Best Trombone Practice Mutes

[@AlbertonJiggletip]

The mutes actually sound really nice and add more jazzyness and vintage vibe to the sound

[@guleri]

thank you for this video comparing practice mutes. There are so many meanings out there, so this was good. I think I will look into getting a Best Brass to bring with me in my trombone case for warmups on band practices and gigs. I have invested in a Sshhmute both for my tenor trombones and bass trombone for practice at home as I live in a small apartment where sound carries very easy between the apartments. Haven't practiced much at home yet, but the person living here before played the accordion and I know the neighbors complained about that so I hope a trombone with a practice mute will give no complaints.

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

Same, I always bring the Best Brass. It shouldn’t be a problem, the accordion is way louder! 😊

[@davidaxthelm6170]

Thanks for the helpful information, Daniel. Practice mutes are a great tool for warming up and keeping the neighbors happy! They aren't ideal, but if the choice is not playing or using a practice mute, it's surely better to use the mute. Many years ago I settled on using the Yamaha Silent Brass and found it to be very superior to the practice mutes I had been using at the time (not any of those reviewed here). I play it with and without it's electronic module, and also sometimes use a DAC (digital audio converter) to patch it into my laptop for recording or whatever. Anyway, I really like the Yamaha and personally recommend it highly (I'm not associated with Yamaha in any way, just an old guy trying to build up my chops)

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

Glad it was helpful! I have a Silent Brass mute as well - if you have watch any of my other videos that is what I use for recording the trombone (for the neighbors sake 😉). But mine is from the 90's and quite heavy, I might try out the newer and lighter mute some day!

[@paulrodberg]

I agree. I bought it years ago . It has given me great freedom to play with out bothering others.

[@SuperJox]

I think for bass trombone the rejano is the best I’ve tried so far. I have the older ssshmute. It does not stay in the bell well at all but does the job other wise

[@antoniorodolpho6835]

Thank you ,excelente video .

[@wvdw6538]

Thank you for this!!

[@nfredrik]

Hi! I have the same problem. Some kind of resonance on that G.

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

Thank you for the feedback Fredrik!

[@flowkap6911]

Your video actually convinced me to buy the best brass. All sound ... Meh... So I go for comfort with the lightest one. I anyway only practice with mute if it's necessary. Until know I used a version 1 silent brass and I hate the sound on the headphones but even more the weight. My trombone gets super unbalanced with it.

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

The Best Best is great, I always bring it on gigs and rehearsals. Funny enough, I've recently returned to the Silent Brass 1gen mute as my main practice mute - to me it works the best in all registers. But in a few months I might have another opinion lol, and as you say: it's quite heavy.

[@georgeschaut2178]

I'm an amateur trombonist who would never feel a need to bring a practice mute with me to either a rehearsal or a concert. Therefore, weight & size are irrelevant. All that matters is that the mute is significantly dampening the sound so as to not disturb my neighbours at home. And of course, price is a factor. Interesting video...

[@trombonerful]

Really enjoyed this originally had a wick mute but lost when I moved, doh! Since then I've had the Shhh mute and really liked it, no weird vibrations like yours. Although used for around an hr per day and got the usual decay in my sound which was disappointing. Maybe need to just try not to play like an unplugged bone.. hope you haven't fallen asleep yet.. I liked the shhh mute and the one with the yellow 'cork' Not sure what the solo was but was it JJ? Thanks again

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

I was actually thinking of buying a DW practice mute to be able to compare that as well, but I believe it's just too heavy for me - as I'm so used to the best brass light weight. Yeah, I guess you have to play more relaxed than with an open horn. It's easy to over-blow. It's JJ, well done! I won't reveal the recording just yet though. 😁

[@trombonerful]

@@DanielKJohanssonTrombone thanks for responding. Keep posting really nice playing and inspiring posts

[@jackx4311]

Another very helpful post, Daniel! I bought a Wick practise mute to use with my baritone horn and Sshmute on my baritone horn. Maybe I was just overblowing it, but I found it very hard work to use. So I bought a Sshmute, and got on with it so well that I gave my Wick mute to another band member. One thing I did notice about the Sshmute; I was advised by my tutor not to ONLY practise with the mute, but - as you say - to mix playing with the mute and without it. I found it far easier to make the switch from playing with it to playing without it using the Sshmute than I did with the Wick - though I can't tell you why. HTH, and best regards, Jack

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

Yeah, I had some bad luck with the Sshhmute in this video with that strange buzzing noises - but I could still enjoy the sound and the evenness. I'm still curious about the Wick, but I think because of its weight it wouldn't be used much. Always interesting to compare though!

[@jackx4311]

@@DanielKJohanssonTrombone - To be honest, when I first tried the Sshmute on my baritone, I was shocked at how different it felt to the Wick. As I said above, it could have been that I was just overblowing the Wick - but, compared to the Sshmute, playing with the Wick felt like trying to blow through a brick wall! And yet . . . the lady I gave the Wick to said that it took her a little while to get used to it, but as far as I know she still has it and still uses it - especially when she's working on a difficult passage in a contest piece, so that she doesn't drive her husband crazy, playing the same phrase over and over and over! :))

[@whatsmyslide]

Thank you for this video. I have some other concerns. I bought a sshhmute many years ago. After some years of use, in my large tenor, the spongy rubber?/plastic material not cork got compressed and the mute started to fall out. I was concerned that it could crack from falling on a stone floor so I tie it in place with a cotton rag. That works well. Now I want to buy a mute for a smaller, King 2B. How I order? Do they come in bell sizes to fit different horns? Someone told me the company would send an adhesive cork(whatever that material is?) replacement for free but I have not been able to contact the manufacturer. Can you help? Thank you

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

They were very helpful over at Bremner Music (the Sshhmute manufacturer). I think I used the email [e-mail] when I had trouble with the vibrations shown in the video. Website: www.sshhmute.com/

[@paulrodberg]

Are these 3 as silent as an old silent brass Yamaha? Thank you for your teaching.

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

Yes, I would say they are similar. The Rejano is probably even a bit more silent than the Silent Brass.

[@paulrodberg]

Wow thanks. What difference did you find in the resistance?

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

@@paulrodberg From what I remember they are fairly similar. Maybe the Best Brass has a tiny bit more resistance when going from C(6) to Bb(1) for instance.

[@paulrodberg]

@@DanielKJohanssonTrombone thank you so much for your kind help.

[@grotewobbo]

Best Brass did sound more like an open trombone though than the other 2.

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

Yeah, that's the least quiet of the three I world say, but the audio is increased in this video to be able to hear the different mutes - it's nowhere near an open horn.

[@andersvall]

Hur skiljer Rejano jämfört med Shh när det gäller konstruktionen ?

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

Jag är totalt okunnig angående material och konstruktion över lag, men Rejanon känns massiv och plastig (och hållbar) och Sshhmuten ömtåligare, mer ihålig och tunn.

[@zenarobinson3851]

oh no! i wanted a comparison which included playing mutelss(?) otherwise it's not very helpful!

[@DanielKJohanssonTrombone]

Thanks for the feedback!