Strip muting methods

[Clyde Hollinger]

I remember seeing a "straight thing" for sale at a convention maybe 4-5 years
ago.  It was a fairly rigid and very smooth sheet of something, maybe vinyl,
that may have measured 6" X 15" or so.  After inserting the strip mute above
the dampers in the high treble, you depress the sustain pedal and slide the
tool between the dampers and the strings so you can pull the dampers farther
away while pushing the strip mute down.  The tool is then easily removed
without damaging the damper felts.

I do essentially the same thing with my fingers but only 3-4 dampers at a time
as I push the strip mute down.  I just felt this sheet would be too cumbersome
to carry with me to each tuning, although there may be those who use and like
it.  I haven't seen it for sale lately.

Clyde Hollinger

Kristinn Leifsson wrote:

> Hey Terry,
>
> I know a guy who strip-mutes all the piano.  He puts the strip in and
> presses it down below the dampers with a special "straight thing" so they
> don´t get in the way.  He claims it to very efficient.  You might even be
> able to get it past the dampers by just pressing the pedal and manuevering
> it down.  Could be done.
>
> Kristinn Leifsson
> Reykjavík, Iceland
>
> At 16:04 15.2.2000 -0800, you wrote:
> >Hi all,
> >
> >I visited Radio Shack with hopes of findinf a "ready made" swithch that
> would work for my SAT, but no luck...gotta "do-it-yourself" with solder and
> wires and stuff...in the words of Former President Bush: "NA GANNA DO IT!"
> So, I guess I'll just order a foot switch from Sanderson.
> >
> >Ok...now about strip muting. I know there are lots of methods out there,
> but I am trying to improve my speed and efficiency in the process. I get
> hung up when on the way back down, the hi treble dampers get in the way of
> the mute strip as i pull it little by little to tune each outside
> string...so I usually just take it out completely in this area, (being
> careful, having pushed the felt down between the dampers and the strings)
> and use a wedge, although it's more time consuming. I'd be interested in
> hearing any time saving tips on strip muting, (I know techniques were
> discussed in a recent thread) and I usually do not strip out the bichord
> unisons; I still get a bit confused when I try strip muting them, and it
> slows me down too much. .I tune these using a felt wedge...it goes pretty
> fast.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >Terry Peterson
> >
> >
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