I just discovered something, practicing with a quiet mute I accidentally
left in my earphones. Soft pod type. The sound is really good, I can hear a more accurate and loud tone ‘in my head’, and sense what is going on in the sound production and tension dept as well.

Normally I hate the mute because of the back pressure and lack of juice in the sound, makes practice tedious. This is fab. I can hear Greg’s concert hall better.

It is easier to relax with the better tone, easier to sit back on the note, the mute induces natural strain for me.