Trumpet players always like mutes, as well as other gadgets. It’s always interesting to experiment with the different sounds you can produce. There are so many mutes on the market, it’s hard to keep them straight.
When all is said and done, you will need three basic mutes…a straight mute, a cup mute, and a Harmon-style or Wah-Wah mute. The Harmon style mute is the one that is the most fun. If you are really into trumpet accessories, you can collect mutes for the rest of your life and never be finished. Every year, manufacturers come out with new brands and varieties.
The first category is straight mutes. These are the basic mute used in trumpet playing the most often, and usually should be the first mute you purchase. If the music says “muted” or “con sordino”, it means with a straight mute. Many parents will go and purchase the cheapest mute they can find. That’s usually the red and white Humes and Berg “Stonelined” mute. This is not a bad mute for some circumstances, but for most applications, you want a metal mute.
Whatever mute you decide to get, you want to try and match the rest of your section because they all sound different. The standard for many years has been the Tom Crown, all aluminum, straight mute. They also have them with brass and copper bottom halves, and all copper or brass. Jo-Ral also makes a good straight mute. They also offer the options of brass or copper bottom halves. I like these mutes better than the Tom Crown, and they are a little more expensive. But, my favorite straight mute for most situations is the Dennis Wick, all aluminum straight mute. They also have a couple of new ones with brass and copper bottom halves. A Dennis Wick with the Brass Bottom will probably be my next mute purchase, but the all-aluminum one will still remain my primary straight mute.
Next, we have cup mutes. The two favorites of most players are the Humes and Berg Stonelined Cup mute and the Dennis Wick Adjustable Cup mute. The cup portion of the Dennis Wick slides back and forth to adjust the volume and the sound. There are others, but these are the two most popular. If price is an issue, buy the Humes and Berg. If you can afford it, buy the Dennis Wick.
Next, we have the Harmon, or Wah-Wah Style mute. I’ve also seen them called the Wow-Wow, and Jo-Ral calls theirs a Bubble Mute. The Harmon Brand mute is the one that started it all. In fact, regardless of the brand, they are usually called a Harmon Mute. The Harmon Brand is still a good mute, but most professional players play others.
My favorite is the Emo brand mute, but to the best of my knowledge, they are not available right now. They have been in and out of production through the years. If you find one, buy it fast. I have an aluminum one, but they used to make copper ones as well. I saw one listed for sale online, and I didn’t purchase it then. When I returned later, they didn’t carry them anymore. They come with a foam rubber “cork” that holds it in the trumpet bell. Do yourself a favor and throw the foam one away and make one yourself out of cork from a hobby store. I just glue it on with contact cement.
The Jo-Ral Bubble Mute is pretty much the standard today among the best players. I have both the aluminum and copper versions. You’ll probably need to purchase the aluminum one to match the rest of your section, but for solos try a copper one. You’ll like it.
A plunger is another one to keep handy if you play in jazz band. You can purchase one made for trumpet playing, but I just use a normal sink plunger with the handle removed. A sink plunger is smaller than a regular toilet plunger and it works better for the trumpet. Save the toilet ones for the trombone players.
The last category of mutes I think a trumpet player should always have is a practice mute. WIth a good one, you can practice in a hotel room at 3:00am and disturb noone. There are numerous ones on the market. The Shastock Whispa Mute was one of the only available ones for a long time, and it’s still a good one. Dennis WIck makes an aluminum one, and it’s good also. The really interesting one though is Yamaha’s Silent Brass. If you haven’t played with one of these, try one. They are a lot of fun. You have a mute tied to a small piece of electronic equipment that you plug headphones into. The price is really reasonable, and they work well. Practice mutes are a great thing to have, but they are not something that you should use all the time. The back-pressure is different than an open trumpet, and prolonged use could cause problems with your playing.
There are many others, so have fun experimenting with them. A professional trumpet player will have numerous mutes to choose from. I keep five or six different mutes with my trumpet most of the time.
If you’re looking for mutes not listed below, just click on the link at the bottom of the page for Musician’s Friend. They have almost every mute available today at the best prices.