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: 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.

Putting New Corks Onto a Mute

To repair your mute you will need:

• Corks
• Sandpaper/nail file
• Strong glue
• A Rubber band

I used Humes and Berg corks specifically for my mute. I bought these from amazon for around £4. I'm sure it is also possible to make your own corks from wine bottle corks or a cork board, if you want to save a little bit of money.

The glue I used was Bostik Glu and Fix all purpose extra strong glue. It worked very well.

Steps:

1. Make sure all of the old cork is taken off so that you have a clean and smooth surface to work this. I used sandpaper to take the remains of the cork off and this did not damage the mute.

2. Place a small amount of glue onto your cork.

3. Press the cork onto the mute firmly. Then place a rubber band around the corks to hold in place. Try to avoid moving the cork around too much once it is on the mute.

4. Place on a radiator to dry. Do not use the mute until the glue is thoroughly dry.

The glue I used did not take long to dry at all however I would recommend leaving overnight if possible before using the mute.

Your cork may also need filling down to ensure that it has the perfect fit inside your instrument.