I don't want to roar like a Loar

[Bret Roberts]

Well, I can't believe it but I found a mandolin teacher here in Luxembourg. The problem I'm having is the only time I have to practice is late at night after the kids go to bed. How can I quiet my mandolin but still use and practice a full force pick or chord.

Thanks for your help.

[John Flynn]

The best way I know of is to get a solid body electric mando and use an amp simulator with headphones. If you can't do that, the choices all have downsides. I have tried: Stuffing the oval hole with foam rubber, using the tip of my index finger in place of a pick, putting a mute just in front of the bridge, such as a leather lace through the strings. All of those seem to be less than perfect, but they accomplish the basic purpose.

[POB]

I can sympathise. After years of trying to get instruments with loads of volume and projection, I found myself trying not to wake my offspring when I practise.

I bought a Martin Backpacker, thinking such a tiny instrument would be quiet enough. However, despite all the disrespect that gets heaped on these little things, it still had way too much volume for my domestic needs. So I ended up carefully stuffing it with scraps of an old t-shirt, using a chopstick to get them down into the body. It's now just about quiet enough, but I could just have done the same thing with my old Samick beater, and saved myself the price of the Backpacker.

[Darren Kern]

I'm new to mandolins but I practice both my acoustic and electric guitars after my wife goes to sleep, and with the door shut of my music/computer room, you can barely hear it in the master bedroom... and I mean I play at a pretty high volume, and my house is only 1300 sq feet so it's not like I'm far away. Just a thought.

[mandofiddle]

There's a problem with trying to "practice quietly", and I'm a victim of it. I spent years practicing quietly as to not disturb anyone else. This basically gave me such a light touch on the strings that when I first started playing with other folks I could barely be heard playing a lead. I've had to basically reteach myslef proper attack on the strings since so that I have a good volume. The only advice I can think of would be to find a cheap instrument that you can "modify" as to get lower volume when attacking the strings the same as you'd want to in a normal setting where you WANT to be heard. Maybe one of those $75 Johnsons, and then fill the inside with some kind of foam or something? I don't know... I don't have to worry about it now, because I can shut myslef in my "music room" when everybody else is asleep, leave the TV on in the living room to "hide" the noise I'm making, and practice as loud as I want.

Good luck.

[angrymandolinist]

Holding it tighter against your body damps the tone, but might cause problems like mandofiddle's, but with tension issues. Other than that, using the room farthest from the kids' might be the best way to go about it.

[Jeroen]

You could clamp two clothes pegs on both sides of the bridge, or you could stick a tight roll of paper or maybe a cardboard cylinder of the right diameter just behind the bridge under the strings.

A device like this one (for banjo), would be nice too.

[nilodnam]

I have traveled with and without family and practiced in hotels by using the palm (the side the little finger is on) to damp the strings. It really forces you to use your wrist, keep good position and you can have a hard pick attack.

Hope that helps.

Jim http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[John Flynn]

nilodnam - darn that lesdyxia
Jim: You should seek help from National Mothers Against Dyslexia (DAMN)

[Martin Jonas]

I find a good way of playing very softly is to use a very thin nylon plectrum, such as the Jim Dunlop 0.40mm (white). Not much more than a piece of stiff foil, really. On a flattop with light strings, that gives you a rather nice, but very very quiet, tone. Doesn't work so well on carved tops with J74s or so, though.

Martin

[grandmainger]

I use those little rubber buds on the strings (the ones that are designed to dampen the sound between tailpiece and bridge), but I put them after the bridge. That kills the sound pretty well. When I need a bit of quiet, I use a slim pick (like 0.4mm), I keep it really loose in the fingers (good habit anyway), and I pick at an angle. I find that a fair bit of the sound that travels (ie the one that people hear from afar) is the sharp sound resulting from a picking motion when the pick is very parallel to the strings. If I angle it, the sound is mellower, and lacks that 'noisy' edge.

Germain

[Bret Roberts]

Thank you all for your information, will try a few and let you know how it all worked out.

Thanks again for your time.

[TheNaivePicker]

Yeah I usually play alot at night, when Parents are asleep. Thankfully They could sleep through anything! But During the day Time I get yelled at for playing too quiet, or too loud. Cant win or lose with these people!! Jamming time is when there is Sleeping time I guess. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Normal Family?... I think not...

[Pete Martin]

How about practicing in the garage? In the car? Rent a room somewhere close (I did this once with a friend, I practiced early mornings, he practiced late nights)?

Here's a suggestion: I take a small piece of cotton cloth, just wider than the width of the strings, roll it up and stuff it under the strings at the bridge. #You can hear enough to tell the notes, but it is muted. #This way I can still use normal technique.

Mandofiddle was correct. #Some of the suggestions above MAY (I said MAY) cause the development of unwanted technical issues if this is the ONLY way you get practice time. #When I learned fiddle, I practiced with the mute on all the time. #Turns out I learned bad bow technique, couldn't produce good tone. #Took about 3 years to undo that bad habit (I'm sure my friends will say I haven't). http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Bret Roberts]

Well I tried a few last night mostly the palm of the hand to damp the strings and a shoelace woven in the strings. Both worked well but I got a bad shock after I played
without the strings dampened, lots of bad buzzing !! Off to the old, cold, garage I go..
Thanks again.

[mandoman4807]

No kids, no problem http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif



Darrell