Harmon WOW-WOW Trumpet Mute

Product Information

Mutes come in all different shapes and sizes, and they can drastically change the sound of the trumpet to help spice up the sound of some music pieces. You might consider investing in a trombone mute to quiet your sound if you are a beginner. Beginners are usually practicing at home, and your neighbors will thank you for the minimal investment you make. Intermediate Musicians

The most common mute for a trumpet is called a “straight” mute. It’s a closed cone with three cork strips on the end that goes into your bell. The cork strips do two things. First, it’s what holds the mute in the bell. The second, and most important thing, is that it gives some of your sound a way to go around the mute. A “straight” mute has a hold on the top that goes into your bell and is closed at the bottom. This combination of “muted” and unmuted change the way you sound altogether. There are exceptions to this like the Harmon mute that has cork that seals your bell which forces all the sound to go into the mute. Harmon mutes cause a metallic, muted sound that can be changed by removing the stem. When inserted, the stem will exacerbate the metallic, penetrating sound of the mute, while playing without the stem will cause the sound to be more subdued. Cwik, Greg; Marchese, David. "Understanding Miles Davis, in 9 Parts". Vulture . Retrieved 13 September 2020. Rossing, Thomas D.; Moore, F. Richard; Wheeler, Paul A. (2002). The Science of Sound (Thirded.). Addison Wesley. pp.238–239. ISBN 978-0-8053-8565-6.Canton, Sabien; Overlach, Miriam. "Muffling" (PDF). Composing for Harp . Retrieved 14 September 2020.

Price, Huw (7 December 2016). "Vintage Bench Test: 1966 Fender Jaguar". Guitar.com . Retrieved 14 September 2020. 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. [22] Mostly used in jazz and on trumpet or trombone, it has a more subdued and darker tone than the straight mute. [29] [30] The cup mute in trumpets acts as a band-pass filter, permitting frequencies between 800 and 1200Hz. [22] 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. [29] Trumpets aren’t the only instrument that uses mutes to soften or change their sound, either. Tubas and trombones can use mutes, and there are even mutes for woodwind instruments, though mutes are most prevalent in brass instruments. As a result, there are actually lots of different types of trumpet mutes and it can be a bit confusing to decide which one you need. A straight mute is a cone-shaped mute that is usually made from different metals like aluminum or copper, fiber, or stone-lined cardboard. It is held into place by three small wings of cork on the thinner end of the mute, which is the end that is inserted. Cup MutePlunger Mute Held to the instrument by the player as unlike the previously mentioned variations this mute has no cork. Similarly to the above mentioned Harmon this mute also makes a wa-wa but on a much grander scale. In music it is notated as to how to use the plunger. O for open and + for closed. Wagner, Joseph (1959). Orchestration: a practical handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill. p.49. ISBN 978-0-07-067655-8. USexpired 4773296A,Terence R. Bech,"Magnetic mute system for violin family music instruments",published 1988-09-27,issued 1988-09-27 ProTec constructed this practice mute with high-quality spun aluminum and a long-lasting cork. Its simple materials allow this tool to be value-priced.

The harmon mute allows trumpet players to play with a variety of different sounds. They could play with the stem entirely out of the mute, pushed all the way into the base of the mute, or somewhere in between. This stem position can drastically change the timbre of the sound. Jazz trumpet players like Miles Davis often preferred to play with the stem completely out of the harmon mute.Flugelhorns are never really asked to play with mutes. Flugel mutes do exist but it seems like some kind of blasphemy to alter the mellow, rich sound of the flugel in that way. Even pros won’t be expected to have a vast array of flugel mutes. The most common materials that a cup mute can be made from are stone-lined cardboard and aluminum, though it isn’t uncommon to see copper cup mutes, too.

Whether you are a novice player in search of your first mute, or a seasoned professional looking to enhance your accessory collection, there is a brand for you. Bach is one of the most popular mute brands as well as one of the most popular trumpet brands. Pairing a Bach mute with a Bach trumpet is a great way to ensure a seamless fit and compatibility. Bach mutes come in a range of quality and therefore prices, making them good fits for intermediate through professional trumpeters. If a muted passage goes on for a long time, changes dynamic/style drastically or it looks like the passage should be open, I sometimes use ‘always muted’ or something like ‘always cups’ etc. to save a question of asking if it should be open or not. Generally made from metal or fiber/cardboard, the straight mute is one of the most common trumpet mutes used for both classical and jazz music. The metal straight mute has a characteristic nasally sound. Straight mutes are often used in lyrical solos. The straight mute is pictured at the top of this post.

Harmon / Wawa

Yep, the last one makes more sense for our discussion.A mute for a trumpet (or cornet and less so for the flugelhorn) does just that, it softens the sound coming out of your horn.The primary reason they are used however is to alter or change the “color” of your sound for a passage of music or song. The sound can be just made a bit softer. Mutes have been around a long time. They moved from classical to contemporary music with their use in jazz music with the popularity of players like Miles Davis. Armstrong, Zachary T. "The Acoustics of Harmon Mutes". Sound Ideas: University of Puget Sound . Retrieved 13 September 2020. In addition, a custom sized Polycarbonate stem accompanies the trumpet wah wah mute, to allow for the the “wah-wah” effect. This stem will only work with Soulo Mutes! While Harmon mutes are sometimes seen in orchestral pieces, they are most commonly used for jazz. Most people will recognize the Harmon mute from the wah-wah effect that can be caused by covering and uncovering the hole on the mute with your hand. Plunger Mute Many trumpet players love the Faxx Harmon mute, mentioning that it offers a free and easy blowing sound. Although it might not mute as much of your sound as other brands, this Harmon mute does provide a distinctive tone color.