ekimmort
Member
Our Horn Section use Straight Dennis Wick Bass Trombone Mutes when required.
Tenor Horn cup mutes
- Thread starter Brenda
- Start date
Problem is, all of us throughout our band can play really really quietly but we still can't match rivals who use the mute cheat. That's why we are thinking of splashing out on a set of cup mutes from BBb up to Flugel - if you can't beat 'em you gotta join 'em!!
Although, come to think of it, it would be a lot cheaper for everybody if the doorman at the side of the stage at each contest was given guidance so the cheats could be penalised.
Hey Presto! - a level playing field at no real cost to anyone (and the composer isn't getting dissed and the adjudicator isn't being made a fool of!)
Like tha's gonna happen innit!!
Although, come to think of it, it would be a lot cheaper for everybody if the doorman at the side of the stage at each contest was given guidance so the cheats could be penalised.
Hey Presto! - a level playing field at no real cost to anyone (and the composer isn't getting dissed and the adjudicator isn't being made a fool of!)
Like tha's gonna happen innit!!
I dont think so and you'd like to think that an adjudicator could spot it, I guess it depends on who it is in the box.
If you want to play quieter why not try a duster in or over the bell (loose of course) or a piece of cloth.
brassneck
Active Member
Just get everyone else to play louder, throughout the piece and then the horns will sound quieter in comparison. Genius.
Isn't that what normally happens?
Accidental
Supporting Member
When did two wrongs ever make a right?
I just don't get the mute thing, sorry. Just my opinion, but maybe if more bands worked harder on the volume and quality of their quiet playing, less would feel the need to cheat in the first place - time to start a new trend perhaps?!
Maybe you can't match rivals-who-cheat on volume, but if you can play "really really quietly" like you say then its probably quiet enough, your sound quality will be much much better than people using mutes, and you know you're playing what the composer intended. And if you think you need to be quieter, then just keep working on it - that's what will make you a better band and yield better results, not short-cuts with mutes. (imho)
HBB
Active Member
But what do you do if you know that your players are getting down to genuine ppp's and your rivals can pop in a mute and cheat out a sound quieter than air-conditioning?
(btw I've seen pics on 4br of your top end lowering their volume with discs of sponge or something
But we're talking about tenor horns. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter what you put in the bell, the instrument is going to sound drastically different; and we don't have the luxury of bucket mutes!
brassneck
Active Member
I don't disagree with a word of what you've written. It's just frustrating as **** to see rivals getting away with cheating ALL the time!!!!! There's just no incentive to be honest so we're gonna cheat from now on!!!! (maybe
)Can't see how straight mutes could fool an adjudicator. Think they would have to be cups or even buckets. Still can't get onto that bucket mute site.
What's been really interesting, though, is that nobody has said it's wrong to cheat!!