in 1637 Mutes are widely used on
brass instruments to alter their timbre. They are often directly inserted into the instrument's bell, but can also be clipped or held onto the end of the bell. Mutes of various types are available in many sizes for all brass instruments, including the
tuba;
trumpet and
trombone players have the widest selection of mutes. They are made of a variety of materials, including fiber, plastic, cardboard, and metal (usually aluminum, brass, or copper). In general, mutes soften the lower frequencies of the sound because they nearly close the bell, but accentuate higher ones due to resonances within the mute. Stoppers for
natural trumpets (the predecessor of the modern valved trumpet) were found in the tomb of
King Tutankhamun dating to around 1300 BC, but they were most likely for protecting the instrument from moisture or damage during transport. The earliest known mention of trumpet mutes dates to a 1511 account of a carnival in
Florence.
Claudio Monteverdi's 1607 opera ''
L'Orfeo'' opens with a muted trumpet ensemble, which musicologist
Wolfgang Osthoff suggests is because the piece was first performed in a small, intimate chamber. These early mutes, known as Baroque mutes, were fashioned from wood and had a hole in the center to permit airflow. They raised the pitch by a semitone or more when inserted, which could be corrected by adding a piece of tubing of appropriate length, known as a crook. Besides musical use, Baroque mutes were used for secret military retreat, funerals, and practice. The modern straight mute was in widespread use by 1897, being used on tubas in
Richard Strauss's
Don Quixote. Until the 20th century it was the only mute commonly used in orchestras, but new mutes were eventually invented to create novel, unique timbres, largely for the works of jazz composers.
Straight The straight mute is roughly a truncated cone closed at the end facing outwards from the instrument, with three cork pads at the neck to allow sound to escape through the space between the bell and the mute. The mute acts as a
high-pass filter. In trumpets, it lets through frequencies above about 1800 Hz, producing a shrill, piercing sound that can be penetrating at high volumes. Straight mutes made of materials like plastic or fiberglass are generally darker and less forceful in sound than their metal (usually aluminum) counterparts. The straight mute is among the few that can be played at a true
forte dynamic. The most commonly used brass mute in classical music, straight mutes for trumpet (and sometimes
trombone) are also used in jazz. It is the only type of tuba mute regularly used and is available for all brass instruments. In classical music, when the mute type is not specified, it is assumed that the player should use a straight mute. Sammy Nestico wrote that straight mutes can "shade and soften vocal backgrounds", but opined that they were "a bit harsh". The pixie mute is a thinner straight mute inserted further into the bell, and is most commonly used along with a plunger for special effects. The name is trademarked by the Humes & Berg Company, but is widely used to refer to similar mutes from other makers.
Cup The cup mute is similar to a straight mute, but includes an extra inverted cone on the end opening towards the bell of the instrument. Mostly used in jazz and on trumpet or trombone, it has a more subdued and darker tone than the straight mute. The cup mute in trumpets acts as a
band-pass filter, permitting frequencies between 800 and 1200 Hz. The distance between the cup and the end of the bell is adjustable in some cup mutes: a
half-closed mute permits more air to escape and thus more volume, while a
fully-closed mute produces a quiet tone and is therefore mostly used soloistically. Variants of the cup mute include the mic-a-mute and the buzz-wow mute. The mic-a-mute, so named because it is usually played close to a microphone, has a rubber rim on the cup and felt lining on the inside, creating a richer sound. The buzz-wow mute has resonators on the end which produce a buzzing effect, similar to a kazoo.
