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Rhondo Veteran Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2021 Posts: 267
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 9:20 am Post subject: Most free blowing, least intrusive trumpet mutes |
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Hello everyone
Some of the time I like to practice and play in my living room. I’ve found that a Humes & Berg cup mute takes the edge off an open horn enough such that the sound doesn’t reverberate off the walls so much, while still sounding good and not being overly stuffy, and reasonably well in tune.
What other alternatives might there be for mutes that lessen the volume a tad and alter the playing of an open horn to a minimal degree? |
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LittleRusty Heavyweight Member
Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 12681 Location: Gardena, Ca
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 9:22 am Post subject: |
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Have you read the previous discussions in the other toys forum? |
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Rhondo Veteran Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2021 Posts: 267
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 9:30 am Post subject: |
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LittleRusty wrote: | Have you read the previous discussions in the other toys forum? |
No, I’ve done searches on mutes, but haven’t seen it mentioned. Perhaps I could have worded the search more specifically?
Edit: When I search free blowing mutes I see a lot of posts about practice mutes. I don’t want a ‘Practice mute’. Doesn’t need to be that quiet. |
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Croquethed Heavyweight Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2013 Posts: 621 Location: Oakville, CT
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 9:35 am Post subject: |
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Harmon with the stem in |
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Rhondo Veteran Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2021 Posts: 267
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 9:51 am Post subject: |
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I have a Harmon brand Harmon, and with the Humes & Berg cup, those are the only 2 mutes I have. Think I still prefer the H&B, but I can give the Harmon a try for this. |
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longtermparking New Member
Joined: 18 Feb 2024 Posts: 4
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 9:52 am Post subject: |
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I'd check out the Trumcor Lyric mute for your purpose. Really useful. |
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Rhondo Veteran Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2021 Posts: 267
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 10:14 am Post subject: |
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I’m not especially fond of the sound of straight mutes, but would they fit the other criteria?
Again, doesn’t have to be super quiet, just quieter than open horn. |
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LittleRusty Heavyweight Member
Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 12681 Location: Gardena, Ca
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 10:43 am Post subject: |
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IMO, I find harmons with the stem in to be chop burners and very stuffy. I wouldn’t want to practice with one except for practicing a passage requiring one.
Some of the more recent discussions on practice mutes seemed to fit what you were looking for, hence my unhelpful question earlier. (It was clear to me)
If you feel like doing further research use Google limiting the search to this site by adding site:trumpetherald.com to the search terms. The search feature on this site is worthless. |
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SunRa Regular Member
Joined: 12 Jul 2023 Posts: 21 Location: Hershey PA
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe try the cookie mute? (https://www.cookiesmusic.com/cookiemute)
I know you said no practice mutes but if the intention is to not change the sound and quiet the horn this would work. If its too quite though you can always slap on the crown royal bag onto the bell. But that may be too loud for your intentions. _________________ 1977 Getzen Eterna Doc Severinsen
1959 Conn Connstellation 38b
1954 Olds Super
1905 Conn Connqueror Cornet
1930's Conn Cavalier Cornet |
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LittleRusty Heavyweight Member
Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 12681 Location: Gardena, Ca
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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I missed the edit about practice mutes.
I have a mute that David Hickman used to sell on his site. It might meet your requirements but I don’t see it on his site now.
I found it. It Soto Voce mute.
Unfortunately it is no longer available. |
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Rhondo Veteran Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2021 Posts: 267
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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Could it be said that straight or cup mutes in general are more free blowing than others?
