comparison/contrast study. https://everythingtrumpet.com/practice-mute-comparison-survey-by-bill-dishman

There's a difference if the hearer's ears are behind, from the trumpeter, or in front, from an audience. The written word makes nice contrast but there's no substitution for an aural comparison.

This review goes further in that it includes the reviewer's taste. Which is, BTW, the opposite of mine. For me, as silent as you can get is my priority. I live in an Independent Living Facility, where my neighbors are both very close but can get cranky, too.

Not only must it be silent, per se, but that very buzz the reviewer likes is anathema to me. I have had several practice mutes with that buzz and the upper partials carry more than, what Christofer calls, a dull sound-which does not carry as well.

So, the review is very helpful in that is not only a best-to-"worst" list, but verbally communicates the reviewer's criteria and, most helpful, an aural comparison.

So, Christofer, it might be dumb to you, but it helps some of us, nevertheless. Thanks.


Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment, kehaulani - I appreciate it!
- Chris
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San Diego Symphony
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