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Saturday 4 August 2007

Where to find a double bass practice mute in Singapore?

Double bass with a practice mute placed onto its bridge.
The practice mute dampens the sound of the double bass.


In Singapore, the majority of the people are flat-dwellers who live in fairly close proximity to one another. As such, a practice mute can be a useful accessory for a double bass player in Singapore to have. It can help a double bass player play on his/her instrument with minimal noise-production even during the wee hours of the night. Of course, the neighbours must not have very low tolerance level for the sound of the double bass.

Admittedly, I do not particularly like playing using a practice mute. When a practice mute is placed on the double bass, the instrument would sound muted and fairly nasal when played. Yet, a practice mute can be one of the most neighbour-friendly and useful items to have if one were required to practise on the double bass during the wee hours of the night.

For those who need the information on where to find and purchase a double bass practice mute in Singapore, here is a listing of the shops that sell double bass practice mute:

Synwin Enterprises
845 Geylang Rd, #03-01 Tg Katong Complex, Singapore 400845
Tel: 6743 7865
Fax: 6743 4862
Website: www.synwin.com.sg
Email: reubennsons@synwin.com.sg

Frank Brothers Violins
1 Esplanade Drive, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, #02-08 Esplanade Mall, Singapore 038981
Tel: 6883 2581
Website: www.frankbrosmusic.com

Gramercy Music (S) Pte Ltd
293 Tg Katong Rd, Singapore 437076.
Tel: 6345 3815
Fax: 6440 4513

Please take note that the above-listing may not be comprehensive as it is based solely on my own personal experience. Please do call the shops in advance to check on the availability of the practice mute.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are so right. I still remember the days I brought home my clarinet and saxaphones... geezzzz, there isn't a jute for them at all. To practice at home is literally impossible even during day time.

I'm closed to being convinced, unless we are staying in landed property otherwise no musical instruments.

Renhao said...

Lol endoh. I used to play the trumpet.

There was a volume mute for it. But it created so much resistance for my poor cheeks that I just gave up bringing my trumpet home after awhile.

oceanskies79 said...

Hi Endoh: It pleases me whenever I walk past a block of flats to hear someone practising on a musical instruments. It makes the HDB estate feel more cultured.

Is there a kind of volume mute or practice mute for the clarinet or saxaphone?

oceanskies79 said...

Farinelli: I did not realise that volume mute could create resistance for the cheeks until your post. It probably does, because when I put on the practice mute on the double bass, I could feel that the strings do not vibrate as much as when there is no mute on.

Anonymous said...

Not that I know of... I haven't seen any mutes for clarinets at all. Moreover, given the small room size, the sound get amplified. I didn't bother to soundproof my room until now, but only the wall that my monitor speakers are facing has a light carpet hanging down from the ceiling aka curtain style. Absorbs the sound instead of getting feedbacks reflected from the wall but does little to mute the room.

oceanskies79 said...

Hi Et: Maybe HDB sound consider using sound-proof materials? That may be a blessing for people who play a musical instruments. *winks*