Mute (music)

A mute is a device attached to a musical instrument which changes the instrument's tone quality (timbre) or lowers its volume. Mutes are commonly used on string and brass instruments, especially the trumpet and trombone, and are occasionally used on woodwinds. Their effect is mostly intended for artistic use, but they can also allow players to practice discreetly. Muting can also be done by hand, as in the case of palm muting a guitar or grasping a triangle to dampen its sound.

For other uses, see Mute.

Mutes on brass instruments are typically inserted into the flared end of the instrument (bell). They can also be held in front of or clipped onto the bell. Of brass mutes, the "straight mute" is the most common and is frequently used in classical and jazz music, but a wide variety are available. On string instruments of the violin family, mutes are usually attached to the bridge, the piece of wood that supports the strings. Palm muting a guitar involves placing the side of the hand across the strings, and some of them have physical mutes which produce a similar effect. Pianos have a soft pedal and occasionally a practice pedal, which both decrease the instrument's volume.

Capo

Damping (music)

Baines, Anthony (1992). The Oxford companion to musical instruments. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-311334-3.

ISBN

Boyden, David D.; Bevan, Clifford; Page, Janet K. (January 20, 2001). . Grove Music Online. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.19478. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

"Mute"

Bevan, Clifford; Shipton, Alyn (November 9, 2009). . Grove Music Online. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J320300. ISBN 9781561592630. Retrieved September 18, 2020.

"Mute"

Ely, Mark C. (2009). Wind talk for brass: a practical guide to understanding and teaching brass instruments. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-532924-7.

ISBN

Koehler, Elisa (March 1, 2015). Dictionary for the modern trumpet player. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. 978-0-8108-8657-5.

ISBN

Nestico, Sammy (1993). The Complete Arranger. Fenwood Music.

Rossing, Thomas D.; Moore, F. Richard; Wheeler, Paul A. (2002). The Science of Sound (Third ed.). Addison Wesley. pp. 238–239. 978-0-8053-8565-6.

ISBN

Sevsay, Ertuğrul (April 2013). The Cambridge guide to orchestration. New York: Cambridge University Press. 978-1-107-02516-5.