Heavy Rubber Practice Mute for Viola

My parents are currently working from home, so I had less time to practice during the summer than I usually would’ve. I bought this mute about 2 months ago and it significantly dampness and mellows the sound (although not as much as better/more expensive mutes I’ve tried in class). The A string still rings a little sharper/louder than the rest, and I think that’s due to it hugging the outer strings a little awkwardly. For reference, I have a 16” and practice in an upstairs room while my parents work downstairs, and they can’t even hear me. This will definitely be useful when school starts again, as I will be participating online.

This mute works even better than I imagined - I've used a variety of practice mutes over the years, though this one takes the cake. It's heft and size ensures a secure fit (16.5" viola) and dramatic 'dampening' of sound. The quality is still quite good - the warmth is there, resonance even and clarity for intonation. With two roommates and the recent COVID-19 pandemic (meaning we are all at home) it has given me all the more confidence to strum away at nearly all hours of the day (and sometimes later at night lol). I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MUTE!

I purchased this mute in order to practice viola in a small apartment with thin walls. The mute is slightly too small for the bridge on my 16" viola, but it still stays on. It just doesn't slide down as much as it's supposed to. The mute works very well to make my instrument much quieter. Normally, due to the strings I use with the peculiarities of my instrument, my viola is extremely loud. The sound is reduced dramatically when I play with this mute on, and the nuances of my tone are only dampened slightly. Although there may be mutes out there that preserve more tone, you can't beat this mute for the price.

I was really disappointed by this mute. It does not fit the bridge on my viola, and it is also very stiff and not pliable enough to really be used considering the poor fit. When I force it onto the bridge it's still about 1cm from the strings. I have a violin mute that fits my violin perfectly so I know how a mute is supposed to fit--the violin mute is very flexible rubber and I have been using it on my viola until I bought this mute. That violin mute, although it does not fit the viola bridge, can be pushed down into a better fit and I do not feel that it is so stiff that it is going to damage the instrument when I put it on. I'm giving 2 stars because if this mute fits your bridge then it is probably okay. However, it does not fit every instrument--and if it doesn't fit, the stiffness of the rubber makes it basically useless.

Works great on my 14” viola. Makes it soooooo much easier to practice when I don’t want to disturb my family.

being a student a high school, i get pretty nervous about playing in front of my family. i tried to find something that would make it easier for me to play in public and at home and not feel like im being overpowering with the sound. this is exactly what i needed to be able to practice at home and not feel like im making extra noise around the house!! it does what it says it will do, and i would definitely recommend it to anyone who doesnt want the sound of their viola to be heard and make it an open target for viola jokes hahaha and on top of that, it shipped really fast!! i ordered it on 3/22, and it came in today when amazon says it wont even be delivered til the 28th at the earliest!! talk about fast! this is exactly what i needed and im very happy to own it!

I bought it for my brother, and his comments are as follows:“Easy to use and it works”

Yep, it makes things quieter! My spouse thought it was about 2/3 reduction in sound, which lines up close to the 70% a previous poster said. It definitely muddies the sound, but that's to be expected when you cover the bridge in rubber I guess! This makes practice during my kids' naps and bedtimes possible (and therefore, makes practicing possible!) Great little product.My one complaint... it can be a bit tight to get on, I have to be very careful not to press down on the bridge when I'm putting it on. Also, I live in constant dread that I'm going to forget it's on when I put my viola away, but that's clearly not the mute's fault.