Big heavy mute solves it pretty well; make it quieter than banjo, mando or acoustic guitar.

Other options; solid electric violin;  or a DIY conversion of cheap student fiddle, fill the cavity with foam. Both are pretty quiet acoustically, like an electric guitar; can run it thru headphones for more volume and tone.

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Originally posted by alaskafiddler

Big heavy mute solves it pretty well;

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Even the rubber ones that fit over the bridge work well though not as muted as the metal ones.

https://www.amazon.com/eBoot-Rubber-Violin-Practice-Black/dp/B01B7N8P5A/ref=asc_df_B01B7N8P5A/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198057020828&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4427787230881106034&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007215&hvtargid=pla-383512148120&psc=1

https://www.wwbw.com/Anton-Breton-VP-50-Violin-Practice-Mute-K48029-K48029000001000.wwbw?source=TWWR5J1BB&cntry=us&currency=usd&gclid=CjwKCAjw4MP5BRBtEiwASfwAL0NY2qy0ofDIPOBOND4lyAhZCVdjVF_FvQ2wRwblFDGXkA03R_kh6RoCC18QAvD_BwE

My only practice time comes late at night when my wife and son are in bed. I used a heavy rubber mute like the one linked above, and it's quiet enough to not wake them.

poor man's mute, wooden clothes pin, spring type

We live in a very small house and it seems impossible to play ANY instrument quietly in here...lol. I do use the cheap rubber mutes on the fiddles and try to go outside or somewhere as far from where I'm gonna be a nuisance with it as possible. Banjo is really the worst, though...my banjo is really loud...keeps me from playing it enough...don't like to be so loud. I guess if your house is big enough you could find a far off room with doors...that's another problem here...there's no inside doors to speak of either.  It's just hard to practice without bothering somebody else.

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Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

We live in a very small house and it seems impossible to play ANY instrument quietly in here...lol. I do use the cheap rubber mutes on the fiddles and try to go outside or somewhere as far from where I'm gonna be a nuisance with it as possible. Banjo is really the worst, though...my banjo is really loud...keeps me from playing it enough...don't like to be so loud. I guess if your house is big enough you could find a far off room with doors...that's another problem here...there's no inside doors to speak of either.  It's just hard to practice without bothering somebody else.

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Have you tried the Gold Tone banjo mute?  It really quiets it down, almost sounds like a bare finger-picked guitar.

For fiddle, I use the slab rubber ultra mute for annoying technical exercises, but try to play songs without.  Those big mutes tend to hide the little bow noises that you want to hear in order to eliminate them.  Also, I think being able to play fiddle softly is a skill worth striving for.

I wish I had the extra cash to try one of those "quiet" violins--the ones where you put earbuds on.

No, I haven't. I'll have to look into those mutes. Speaking of being quiet with your music, somebody just parked a car across the road from our house, opened up the hatchback, and was playing a bunch of really bad-sounding, music of some sort, like really loud...lol. I'm like...Oh my gosh...I try to be quiet with my music and then the neighbors just force my nerves with this junk...can't stand it. I'd rather hear a jackhammer all day long...lol. Ugh...really bad music.

Any suggestions of what make/model of mute to buy?

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Originally posted by alaskafiddler

Big heavy mute solves it pretty well; make it quieter than banjo, mando or acoustic guitar.

Other options; solid electric violin;  or a DIY conversion of cheap student fiddle, fill the cavity with foam. Both are pretty quiet acoustically, like an electric guitar; can run it thru headphones for more volume and tone.

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Why not get the one with the little rabbit on it? swstrings.com/product/accessor...olin/M111
I think that's what Harry Hare uses around the house. They also have them with whales, but I think they're kind of loud in their own environment, compared to bunnies.

quote:Originally posted by soppinthegravyAny suggestions of what make/model of mute to buy?

I have an Otto Musica Artino violin mute. It is a substantial metal block covered with rubber. Weighty and dampens volume well, soft on the outside so it won’t mark your bridge or gouge your instrument if you have a lapse of carefulness. It does sit high on the bridge though, so if you tend to check your point of contact visually it is an obstruction.

I practice with a smooth dowel rod.. just loud enough for me to hear myself..

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

I practice with a smooth dowel rod.. just loud enough for me to hear myself..

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Are you serious?  I'd like to hear more about this. Did you create a "frog" at the end - or some other grip?  Is it a hardwood dowel?  i would imagine the tone is quite muted indeed.  Sounds interesting.

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Originally posted by Johnbow

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

I practice with a smooth dowel rod.. just loud enough for me to hear myself..

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Are you serious?  I'd like to hear more about this. Did you create a "frog" at the end - or some other grip?  Is it a hardwood dowel?  i would imagine the tone is quite muted indeed.  Sounds interesting.

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There is no magic to it.. I prefer a 1/4 inch Hardwood dowel.. no frog.. If it picks up a little rosin from the strings and starts making too much sound, I just wipe it off well.  Just to work out fingering, sometimes I just use a pencil..!!   I suppose that if you play with Thumb Under Frog, then tape a block of wood to the dowel.. NOTHING is a substitute for a real bow.. I would not recommend using a dowel for long term practice.. You could pick up some bad pressure habits. IMO..

