All About Mutes

There are many mutes on the market for the trumpet, but what do they all do? Which ones would I recommend? Keep reading to find out.

The Practice Mute
This particular type of mute is perfect for those who live in an apartment or a busy household, allowing you to practice with minimal sound. A quieter sound is produced because there is much less air escaping from the end of the trumpet. If you take a look at any practice mute you will see that although it looks very much like a straight mute, it fits much more snug into the bell and has a very small hole for the air to escape through.

There are some benefits to practicing with a practice mute. Blowing the trumpet with a practice mute in causes a lot of resistance because you're trying to force the air through a much smaller hole. This in some ways is beneficial for your lips, however it is always important to practice without a mute whenever you can in order for you to properly hear yourself play.

Yamaha produce a 'Silent Brass' system which allows you to hear yourself play through headphones while keeping the trumpet's sound to a minimal. Although expensive, its definitely something to look into if you need to practice quietly.

I own the 'Wallace Studio Practice Mute' which I highly recommend. It has adjustable resistance and is also available in an even more compact version. Another popular straight mute is the 'Denis Wick Practice Mute' a much more affordable option and loved by many trumpet players.

The Straight Mute
This is probably the most frequently used mute and a necessity for every trumpet player. The straight mute gives the trumpet a brighter, more piercing tone. There are lots of different types of straight mutes available. The best thing to do is to go to a music store and try out several different types of straight mute to find the one you like the best. There's no reason why you can only have one too!

A popular choice has to be the 'Denis Wick Straight Mute'. As well as this particular one I have a Humes and Berg fibre straight mute which has a wooden base and a Humes and Berg copper bottom symphonic straight mute.

The Cup Mute
A cup mute gives the trumpet a much more soft tone and is, my opinion, another essential mute to have. Many come with an adjustable cup to enable you to change the sound quality as required.

A popular choice is the 'Denis Wick Cup Mute'. This is a great all round cup mute and can also be used as a straight mute because the cup part can be removed. As well as this particular mute, I like to use the 'Humes and Berg Stonelined Cup Mute'.

The Harmon/Wah-Wah Mute
This mute is most commonly used in jazz music. It has a distinctive tinny 'buzz' sound. You can change the sound of the mute by removing the stem giving it a much darker tone.

I would recommend the 'Denis Wick Extending-Tube Mute'.

The Plunger Mute
This is a fun mute. With this mute you can 'make your trumpet talk' by moving the plunger over the bell and away again.

I own the 'P&H Plunger Mute' though for a budget option you can use a sink plunger from your local hardware store - just remove the handle.

Corks
When you buy a new mute it will have more cork than is needed. You want each mute to fit snuggly in your bell and to do this you will need to file them down. Do this slowly, taking a small amount off every time to ensure you don't go too far.

Read a post on replacing corks here

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A Closer Look: Fusion Urban Trumpet Gig Bag

Fusion Gig Bags are a range of British-designed instrument cases for a wide range of different instruments. Many of their cases allow for 'fuse-on' attachment bags which can be used to carry mutes, accessories and even laptops. I recently got my hands on the Urban Trumpet gig bag and it has quickly become my favourite.

The bag is very lightweight, which makes it perfect for travelling, but still offers good protection. The trumpet itself can be strapped in to stop movement and an additional 'Trumpet Sleeve' can be purchased to further its protection.

The back straps are very comfortable and can be hidden away neatly if not needed. The handles on the case are very sturdy and the case also has a reinforced base which makes the bag able to stand upright without any trouble.

There are two external pockets on that case the first of which offers a velcro pocket for 3 mouthpieces and room to store A4 sized music. The second contains lots of different sized pockets for storage of accessories and even features a clip for your keys.

The lower pocket has several internal storage pockets

Well padded mouthpiece storage in the upper pocket

A great feature of this bag is that you can easily attach a 'Fuse-on bag' that allows for storage of mutes etc. These are available in three different sizes - I have the small.  The fuse-on bag is also very well padded and has backpack straps that can be folded away. The bag attaches to the case by four velcro straps.

The small 'Fuse-On' bag

It has a large internal pocket and a smaller external pocket. I can fit 4-5 mutes in the small bag.

'Fuse-On' bag's external pocket for accessories

Overall a brilliant gig bag with great all round protection and perfect for any traveling trumpet player. Check out Fusion's website for their full range of gig bags and accessories. Their level of service is also second to none.

#trumpetproblems

1. Valve Oil Getting Everywhere.

2. Constant need for Chapstick.

4. Having to count bars and bars of rests. 

5. Having to deal with the huge egos in your section.

6. Fellow musicians moaning about how loud the trumpets are.

7. Knowing that you should wash your instrument but not wanting to find out what's lurking in the lead pipe.

8. Running out of valve oil when you need it most. (@my_dedication_ on Twitter)

9. When you're so tired that you can't even form a decent embouchure (@trump_master on Twitter) 

10. The lengthy process of taking the valves out to oil and then screwing them back in. (@my_dedication_ on Twitter)

11. The annoyance of putting a valve back in the wrong way. (@weird_trumpet on Twitter)

12. That sound when you haven't emptied the spit. (@my_dedication_ on Twitter)

13. Just anything to do with spit.

14. Having to switch between different brass instruments. (@ShyBandie on Twitter)


Have another #trumpet problem? leave a comment below, Tweet me (@trumpetplayer1) or message me on Facebook and I might add it to this post.

A Closer Look: Protec Trumpet Mute Bag

My mute collection had grown over the past few months and I needed something suitable to store and transport them in. I had a look on the internet and found a few options, the only problem is I didn't know how big they were and how many mutes I would fit in them. I came across Protec and found two options:

I decided to take a chance and go with the smaller one (M400) mainly because of the price.

I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived, it is a lot bigger than I was expecting and is able to hold all of my mutes. It is also lightweight and well padded.

The bag is large enough to fit at most 5 or 6 mutes (if you stack them right!) but is perfect to take the essentials with you. The shoulder strap is detachable and there is also a clip on the back which allows you to fit it onto any gig bag.

The divider inside is adjustable to allow separation of mutes and can also be removed completely. Overall a good buy!

This particular bag has been recently updated, with the addition of an external pocket. Have a look at here.

A Closer Look: Protec iPac Double Trumpet Case

After trawling the internet for a new trumpet case, I came across the Protec iPac range. These cases are available double and triple versions with or without wheels. They contain removable velcro blocks that allow you to create the prefect fit for your trumpets and accessories.

I chose the double case so that I was able to carry my Bb trumpet and mutes or Bb and Eb trumpets.

Space for two trumpets or trumpet and mutes

Removable velcro blocks help you create the perfect fit

The case itself is very well made with a nylon exterior, outside pocket with organiser and comfortable shoulder strap. It is also possible to attach protect backpack straps to the case (at an extra cost) however I found the case too bulky to go on my back.

Comfortable Shoulder Strap

Sturdy Handle and Strap Clip on Side of Case

Interior Storage Pockets

The outside pocket is large enough to hold a couple of mutes and contains a small inside pocket that although small, is just large enough to hold valve oil and slide grease as well as some pencils. Unfortunately this pocket is not big enough to hold any music unless you want to leave the pocket unzipped.

The case also comes with two removable velcro double mouthpiece pouches that will stick to the roof of the case.

This is a good choice if you are looking for a protective double trumpet case at a slightly lower cost than other brands. The downsides are that the case is quite heavy, even before there are any trumpets in it but it will certainly protect your trumpets from any bumps!

See the full Protec iPac range here.