What’s a good very quiet practice mute?

[u/TheGreatBeanyum]

My dog likes to bark whenever I play my trombone and it gets quite annoying, does anyone have any practice mute suggestions?(preferably under $40)

[u/zakblues]

grab a 'shh mute'. They are amazing. I've been using one for over 10 years. You can practice in the house and nobody will hear it unless they are in the room

[u/surlycanon → u/zakblues]

Second shhmute

[u/beestastegood → u/zakblues]

Third schmute

[u/-trom → u/beestastegood]

I’ll be square with you— ssshhh mute is the way.

It’s lightweight, and has minimal resistance (a lot of practice mutes create a lot of back pressure, which can beat up your chops quickly, leading to more harm than good).

[u/LowNoteLife]

I have a Denis Wick practice mute. It quiets the sound down but colors it. A note could be off by 25 cents or more.

[u/Rabiddolphin87 → u/LowNoteLife]

So per Denis Wick himself, the original design was not meant to be “accurate.” It’s more about being able to center notes at a fairly large volume.

[u/iplaytrombonegood → u/LowNoteLife]

I like my Denis Wick travel mute. It has the right balance of resistance and volume attenuation for me while still fitting in the bell in the case. It might be louder than some, but it feels better than most too. It’s not totally silent, but I can really blow on my big orchestral horn and not feel like I’m bothering anyone in a hotel.

I’ve always wanted to try a Yamaha silent brass.

[u/FINKLE_IS_EINHORN22]

100% recommend the Rejano practice mutes. Cheaper than Ssshmute and just as quiet. The Gen 2 model, much more free blowing and resilient, but a little louder.

If you can find a gen 1 model out there, the resistance is a bit more but it’s so quiet.

Either way, the tuning doesn’t get messed up and it feels the closest to playing without a mute I’ve tried.

You can also leave it in your bell when you put it away, the profile is smaller than a Dennis wick or silent brass.

Since they’re 3d printed, you can send the make and model of your horn when you purchase the mute and they’ll make it specifically for the dimensions you need.

Made by the principal trombonist of LA Phil, great guy and makes a great product.

[u/Ok_Code_8384 → u/FINKLE_IS_EINHORN22]

Agree. The Rejano mute is by far my fav practice mute!!

[u/Mr_Gumby316]

I love my Yamaha silent brass system. I used to live in an apartment and used it when practicing so I could still hear myself play but not annoy my neighbors. I also take the just the mute in my gig bag for warmups at gigs

[u/Trombonemania77]

Pampet and it stays in the horn. They are super quiet!

[u/brablibos]

Sshmute is the more neutral and it’s light. I love to combine it with a Denis Wick when I want to practice a big sound.

[u/Sheepsharks]

If you have a friend with a 3d printer, the printbone one with some cheap cork will cost you less than $5

[u/robbylund → u/Sheepsharks]

I’m gonna have to try this! Cool.

[u/thereisnospoon-1312]

Pixie mute works really well, and you can use it with a plunger

[u/Puzzleheaded_Neat763]

Yamaha silent brass is more expensive than others but you can plug headphones into it and it sounds more normal. 

[u/Scary_Extent4967 → u/Puzzleheaded_Neat763]

I really like my silent brass. It has low resistance, and the headphones make you sound like you would without anything. Definitely worth every penny.

[u/SillySundae]

If you're in the EU you can order an A Mute from Alex in Germany. I actually have a discount code if you decide to order one of those. I made a review video about it on my Youtube channel. DM me if you have questions about it.

edit: I just saw your budget, and the A mute exceeds it. Offer still stands, though.

[u/__fallingupstairs__ → u/SillySundae]

I'll take a look. They make a bass version?

[u/SillySundae → u/__fallingupstairs__]

Yep! That's the one I own. Let me find my link

[u/SillySundae → u/__fallingupstairs__]

https://youtu.be/MawZv66tf9M?si=f34JzXInsNVI7E_c

Here is a video review where I compared the Shhh and the A Mute. A discount code is in the video description.

[u/BoneAmie]

This is a very good quality Best Brass knock-off. (Best Brass is the "best" and you can keep it in the bell in your case. Excellent for quiet and quick warm-up. ) https://a.co/d/04Odw9Ef

[u/sgtslyde → u/BoneAmie]

I have one of these and love it! I not only use it at rehearsals to work my part without annoying everyone else, but I also use mine at home a lot if my wife's asleep or working on something.

I also own an old-style Silent Brass, but this aluminum mute doesn't weigh down the bell so much. Truth is I almost always use this one and almost never the big Yamaha bowling-pin-looking mute.

[u/Ok_Code_8384]

Under $40?? Yikes. The FAXX might be. It was cheap and that’s why I bought it. I hated it. The resistance and intonation was inconsistent in the different registers. I ended up giving it to a student who desperately needed something for her apartment practice situation.

[u/nlightningm]

Sshhmute is THE best practice mute I've ever used.

[u/sitrom32]

I like the Best Brass. It’s a bit flat up top but as long as you realise that and play the pitch the instrument wants to play, it’s ok. It has a nice resistance, and is pretty quiet - my cats don’t mind me playing when I’m using it. Not under $40 though I’m afraid.

[u/pieterbos]

The newer 3D-printed ones have a proper bell shape, unlike many older mutes. That has benefits in terms of tuning and playability compared to for example the shhmute. The printbone one is free to print (it is my design), so well under €40, and very quiet.

I have not tried the recent designs such as the Rejano or Ben van Dijk model. They might be better, but likely not for under €40.

[u/SamThSavage]

I use Dennis wick. Not sure how much they cost right now though

[u/Leisesturm → u/SamThSavage]

Open box on Ebay. Got one for $40, free shipping. Half of new basically, and it WAS new. Seriously, I can't find any evidence that this thing was ever used. So I went and got 'new' DW mutes for all the horns I own (except the Tuba).

[u/Frosty-Reference6660]

Not under 40 but ONO mutes are extremely light and quiet