My Harmon mute certainly does have more resistance, which seems both a good and bad thing, but yeah, never felt like something I want to use for extended periods. |
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LittleRusty Heavyweight Member
Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 12681 Location: Gardena, Ca
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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Have you seen this SshhMute post? |
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loweredsixth Heavyweight Member
Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 1846 Location: Fresno, California, USA, North America, Earth, Solar System, Orion Arm, Milky Way Galaxy, Universe
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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Soulo Bucket fits the bill. No resistance at all. You can even stuff a hand kerchief in it to take more edge off. _________________ The name I go by in the real world is Joe Lewis |
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Rhondo Veteran Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2021 Posts: 267
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Rhondo Veteran Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2021 Posts: 267
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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loweredsixth wrote: | Soulo Bucket fits the bill. No resistance at all. You can even stuff a hand kerchief in it to take more edge off. |
Yeah, looks like a great option. |
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Nathan.Sobieralski Veteran Member
Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 190
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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My cup mutes are very free-blowing, particularly the adjustable cup. You can adjust the annular opening of the mute easily with the detachable corks, and the practice mute attachment lets you clamp it down volume-wise if you like. www.s-mute.com
Definitely worth a look I think! _________________ Dr. Nathan Sobieralski
www.s-mute.com
Principal Trumpet, Sequoia Symphony
Department of Music (Trumpet)
California State University, Fresno |
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Brassnose Heavyweight Member
Joined: 07 Mar 2016 Posts: 2094 Location: Germany
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 7:53 pm Post subject: |
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https://www.theeazybucket.com/ _________________ 2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, (Frate or Curry) |
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dstpt Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Dec 2005 Posts: 1289
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Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 1:07 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Rhondo"] LittleRusty wrote: | Edit: When I search free blowing mutes I see a lot of posts about practice mutes. I don’t want a ‘Practice mute’. Doesn’t need to be that quiet. |
For what you're describing, you could consider the Harmon brand cup mute:
Hickeys price is ~$50:
https://www.hickeys.com/music/brass/trumpet/accessories/mutes/cup_mutes/products/sku093279-harmon-j2a-trumpet-cup-mute-adjustable.php
Harmon J2-A
Trumpet Cup Mute, Adjustable
Retail price is $75:
https://www.gear4music.com/us/en/Woodwind-Brass-Strings/Harmon-Trumpet-Adjustable-Cup-Combo-Mute-Aluminium/2WWU
I use this cup mute with the (removable) felt "ring" in the cup while watching YouTube videos, sometimes while wearing headphones, sometimes not. This is often for when I'm doing repetitive, almost mindless, warm-up routines or "calisthenics" on the horn, like lip slurs, lip bends, fast single tonguing exercises, Clarke #2, etc. I've found the horn to remain extremely well in tune and free-blowing, even with the felt ring. For performing (without the felt ring), say, in a big band, it seems to easily blend with the traditional Humes & Berg cup mute sound, even though it is made of aluminum and has an adjustable cup portion.
Or you could consider the Pro-Tec (aluminum) adjustable cup mute from Amazon for $35:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052VE8EG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
I got one of these in November as a backup cup mute. They play very similarly to the Harmon J2-A cup mute. You could always add some fabric to dampen the sound, if needed.
======
Another option would be to play with no mute and use earplugs. I've used them, sometimes at home and sometimes in certain gig scenarios, and they allow me to hear the center of pitch easier for some reason. Maybe they remove some of the overtones from the sound I'm hearing otherwise, and eliminate the "distraction" of those overtones, so that I hear the center of pitch better? I'm not sure. We have to use headphones in the pit when playing shows, which is a frustrating experience, especially at first when you're growing accustomed to using them, but I've found practicing some with earplugs at home is good conditioning for the headphones scenario. |
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krax Heavyweight Member
Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 685 Location: Hofors, Sweden
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Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 2:40 am Post subject: |
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Playing into a heavy winter coat.
I use my great-grandfathers, it's the heaviest wool coat I've seen. I've also used it as a shield behind a rubber microphone to eliminate sound reflections in a stone wall room. |
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dstpt Heavyweight Member
Joined: 14 Dec 2005 Posts: 1289
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Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 3:57 am Post subject: |
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krax wrote: | Playing into a heavy winter coat.
I use my great-grandfathers, it's the heaviest wool coat I've seen. I've also used it as a shield behind a rubber microphone to eliminate sound reflections in a stone wall room. |
I would love to have a stone-walled room for at least some of my practice time. Before marriage I used to practice late at night in a multi-tiered parking garage, until the main company in the office building started a split-shift schedule, and the new parking garage rent-a-cop ran me off. It was a great way to relax into my sound and not feel that I had to work so hard to get rid of every little bit of extra noise in production. It was also a great way to tune overall center of pitch, since previous notes linger while moving to the next note. I always end up with a more relaxed sound in general after practicing etudes in an acoustically "wet" setting. I think this may be why Doc Severinsen would look for stairwells to warm up when available. |
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