Harmon The harmon mute, also known as the wa-wa, wow-wow, or wah-wah mute, is available for trumpet and trombone and is mainly used in jazz. Unlike the cup and straight mutes, it has a cork that completely blocks airflow around the mute. Instead, air must go into the harmon mute's chamber and escape out a hole, which protrudes into the mute. A "stem" (a tube with a small cup) may be inserted into the mute, which changes the instrument's sound and path of airflow. The mute is made of metal (usually aluminum or copper) and has a cylindrical or bulbous shape; mutes of the latter type are sometimes called "bubble mutes". Depending on the stem's presence and position, the mute has a variety of sounds. In trumpets, the mute without a stem ("stem out") acts as a band-pass filter permitting frequencies between 1500 and 2000 Hz, making a subdued, distant sound. Playing with the stem fully inserted ("stem in") produces a unique, penetrating sound, while playing with the stem halfway out ("half-stem") has characteristics of both "stem in" and "stem out" playing. Players can also move their hand in front of the mute to produce a "wa-wa" effect by alternately closing and opening the bell. An early version of the harmon mute was patented by John F. Stratton in 1865, and the mute in its modern form was patented in 1925 by George Schluesselburg. The name derives from
Patrick T. "Paddy" Harmon, who financed Schluesselburg and was assigned half of the interest of Schluesselburg's patent. Harmon's interest in the mute came from his hiring black jazz bands—whose trumpeters sometimes used a predecessor of the mute—to play at his Arcadia and Dreamland ballrooms in
Chicago. The harmon mute was originally always played with stem inserted. In 1946, jazz trumpeter
Miles Davis pioneered the usage of the mute with stem removed, which became part of his trademark sound. Some trumpeters believe that dents on the mute's chamber improve sound and
intonation. An acoustical study at the University of Puget Sound found that large dents led to a "weaker" tone and a degradation in tone quality, while small dents could improve tone and amplify the sound.
Stopping French horn players can use standard mutes, but often use their hand to mute the sound, a technique known as
stopping. By inserting their hand fully into the instrument, airflow is limited, producing a quiet and nasal sound. The shortening of the air column raises the pitch by approximately one
semitone, so the player must adjust by playing a semitone lower. The technique was developed and popularized by
Anton Joseph Hampel in the mid-18th century. He also invented physical stop mutes for the French horn, which now come in both transposing and non-transposing variants; the latter does not require the player to change their fingerings as they would when hand-stopping.
Other Solotone The solotone mute consists of two telescoping cones and a small tube in the center, all made of cardboard. It is structurally similar to a harmon mute, but has a cardboard tube in the middle. It has a more intense sound than the harmon mute and has a characteristic "megaphone-like" quality. Other names for the mute include the Cleartone mute,
doppio sordino, double mute, and Mega mute. An example of the mute's use in classical music is in
Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2, composed in 1937–1938.
Bucket The bucket mute, also known as the velvetone or velvet-tone, resembles a bucket attached to the outside of the bell. The mute is filled with absorbent material which dampens the sound, resulting in a "covered" sound similar to that of a French horn. The mute can be clipped to the rim of the bell, but a model manufactured by Jo-Ral Mutes is instead inserted into the bell. Originating with early jazz trumpeters who held empty
lard cans in front of their instruments, the first bucket mute was made by William McArthur in 1922.
Plunger The
plunger is held in front of the bell. It can be held stationary, which produces a dull tone, but can also be moved, producing various sound effects. Skillful usage can produce speech-like sounds, and short, loud notes while holding the plunger close to the bell produce "exploding" tones. The plunger is often used in conjunction with growling or with a straight mute (or both). Trumpeters and trombonists typically use the head of a sink plunger and toilet plunger respectively, but metal plunger mutes are also produced commercially. If a household plunger is used, some players recommend drilling a hole in the middle of it to adjust the sound, though this practice is controversial.
Derby (hat) The derby or hat is a
bowler hat or similarly shaped object held in front of the bell, like the plunger. Alternatively, it can be attached to a player's music stand and the trumpet pointed into it. Its larger depth means that it does not distort the trumpet's sound, but does reduce its volume. A similar effect can also be achieved with a piece of felt or thick cloth that covers the bell.
Whispa and practice mutes The softest mute intended for musical use, the whispa or whisper mute traps sound in a chamber filled with absorbent material, and only a small amount is allowed to escape through small holes on the chamber. The mute is difficult to play, especially in the upper register. Practice mutes, available for most brass instruments, can be used during practice to prevent bothering others; whispa mutes can also be used as practice mutes. Electronic systems also exist that allow players to hear themselves through earphones. == Woodwinds ==