As a trumpeter – whether you are a beginner or already a professional – you need the proper tools and gears to let you have a better performance. Should you be practicing or performing on stage, one of the best gears that you should have is the trumpet mute. It is then crucial that you find yourself the best trumpet mutes to help you improve your performance with your trumpets.
Trumpet mutes come in various styles and brands. Because of this, it can be quite difficult to choose the ideal one. In addition to this, choosing the right product might be a daunting task especially if you do not have enough knowledge on what to look for in an ideal trumpet mute. Do not worry, though. In this article, we have curated ten of the trumpet mutes on the market. We have even highlighted each of their distinct characteristics, making it more convenient for you to choose your ideal product.
Best Trumpet Mutes
In order to guide you further in looking for the best trumpet mutes, we have curated a list of options for you to choose from. Below, we will discuss the different features that you can find in each of the trumpet mutes. By doing so, it will be easier for you to decide on the ideal trumpet mute that is based on your preference. Look out for each of their distinct characteristics and compare them with each other. This will help you narrow down your choices better.
1. Pro Tec Liberty Mutes – ML100 Straight Trumpet Mute
Kicking off our list of the best trumpet mutes is the Pro Tec Liberty Mutes – ML100 Straight Trumpet Mute. This trumpet mute is noted for its excellent value, its rich tone, and its durable quality. It is made of aluminum, so you are ensured of a strong and long-lasting product. You may choose from an all-aluminum product. However, you can also pick other materials such as a brass bottom and a copper bottom, among others.
2. Denis Wick DW5531 Adjustable Cup Trumpet Mute
We also think that the Denis Wick DW5531 Adjustable Cup Trumpet Mute is also a good option for you. This mute is noted for its sound quality, superb workmanship, and intonation in all dynamic ranges. It gives a clear sound quality for a microphone, section, or solo playing. Hence, you can easily obtain lower register notes. The position of the cup is adjustable, by the way.
3. Harmon B Bow Wow Trumpet Mute
The Harmon B Bow Wow Trumpet Mute is another option to choose from. This is a trumpet mute that is made entirely of aluminum. Because of its construction, it is a great choice for jazz and concert bands. Since leading players in the music industry have been used for many years, you are ensured that this product is of great quality. We recommend that you try it out.
4. LotFancy Practice Mute Trumpet Mute
The LotFancy Practice Mute Trumpet Mute is made of high-purity spun aluminum. It features superb workmanship so you are ensured that it does not get destroyed easily. It also has premium neoprene-enhanced composite cork pads, making this mute long-lasting. This trumpet mute has been designed to perform evenly in all registers. It produces the type of sound that you can consider the standard in cup mutes. Since this is aluminum, it is able to produce a distinctive muted sound throughout the natural range of the instrument.
5. Yamaha SB7Xc Silent Brass System for Trumpet
This Yamaha trumpet mute is the perfect practice mute. With the included headphones, you can hear what you play while your roommates or family only hear a whisper. This newer Yamaha model fixes the flaws of the previous models and is all around a great practice mute.
6. ZJTL Trumpet Mute
The ZJTL Trumpet Mute allows players to practice almost anywhere they decide to practice at. It features a small amount of backpressure compared to other practice trumpet mutes. It remains in tune and accurate throughout the entire range of the performance. This trumpet mute is made from lightweight yet hard-wearing ABS plastic. It is ideal for warm-ups before you go on stage.
7. Humes & Berg Trumpet Straight Mute
The Humes & Berg Trumpet Straight Mute is another good option to choose from. It is stone-lined, making it easy to blow in all registers. This mute is an excellent favorite with symphony and jazz bands. We think this is one of the best trumpet mutes because of its outstanding intonation and tone quality.
8. Humes & Berg Trumpet Cup Mute
The Humes & Berg Trumpet Cup Mute lets you have a free easy-blowing experience in all registers available. It features an excellent intonation for solo or section work. With this mute, you will surely experience a command performance. It is stone-lined, allowing you to produce outstanding various tonal colors.
9. Jo Ral TPT-2A Trumpet Mute
The Jo Ral TPT-2A Trumpet Mute produces a distinctive sound with a louder buzz factor, making it exciting for jazz musicians. It also creates an exciting tonal quality that results in excellent intonation. This mute is crafted from aluminum, giving you a brighter tone. It has been designed to perform evenly in all registers. You can find distinctive cork pads and felt caps which prevent scratching.
10. Bach 1860 Trumpet Straight Mute
Completing our list is the Bach 1860 Trumpet Straight Mute. This is a durable and affordable trumpet mute that is made of economical polyethylene. The indestructible polyethylene does not dent, so you can be sure that it will last a long time. This mute is lightweight, making it an ideal choice for practicing. It has been designed with attention to quality, precise acoustic detail, and superior performance.’
What to Look for in Trumpet Mutes
Because we are looking for the best trumpet mutes, we have to look at each of their ideal features first. Knowing these features is crucial because they could tell what a good product should be. When you see that a trumpet mute has these elements, then you are sure that you have the perfect product that would not only give you quality but would also suit your desires. Without further ado, here are some of the features that you need to look for before buying the best trumpet mutes.
The Type of Trumpet Mutes
The first feature that you should look for in trumpet mutes is their type. There are different styles, and each style serves its own purpose. Here are some of the most popular mutes that musicians often use in performances.
- Straight mute is typically the first mute that a trumpeter would use. It is conical in shape, and you can use it for almost all types of music. A straight mute can be constructed from various materials such as metal or fiber.
- Harmon mute consists of two individual parts. The main component is put in the bell, while the second part – the tube – extends from the main part. By moving your hand over the end of the tube, you can produce the “wah – wah” sound.
- Cup mute is often used by a jazz-style trumpeter. It produces a similar sound to that of the straight mute, but the sound is less bright and softer.
- Practice mute is made for practicing. We do not recommend using it for stage performances because of its low sound.
- Plunger mute looks like a rubber plunger, hence its name. It creates a larger “wah – wah” effect than the Harmon mute.
Functionality
After knowing the different types of trumpet mutes, it is very important that you look for a product that is highly functional. Be able to look for the mute that would serve whatever purpose you would have. Pick the product that would efficiently make the tone of your trumpet much softer, change its tone quality seamlessly, and produce a tonality like no other.
The things that we mentioned above are just three of the key features that you should take into consideration when picking the best trumpet mutes. You should take note, however, that the final decision will still be dependent on your preference.
Conclusion
If you want to make the sound of your trumpet to be much softer, then you should really have to buy the best trumpet mutes. Do not forget that the best ones are highly functional and they do not hinder giving you a stellar performance. Scrutinize through the different products closely, and weigh your decision from there. If you look into our list very well, then you will not be hard up in looking for the product of your choice.
This post was originally posted on Band Essential.
Table of Contents
