pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Full Version)

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Stu -> pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 13 2025 11:00:45)

I know weve chatted about mutes on here before. and Ive been using one a lot recently.

As well as any benefit to technique, it also helps keep the noise down in the evening so i dont wake the kids.

So ive just left it on and suddenly realised yesterday that I cant recall when i last played without it.

I almost feel a bit worried about NOT using it.

So i know there are some benefits....although im not 100% sure what they all are. but I was wondering if there are any serious negative consequences of over using a mute when practicing.



Ricardo -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 13 2025 13:20:27)

the only thing really, is left hand nuance. The flamenco guitar is super dry so there is a bit of art involved with allowing notes to sustain as long as possible to give the illusion of a sustain pedal of a piano. It is subtle and only affects slow lyrical passages, but it is something I work on anyway. The mute is great for right hand speed and rhythmic control etc. So think of things like in Soleá when we fret an F note and keep it there when the low or high E string is sounded on the accented beat. That won't come out with a mute.



Stu -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 13 2025 14:10:15)

thanks ricardo, yes I obviously miss the actual sound of the guitar and all that stuff on the left hand. think im gonna take it out tonight and remember what my guitar sounds and feels like!

I notice that the with mute im using (bit of sponge), the high e string down past 8th fret really has no sound at all. which isnt that pleasant.



devilhand -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 13 2025 19:47:55)

quote:


the only thing really, is left hand nuance. The flamenco guitar is super dry so there is a bit of art involved with allowing notes to sustain as long as possible to give the illusion of a sustain pedal of a piano.

Zero benefit for left hand?



Stu -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 14 2025 7:07:33)

Well I was more worried about negativs on the left hand, like Ricardo speaks about.

But more in the realm of becoming sloppy and lazy with left hand positioning because you can get away with it whilst mute is there as the strings don't sound fully.



Ricardo -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 14 2025 11:51:55)

quote:

Zero benefit for left hand?


The benefit is timing and synchronization with the right.



mt1007 -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 14 2025 18:06:32)

Pros of mute/esponja: Strength plus the other benefits that have been mentioned, plus it makes it easier to play without disturbing anyone. Since my family goes to bed early and I tend to play late at night, it's a great solution.

Cons of mute/esponja: The main downside is that you can't hear your mistakes. If you're always using one, you might not realize where you're going wrong, which can slow down your progress.

I usually play with it out of consideration for my family, but I do try to play without it when I can. It's just more convenient not to wake them up.



Erik van Goch -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 15 2025 11:49:54)

I think it's good to do so every now and then. It improves both my rhythm and relaxation. As a result, after removing it I play more relaxed for a while (before putting in more effort again) enjoying a better sound, partly dude to the relaxation and probably partly dude to the ears being tuned to the mute sound.



AndresK -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 15 2025 19:14:03)

Totally agree. Rhythm and relaxation. Effortless speed.

I have also found it helps my classical student's techniques, especially the tremolo many people play uneven.

I used a sponge many years ago but now I like a small cloth better, and it is actually even more quite than the sponge (the family is even happier too[:D])



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Stu -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 15 2025 21:46:14)

[:D]

cloth? looks like some smelly old gym socks![:D][;)]



Estevan -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 15 2025 23:30:34)

quote:

cloth? looks like some smelly old gym socks!

Hence the old expression "Put a sock in it!"



AndresK -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 16 2025 7:44:18)

[:D][:D][:D]

It is not a smelly shock. It is part of a sleeve of a jacket that my son wore when he was younger. He grew up since then so we cut off the sleeves so he could wear it sleevless. That was a few years back, that is why it looks like a dirty shock now[:D]



Stu -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 17 2025 8:41:30)

hahah. ahh yes i can see its a jacket sleeve!

i like the rosette on your guitar.

quote:

Hence the old expression "Put a sock in it!"

[:D]

so i took the mute away this weekend and played au naturale. Jesus, I forgot how responsive my guitar was and how loud!! not sure i feel the benefits. I kind feel a bit shaky and sloppy[&:]



Auda -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 17 2025 15:48:16)

quote:

looks like some smelly old gym socks!


I literally use a "smelly old gym sock" though it has been washed. I have used it extensively in the past and since I slapped on some new strings have recently been playing without it. Typically when I start playing without the sock I find my right hand touch to be lacking. Some fingers play louder than others so I have to work on dynamics and that takes some time. I have also found playing rasq. comes across differently where with a mute I hear the strokes individually, without it they seem to blend more. So that needs some work. So I would say playing extensively with a mute does have its drawbacks.

cheers
Auda



Ricardo -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 17 2025 19:00:38)

I will use the polishing cloth on the road.



devilhand -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 19 2025 21:22:16)

quote:

I cant recall when i last played without it.

I rarely practice with a mute. I believe one should practice without a mute for example when practicing picado. Hearing that bip bip bip sound makes me want to practice more. I could do this for hours. I already feel like I'm mutating into a picado monster.
As for the left hand, again one should practice without a mute, particularly during legato exercises.



Stu -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 20 2025 8:32:36)

quote:

I believe one should practice without a mute for example when practicing picado


[:(]

why do you think that? bip bip bip? id say you get more bip when practicing with a mute.

A picado monster?[8|] if anyone said ....name a player who's a picado monster...one of my answers would not be .."devilhand from the foro"
[:D]

Perhaps you mean a monster like the 'Cookie monster'. ... you like to consume losts of picado practice? as opposed to being a technical monster?

anyways I've been practicing picado with a mute and the benefits are obvious. so I'd suggest you try.

or ... let's pick a picado run. nothing fancy and both record it. and see if my mute practice pales in significance to your non mute practice



gerundino63 -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 20 2025 9:07:18)

In general, it is good to practice with a mute sometimes.
You get no sound reward, so you focus on other things more closely.



devilhand -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 22 2025 9:53:54)

quote:

why do you think that? bip bip bip? id say you get more bip when practicing with a mute.

You get bip bip only when you practice without a mute. The sound must be cut off right away. Think of the movement of i and m fingers as a unit. That's the whole idea behind the bip bip sound or staccato when practicing picado.



Stu -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 24 2025 11:15:42)

perhaps we are talking about different bip bips[:D][&:]

cant be bothered to even try and understand you or convince you.

how do you know so much about everything?



Ricardo -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 24 2025 11:38:12)

quote:

perhaps we are talking about different bip bips


He means you can’t hear the severity of the staccato you are doing with the right hand if you use a mute since the string is “muted” a different way than by playing in strict alternation. He is not wrong, but the point of the artificial mute is to coordinate ALL the techniques into a musically coherent phrasing. Arpegios are a big one that benefits. So those runs that mix picado and arpegios for example are smoothed out. But for entry level players that can’t even ad a rest between the notes of a picado, it is important to make sure that is achieved first by hearing the difference between two notes ringing out vs being squelched by the apoyando preparation.



Stu -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 24 2025 12:01:28)

quote:

since the string is “muted” a different way than by playing in strict alternation

i see, so its already muted by the mute. so the contrast between ringing note and muted isnt as stark with a mute. ok if thats what he means then i agree.



devilhand -> RE: pros and cons of practicing with a mute (Feb. 24 2025 19:05:02)

Yes. Always bip bip. Play quarter notes, 8th notes and 16th notes.

Watch Pepe's advice and combine it with bip bip.




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