Posted by Lew on May 08, 2001 at 17:06:58:
In Reply to: Yamaha silent brass for tuba...worth it? posted by Bruce Stevens on May 08, 2001 at 16:29:36:
I use a Yamaha silent brass, but only when I have no other choice other than not practicing. It makes the horn very top heavy and stuffy. On the other hand, you do hear what you are playing a lot clearer than on other practice mutes, and it seems to be less stuffy than other practice mutes that I have tried.
Any practice mute is going to make the horn harder to blow because it is essentially closing off the bell. You CAN hurt yourself if you overcompensate and overblow, but as long as you are aware of what you are doing you should be able to prevent this. I would think that the Silent Brass would minimize this tendency, and if you believe that this is a real risk it would certainly seem to be worth the money.