Ways to Practice Silently

quinterbourne · Post by **quinterbourne** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:18 am

This has probably been brought up before...

I often have extreme difficulties practicing at home. I'm looking for a system to use to reduce the noise output without severely affecting pressure/resistance.

If you vote for "practice mute" please make a post to let me know which you recommend!

thanks!

Lew · Post by **Lew** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 8:39 am

Better is a relative term. In my experience with both I find the silent brass to have less intonation and stuffiness issues and to block more sound than a practice mute, but I find a practice mute more convenient. The silent brass is a pain to put in and take out and it makes the horn very top heavy. Therefore my conclusion is:

Silent brass - better for sound
Practice mute - better for ease of use.

elimia · Post by **elimia** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 9:40 am

I hear you and have had similar issues. I would advise you to try what I did and if you have a basement, turn it into a practice area. I did this because at my last apt it just wasn't working out w/ the neighbors. Alternatively, get some foam from Target and cover the walls/ceiling. This, in addition to using a practice mute, will help with the sound.

That being said, I now use a Silent Brass mute. I had been using a Humes and Berg practice mute prior to that. It was quiet, but not as quiet as the Silent Brass mute.

This perspective applies to my experience on euphonium, not tuba.

Tubaryan12 · Post by **Tubaryan12** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:44 am

People...stay on task

I have a Silent brass and for years I didn't use it because it does make the horn top heavy. To remedy this, I purchased a Wenger tuba tamer and now I use it all the time. I also use it without the electronics because it lets out just enough sound in a silent room to not need it.

BopEuph · Post by **BopEuph** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 12:48 pm

Dennis Wick practice mute for me.

It's a lot lighter, easier to carry, and the best part for me, it is way cheaper. A friend of mine has the silent brass, but he rarely uses the headphone amp. He just plugs the thing in his horn and plays away like it was a normal practice mute. He says the novelty of it runs out after a while. I am plenty happy with my DW.

Nick

quinterbourne · Post by **quinterbourne** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 12:52 pm

Please, people, I was asking about practice mutes and such. Tubenet is not a political forum, it is for discussion about the details surrounding the playing of tuba/euphonium. The forum owner has explicitly ordered that politics not be discussed here.

I do have opinions on the topic of "Target and such" and I will PM those who have been discussing this, to voice my opinion. Feel free to send me (and maybe those guys who started it/responded to it) a PM about it as well, but please, NO MORE public posts about this on my topic thread.

THANKS!

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 1:02 pm

I just got a couple of Voice of the Theaters, and I turn the stereo up real loud and nobody EVER complains about my playing...

WilliamVance · Post by **WilliamVance** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:13 pm

I live in an apartment building and I sometimes feel bad about practicing, but then I hear my neighbors screaming and shouting, or there children running circles above me and I have no hesitations about practicing what I need to as long as it's not to late at night. I also do a lot of barely audible practicing late at night and am really tempted to start belting out some lovely low notes, but I have restrained myself so far. I don't really like the way a tuba sounds muted and silent brass wasn't for me either...

sinfonian · Post by **sinfonian** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:25 pm

I use a Tumcor that does a great job of silencing my Tuba. My wife says she can barely hear me in the room next door and that is with the door open.

As far as Target and the Salvation Army I was glad to see that Marshall Fields (soon be by just Macy's) is no longer part of Target. A group of brass player that, a friend puts together each year to play for the Salvation Army buckets was able to go back to Marshall Fields this year.

With that being said if anyone is ever looking for more playing at Christmas time check with their local Salvation Army I am sure they would love to have volunteers to play for their buckets.

quinterbourne · Post by **quinterbourne** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:05 pm

LV wrote:
quinterbourne wrote:Please, people, I was asking about practice mutes and such. Tubenet is not a political forum, it is for discussion about the details surrounding the playing of tuba/euphonium. The forum owner has explicitly ordered that politics not be discussed here.

I do have opinions on the topic of "Target and such" and I will PM those who have been discussing this, to voice my opinion. Feel free to send me (and maybe those guys who started it/responded to it) a PM about it as well, but please, NO MORE public posts about this on my topic thread.

THANKS!
Please don't send me any additional PMs quinterbourne. Hiding in PMs and then posting the above reminds me of the "cheese-eating surrender monkey" comments some people make. Your lumping all "Americans" in together and calling me a hypocrite when you know nothing about me is uncalled for. I don't support McDonald for various reason, nor Wally-Mart for their union busting approach (many union teachers feel the same...). The Target comment is just topical and not necessarily political. I said nothing about the national origins of the ownership and only stated an opinion.

You post was quite political, to say it was just topical is absurd. It has absolutely nothing to do with my topic at all, and it's sole purpose was to incite political debate.

I'm not "hiding in PMs." What I am doing is using PMs for discussion of topics and ideas that are inappropriate to be used in this public forum, since the forum owner does not allow it. My PM to you is what it was, a private message, and I would appreciate if you treated it as such. If you wish to respond to my private message please do so, privately. As you have requested that I not send you another PM, I will have to state for the (public) record that I was not calling you a hypocrite, but making a statement that the views against Target may be considered as an hypocrisy.

If you wish to continue discussing the topic, please PM me or start a new topic thread. Thanks!

quinterbourne · Post by **quinterbourne** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:58 pm

I don't understand why you've asked me again to refrain from sending you additional PMs. I DID NOT send you any additional PMs and I clearly indicated that I would not be sending you another PM. You almost make it sound as though I have flooded you with PMs. I sent you one, only one!

Your comments have absolutely nothing to do with my topic. If you wish to make such comments, please do so elsewhere. I don't understand why asking people who use this forum a question about practice mutes has to be turned into this!

You ask me to "Go debate else where." Well I'm not debating this topic here, you are! Just because the subject is on the TV and in the papers does not mean that it is appropriate to debate it here, and that's why I decided to not publicly announce my opinions. That's why I choose to voice myself in a PM, which you, for some reason I can't understand, decided to share with the public.

I would very much appreciate it if we could stop discussing this altogether.

Tabor · Post by **Tabor** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 10:36 pm

Dang it. I just went to Target, McDonalds and Wal Mart and NOT ONE OF THOSE *&^#&@ places carries tuba practice mutes or silent brass!

Tabor · Post by **Tabor** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 10:43 pm

bloke wrote:
Tabor wrote:Dang it. I just went to Target, McDonalds and Wal Mart and NOT ONE OF THOSE *&^#&@ places carries tuba practice mutes or silent brass!
HOGWASH WALMART offers both the euphonium and tuba models...They even have them outside on display during the month of December...

OH SWEET!!!!!!!

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:11 pm

bloke wrote:HOGWASH WALMART offers both the euphonium and tuba models...They even have them outside on display during the month of December...

Shows you haven't even tried them... those are baritone amplifiers!!!

Kevin Hendrick · Post by **Kevin Hendrick** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:15 pm

windshieldbug wrote:
bloke wrote:HOGWASH WALMART offers both the euphonium and tuba models...They even have them outside on display during the month of December...

Shows you haven't even tried them... those are baritone amplifiers!!!

You mean they're NOT supposi ... oh ... "never mind!"

trseaman · Post by **trseaman** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:16 am

bloke wrote:
HOGWASH WALMART offers both the euphonium and tuba models...They even have them outside on display during the month of December...

Okay are we talking about the Salvation Army kettles now????

TubeNet

Ways to Practice Silently

What's the best way to reduce sound without messing with pressure/resistance?

Ways to Practice Silently