The rubber and metal practice mutes work well. The metal is quieter as it adds more mass, but it does distort the sound and feel more as well. If you get one, please be very careful—they put very bad dents into tops if they slip off.

If you want something that’s more advanced, the Wiessmeyer & Son Catrpilr practice mutes are a great option for about the same price. They give a clearer sight line and they’re engineered to lower volume but not distort overtones. The use of 3-D printing technology allows them to do something interesting things. I have heard very good things about their Prizma orchestral mutes from customers.

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Originally posted by groundhogpeggy

We live in a very small house and it seems impossible to play ANY instrument quietly in here...lol. I do use the cheap rubber mutes on the fiddles and try to go outside or somewhere as far from where I'm gonna be a nuisance with it as possible. Banjo is really the worst, though...my banjo is really loud...keeps me from playing it enough...don't like to be so loud. I guess if your house is big enough you could find a far off room with doors...that's another problem here...there's no inside doors to speak of either.  It's just hard to practice without bothering somebody else.

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Peggy - try stuffing the head of the banjo.  I imagine you play an open-back, since you're not BGy.  You can stuff as much rag as needed between the dowel stick and the bridge and cut down on the volume quite a bit.  I personally like the way my Chuck Lee sounds with a lint-free dust rag folded and fit there, cuts volume, provides some of the "thunk" I prefer from my playing.  More rags, more muting.

My fiddle get used with 2 of those 2-string rubber mutes, and a wire mute behind the bridge as a normal matter. If I need to cut down more, I have a rubber and a heavy metal mute that fit over the bridge that I use for a bit more or quite-a-bit more muting.

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

quote:

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Originally posted by Johnbow

quote:

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

I practice with a smooth dowel rod.. just loud enough for me to hear myself..

---

Are you serious?  I'd like to hear more about this. Did you create a "frog" at the end - or some other grip?  Is it a hardwood dowel?  i would imagine the tone is quite muted indeed.  Sounds interesting.

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There is no magic to it.. I prefer a 1/4 inch Hardwood dowel.. no frog.. If it picks up a little rosin from the strings and starts making too much sound, I just wipe it off well.  Just to work out fingering, sometimes I just use a pencil..!!   I suppose that if you play with Thumb Under Frog, then tape a block of wood to the dowel.. NOTHING is a substitute for a real bow.. I would not recommend using a dowel for long term practice.. You could pick up some bad pressure habits. IMO..

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I do on occasion have need to play quietly.  I like this approach because it doesn't involve using a mute (which I detest), but rather the dowel rod is in essence a less efficient bow - one that won't grab the strings as well.  Now you got me thinking there must be lots of different bow substitutes.

quote:

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Originally posted by Johnbow

quote:

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

quote:

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Originally posted by Johnbow

quote:

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

I practice with a smooth dowel rod.. just loud enough for me to hear myself..

---

Are you serious?  I'd like to hear more about this. Did you create a "frog" at the end - or some other grip?  Is it a hardwood dowel?  i would imagine the tone is quite muted indeed.  Sounds interesting.

---

There is no magic to it.. I prefer a 1/4 inch Hardwood dowel.. no frog.. If it picks up a little rosin from the strings and starts making too much sound, I just wipe it off well.  Just to work out fingering, sometimes I just use a pencil..!!   I suppose that if you play with Thumb Under Frog, then tape a block of wood to the dowel.. NOTHING is a substitute for a real bow.. I would not recommend using a dowel for long term practice.. You could pick up some bad pressure habits. IMO..

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I do on occasion have need to play quietly.  I like this approach because it doesn't involve using a mute (which I detest), but rather the dowel rod is in essence a less efficient bow - one that won't grab the strings as well.  Now you got me thinking there must be lots of different bow substitutes.

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For an Old Time fiddler like me a pencil works just as well.. I usually only use short bowstrokes!!!

In some ways it's harder to do, but it's good practice, kind of like riding a bicycle really slowly. There is a minimal volume required for intonation feedback plus the absence of wide overtones and sympathetic vibration. Also, at the tip of the bow string crossing motions are expanded.

Have a Yamaha YEV 4 string I use for quiet practice. I usually don't plug it in. When I do I use headphones from a small Yamaha amp.

I heard somewhere that sort of bow substitute is what Paganini used to practice, so if it was good enough for him...

If I have to practice quietly I just turn my hearing aids down...works for me

Play Happy

Swing

Check this out: youtube.com/watch?v=Ms5pUWMv4oA
Lots of tips to help you practice quietly.

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For an Old Time fiddler like me a pencil works just as well.. I usually only use short bowstrokes!!!

 

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I'm intrigued by this. You draw the strings with a pencil? Which way does the eraser point?

I would guess this can be hard on the strings!

I usually simply play quieter.

Studying on the dynamics I want is as much of my practice as other aspects of any piece or technique.

For myself, I've found that using crutches doesn't help my advancement as much as actually learning the skill...mileage may vary...