So I’ve become pretty attached to my fiddle mute. On the odd occasion where I can play bareback and go at it, I’ve actually found the tone a bit harsh and generally too loud for my ears. Am I too accustomed to the mute now due to overuse or is it ok to keep at it? I am not yet playing at sessions so I wonder if I’ve not been learning how to get good tone out of my fiddle. Any advice welcome, it’s been bothering me a while!
I empathize as one in a similar situation-- out of respect for others in the household, a mute is needed during practice time. The harshness you hear could be partly due to your ears being used to a certain frequency curve and now presented with a radically different one. But it could also be that your bow technique will need some adjusting to the dynamics of unmuted strings.
You might try spending some practice time with an adjustable mute like a Torte or Si-Hon (wire mute) on the after length strings-- to ‘wean’ you away from the extreme damping of the rubber mute.
In a typical session you wouldn’t even be able to hear your own instrument with a full mute in place, but an adjustable mute could also give you a level of sound that strikes a balance for a beginner not wanting to ‘stick out’ too much. (But learning to play softly unmuted is another skill you’ll want to learn).
These are my thoughts as someone fairly new to the fiddle-- so take them for what they’re worth.
I find it easier to play in tune without a mute, because the right notes “ring” out a lot more clearly then. I practice with musicians’ earplugs in my left ear or sometimes both ears if it gets too loud
Sticking a spring-type wooden clothespeg on the side of the bridge is a compromise. It softens the tone down a little.
The obvious answer is that you should aim to be comfortable playing without a mute. It could be that your fiddle is actually harsh and loud and only sounds decent with a mute. The milder mute suggestions already made are a good idea. Do you have a chance to play other fiddles and see how you get on with them?
Do give the fiddle a chance to settle down without a mute by playing it for a good while without.
This is a bit illogical but my fiddle gets “upset” if I put a mute on it! When I take the mute off it sounds distinctly odd and different from usual for half an hour or so. Then it settles down.You could say, “nonsense, it’s just you” but the effect seems very real to me.
It’s kind of important to bear in mind that fiddles sound different when up close and further away. In my experience, I never really hear fiddles that sound too harsh and bright, but I do hear fiddles that are too mellow and a bit dull, or tinny and I have decided that this is probably because they have been chosen as sounding nicer when right up to the ear.
The implication of this is that a good fiddle tone probably will sound too harsh and bright at first, and thankfully due to our ear/brain machinery, that perception of harshness disappears with time.
I play habitually at home with a rubber mute on (for the sake of my family) and I got used to the sound and came to prefer it over unmuted. Without the mute, I thought my violin/fiddle sounded “brighter” and rougher.
So I played at sessions with the mute on, but I kept getting asked to remove it! (After three separate requests at three different sessions, I decided that I would just leave off the mute when playing in groups). I actually tested twice … I played a bit of a tune unmuted and then I played it muted, and they all universally preferred UNmuted. I think people are used to the tone of unmuted fiddles, the sound is more “live” and resonant? Playing unmuted, I like the sound better if I play a bit more delicately/lightly on the E…but other than that, overall bowing technique doesn’t seem to need changing…
So yes, I think that what we hear up close vs. what people hear from their seat on the other side of circle, is different. I think muted fiddles must not sound very good to listeners…probably dull and soft…
If your fiddle sounds too harsh, you might consider looking into your strings. Many traditional fiddle players use steel strings, which can sound very harsh and bright. You might enjoy perlon strings more, like a thomastik dominant for example.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. These last few years, I’ve been finding that the fiddle at normal volume bothers my left ear, and after trying various solutions, I find what works best for me is to play with a wire mute all the way up to the bridge and to play higher up on the bow; i.e., toward the tip. I don’t like fussing with ear-plugs and I can’t do much to alter where I hold the fiddle without it sliding down into my lap.
However, I mostly play for myself, at home, so it doesn’t make much difference.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.”
But nonetheless, everyone should practice safe sets.
😉
“Playing unmuted, I like the sound better if I play a bit more delicately/lightly on the E…”
I stick a bit of Blue Tack on the back side of the bridge (nearest the tailpiece), just under the E string, and it settles the E right down.
And practice with a partner as much as possible, it does wonders for your timing.
“Many traditional fiddle players use steel strings, which can sound very harsh and bright. You might enjoy perlon strings more, like a thomastik dominant for example.”
Horses for courses! I find Dominants very harsh compared with all steel Helicores!
we had people come to sessions who try to play fiddles with mutes on. cannot hear them and tone is horrible. “take it off!”, “take it off!”. after initial resistance, instant improvement.
I think you should learn to control your instrument.
@Flinty Bo Diddle - I don’t think this has been mentioned yet. If you can manage to bow evenly, as close to the fingerboard as you can while still pulling a good, clear tone, this should help reduce the volume, both real and perceived.
Also, if your fiddle sounds bright/harsh, fitting a set of Corelli Crystal strings will help sweeten things up a bit.
I remember playing at a sort of informal gig, doing Christmas tunes mixed in with Trad tunes. At one point I slid on a small Tourte mute, probably so one of the quieter instruments could be heard more clearly. At the tunes end, our cello player said “Oh, I _really_ liked the way your fiddle sounded with the mute!”
I said “The quieter I play, the more people like it!”
I always practice with a large rubber mute to prevent long term damage to my hearing. At sessions, I use the small mute only very rarely. On at least a couple occasions when I used it friends asked that I take it off.
I experimented with every material: rubber, plastic, metal, and wood. I utilised them all as a theatre musician since the cello has distinct tones with different weights and materials. Each of them had a home with me. My personal favourite was a wooden mute, albeit I may have been slightly partial in this case as I constructed it.