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Thread: Silent Brass

  1. Silent Brass

    I have just got the Silent Brass for Euphonium from Yamaha.
    This is really a good practice tool. Do anyone know about CD's with sheet music for practice the euphonium? It have to be rather easy.

  2. #2

    Silent Brass

    You should check the Cimarron Music Press site. They have a few CD's of euphonium contest music, and there is an accompaniment track you can play along with. Each includes a full recording with solo and accompaniment, a recording with accompaniment only, and a tuning track.

    Euphonium Solo Contest CD's
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  3. Silent Brass

    I have a SB, but never use it. Holding a euphonium is hard enough normally; with the mute in it is nigh impossible. Do you use some sort of assist, or hold the horn straight-up instead of at an angle?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,853

    Silent Brass

    I also have a Silent Brass mute system for my euph. I only use it when I'm visiting my grandkids (and have my horn with me) and while they're taking a nap. The horn is quite a bit heavier with the mute that's for sure. I use it if I'm staying in a motel/hotel and need to practice.
    ______________

    When I was at ITEC in Greensboro 3 years ago in the hotel, I was walking down the hall to get some ice. Who was walking up the hall toward me? Steve Mead! He had just flown in from England and still had his horn slung over his shoulder in his gig bag. We visited for a awhile and he said he still needed to practice (it was 11:30 PM then). Steve was worried about making too much noise and was wondering if he could find a place to practice. I offered him my Silent Brass mute. He said, "Thanks, but he doesn't care much for playing with a mute". I do know that a mute changes the intonation on some notes.

    But what really impressed me was here was one of the best players in the world who neede to practice! Doesn't matter what time of day it is - he wants to practice. He had just flown in from England and his body clock probably felt like it was 4:30 AM... and he needs to practice??!!

    What a lesson for we amateurs.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  5. Silent Brass

    I just got it, and did not notice any problem with the weight. I hold it straight up though. I need to get used to play with it.

  6. #6

    Silent Brass

    I have the Silent Brass but hardly use it nowdays. The mute itself can work as a practice mute. I find it heavy. While its good for apartments or when the kids are having a nap, its not really something you want to practice everyday. I also don't like having all of the wires all over. A wireless or next to wireless silent brass system would be nice along with making the mute not as heavy.

  7. #7

    Silent Brass

    What I am currently playing is a King 625 bell front Euphonium (aka Baritone Horn). Has anyone tried using the Yamaha silent brass mute on a bell front model? Will it even fit?

    John

    Update: according to a local music store the silent brass mute will not work with a bell front horn. I suppose that anwers that question.

  8. #8

    Silent Brass

    I'm not sure if it's just on my horn or all horns, but the silent brass system doesn't fit snugly enough to be on a harsh angle, as in a bell front horn.

    I doubt it would fit, but if it did, it would fall out right away.

  9. Silent Brass

    Well, heck, I'm ignorant and don't know what you guys are talking about, but it doesn't sound like something I want. Mentor gave me his old mute, which I use from time to time. He also advised when I was having a problem with a tough technical spot, to use the mute for a while, then play that tough spot without it. Said it will make the tough spot easier. Otherwise I don't play with a mute and tell my family to toughen up, and get used to the beautiful sound of the euphonium.

  10. Silent Brass

    I have a Silent Brass system for my Euph, and I have to say I actually like it. I haven't noticed all of its excessive weight or awkwardness that others have mentioned, although the wires can be a little annoying when picking up and putting down the horn (I use a Euph stand for that - so the mute rarely comes unseated). What I did was find the most tidy and efficient layout for wires and position of the Personal Studio module and zip-tied the wires together so they wouldn't be everywhere - problem solved.

    No, it's not the same as playing straight up without it, but I have noticed that it actually helped me with the pedal notes to have a little resistance. As far as sound and intonation goes - I'm not so worried about that as most of the practice I need is for basic sight-reading anyway. Since I haven't played regularly in so long and sight-reading has always been my weakness, just getting the notes all in the right place is more important to me than what it sounds like with the practice mute in use. I find that I need to adjust slightly for intonation and sound to blend in with the rest of the players at rehearsal anyway.

    Actually, the reason I got it in the first place is because of my wife's sleeping schedule being so different than mine. $150 and a little bit of sound difference when practicing is a small price to pay to keep the peace, IMHO.

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