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Buzzing noise after dampening bars

by Milestones | Wed, 06/15/2011 - 15:35

I just started the dampening and pedal book, and while practicing dampening the bars, first playing the note with the right hand, and then dampening with the left hand, I get a stramge bounce/buzz. Anyone else have any issues like this when starting out. Should I get heavier mallets? I'm using the standard mallets that came with my Musser M55, the old Gary Burton model.

thanks,

Dan

by David Friedman | Thu, 06/16/2011 - 03:59

Dampening noise

Hi Dan,

It could be that your mallets are too hard, in which case dampening could be a problem. What's probably happening is, you're striking the bar, lifting the mallet too high and coming down, pressing the mallets into the bar right at the same spot. What helps in the beginning stages of learning how to dampen is: strike the bar, keep the mallet low, just slightly touching the bar, and press into the bar from a spot a little over the node(where the chord goes through the bar.) It sounds complicated but isn't really. It's just a little hard to describe. Strike the bar, with the right hand, for instance, keep the mallet hovering over the bar, slightly touching it, then press into the bar slightly above the node, moving upward on the bar. Then do this with both hands on D and E, for instance. Maybe I'll make a short dampening video this weekend, depending on how much time I have.

Good luck.

by Milestones | Thu, 06/23/2011 - 17:21

Thank you very much for the

Thank you very much for the advise on how to fix my problem.I have been trying it out, but a short video would actually help as I am a pretty visual learner.

by tedwolff | Wed, 06/15/2011 - 22:38

my 2 cents

I've encountered that problem when I don't press in strong and fast with the dampening mallet. You need to be a bit aggressive with the dampening mallet. Look to see if the dampening mallet's shaft bends when you press out a note. Any "buzz" almost instantly disappears and the note is immediately silent.

by tonymiceli | Wed, 06/15/2011 - 16:06

DAVID FRIEDMAN ---- READ THIS

let's get advice from the dampening and pedaling king.