(Near) Silence Is Golden

As double bassists we have many pieces of equipment which are essential – the obvious ones are a bass, bow, rosin and case. Alongside these are other things which we use such as a tuner, a duster to clean the rosin off the strings, a mute and one of the most important things, which can be as rare as hens teeth in many bass sections – a pencil.

Double Bass Wheels

We need something to transport the bass, such as a wheel or carrying strap and many other useful tools and gadgets, but one of the most useful things I have ever bought for my double bass is a practice mute. Not one of the smaller mutes which conductors insist on, even though they don’t always make much difference, but one of the hefty plastic or rubber mutes with five prongs.

A practice mute fits across the entire bridge and really does deaden the sound. Sometimes I even add a duster or two across the bridge to soak up a few more of the vibrations.

Double Bass Mutes and Accessories

Why do I think a practice mute is so important?

There are many reasons but it’s mainly to keep everyone in your house, and your neighbours, happy! Obviously, I realise how lucky they are to witness the wondrous tones of a double bass but sometimes even our nearest and dearest are immune to the instrument’s many charms. A practice mute allows us to ‘belt out’ whatever we are playing, but minus many of the usual decibels that we all love and cherish.

One other benefit of a practice mute is to help develop a strong tone when it is employed, and then to hear and feel the difference when it is removed and the bridge is allowed to resonate freely. Suddenly you can feel the true power of your sound, which has been helped by using the practice mute, much like an athlete who uses resistance workouts to increase speed and agility.

Which practice mute to buy? There are many to choose from and my mute is probably decades old, almost like new, and to me is worth its weight in gold. They are quite inexpensive, so it isn’t a big investment financially, but professionally it’s worth a fortune. Give it a go….

David Heyes
D’Addario Performing Artist
^{4 September 2024}