Harmon – brand name (straight mute) – need the wah-wah mute tube in (loudest, wah-wah, 1930’s), extended, removed (cool jazz, 1950’s on)
Plunger- sink (trumpet), toilet (trombone)
Plastic mutes generally aren’t so good – break ,timbre
Hat mute – play ½ in and ½ out to keep timbre and volume
Felt hat – how to make
Normally make an instrument sharp – Hunt says to compensate with embouchure, but, if there is time, it is better to pull the tuning slide
Trumpet can extend 1st and 3rd slides to lower all but open and 2nd valve
Ensemble playing, straight mute is assumed if mute not specified; not true for solos
Stone-lined straight mute for horn, add string for quick mute changes
H.O.B. – hand over bell – too closed will make the horn flat – keep hand cupped, marked: +, o
Sharp mute= corks too low; flat mute= corks too high(also fuzzy low notes)
New mute: insert tightly in ball overnight before adjusting corks
Light mineral oil to renew dry, glazed corks
Horn – stopping mute – transposing –good for low, muted notes & people w/ small hands
Mute Designations
English Italian French German
muted con sordino sourdine mit Dämpfer
take off mutes via sordino enleves les sourdines gedämpft (horns)
Dämpfer weg
without mutes senza sordino sans sourdine ohne Dämpfer
Mute Recommendations
Type Trumpet Horn Trombone
straight metal Stone-Lined metal
Vacchiano Vacchiano
(Leblanc) Jo-ral
Tom Crown Tom Crown
aluminum – lighter sound
brass – darker sound
copper – darkest sound
Jo-Ral
Denis Wick (loud)
TrombCor (in tune!)
cup Stone-Lined Stone-Lined
(Humes & Berg)
TrombCor (adjustable cup)
harmon Harmon
Leblanc
Tom Crown bubble
Jo-Ral
plunger sink toilet
practice mute Yamaha
silent brass
TrombCor