Hello!
I receive the digest form, so please excuse me if someone has already
added these thoughts.
I've had to battle with mutes for several years while playing
trombone in a variety of settings. Some of the solutions I've seen
and tried are as follows:
A music stand with the desk turned horizontally and a dark towel
placed on it to deaden the noise might work as a mute tray if there
is room for it.
If there is no room for that, then the top of one's trombone stand
can be used to hook the lip of a cup mute. There is, however, the
danger of the cup mute self-starting to rotate around the top of the
trombone stand and fall, usually after one and a half rotations.
Carpet samples placed on the floor near likely impact points can
lessen the "tink!" and "poonk!" of falling mutes that brass players
know so well. :-)
If one's plunger has a lip on it, it can be hung on one of the set
screws or adjustment knobs on the side of one's trombone stand.
Other than that, if one must stand up to play the job, the mutes have
to be "prepared" for a fast change, placing the next mute on one's
music stand where, one hopes, it doesn't interfere with seeing music.
It is helpful to have the phrase "Prepare ____ Mute" written over a
multiple bar rest shortly ahead of time so that the mute can be
located amongst its fellows and set in place.
Although not as good a sound, a secondary choice for bucket mute is
to bury the trombone bell deep into the stand or to write "Hand Over
Bell." Sometimes a plunger, which might be faster to employ, can be
held half-open to simulate a bucket mute. Of course, none of these
sounds is the same as a bucket, but they might give you a pragmatic
option that is close.
On the lighter side, if the mutes must be kept on the floor, placing
an open beverage next to them adds incentive to bend down to retrieve
them. I recommend water, so as to be able to stand up again without
difficulty and to keep the inside of the trombone smelling better. It
also cleans up fairly easily after it gets knocked over. Do not use a
straw with your beverage, for it will poke some delicate part of your
face as you bend over to retrieve the pixie straight mute and
plunger. :-)
Best of luck,
Bill Huber
Nashville, TN
On Apr 5, 2011, at 12:00 PM, <finale-requ...@shsu.edu> wrote:
From: Christopher Smith <christopher.sm...@videotron.ca>
Date: April 4, 2011 5:59:39 PM CDT
To: <finale@shsu.edu>
Subject: Re: [Finale] Trombone mute holders - advice
Reply-To: finale@shsu.edu
The MuteRack seems too flimsy, for sure. I can't see the real size
of the Jo-Ral holder, so I couldn't say anything about that. Both
unavailable, so it's moot anyway.
You know who would know? Jennifer Wharton! She plays Bdway pits all
the time (I've seen her twice!) and she probably used them.
Christopher
On Mon Apr 4, at MondayApr 4 3:03 PM, Darcy James Argue wrote:
Hi all,
For an upcoming show, all the brass and wind players in my bigband
will be standing (normally, trombones and winds are seated). The
trombones have some quick mute changes, which are obviously much
more difficult when standing than when seated.
I'm wondering if any of the trombone players on this list have any
recommendations for the clip-on trombone mute holders that clip to
the music stand? They'd need to support multiple mutes.
Here are two examples (don't know anything about either of them,
and also both are "currently unavailable):
http://www.amazon.com/Jo-Ral-Trombone-Mute-Holder/dp/B0007L6OGQ
http://www.indianamusic.com/muterack_main.htm
Neither of them seem like they'd accommodate a trombone bucket
mute. But if anyone has any experience with these things, I'd be
most grateful for your input.
Cheers,
- DJA
-----
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