TromboneChat

We got some new music in band today that have several stretches that call for a mute. The trombone section has never bothered with mutes before, but we are in agreement now to get some. I was put in charge of ordering them.

I went to Amazon first. I liked the price of a "LotFancy" straight aluminum mute, $30, but a reviewer described it as being fat and not easy to manage with one hand. The reviewer's favorites for "handling" were the Soulo and the Yamaha, both $60 mutes. A doable price, but more than we were thinking. Also at Amazon was a Protech aluminum straight mute for $40

Then I found a Dennis Wick straight aluminum mute a WWBW for $40. No mention was made of its 'Handling" characteristics.

Mute recommendations and comments?

- I'm assuming a straight aluminum mute is a good, economical, all-purpose choice. Right or wrong?
- One of the guys has an old .484 bore horn, not big at all.\
- Mute needs to fit (and stick).
- Ease of handling (one handed) is desired. Don't want to drop it.
- Secure standability when not in use is.
- I don't want to go over the $60 mark if possible. Community band, no $100 mutes.

Thanks

Are you talking about a big band? Wind ensemble? If the former, you probably need at least a cup and a straight. I really like the Jo-Ral convertible cup if you need both. You can use it as a straight in a pinch too by removing the cup. For straight mute, I actually prefer the cheap-o stonelined ones from H&B though.

For classical music, I also go Jo-Ral personally, and with a mild preference for the copper bottom ones. I've had bad luck with those corks though. I've always had to remove the existing corks and re-glue them myself. For a community band, particularly if you've never used a mute before... you could probably still get away with the stonelined ones.

The problem you'll run into with a .484 horn is that it's bell is probably small too. On pretty much every horn I've used except maybe a Bach 42, I've had to do some filing of the corks to get it just right. That horn will probably require a little more. Whoever gets the mute after that will probably have to remove the cork and then put new ones on and re-file for their instrument otherwise it'll slip out.

Or, do we want cup mutes? One of the pieces in (mute) question is Port-au-Prince, and looking at it again, it calls for "cup mute".

What is the difference between cup mute and straight mute?

Community band. Can play most anything from Debussy to Sousa, pop to polka.

The trumpets use mutes every so often, but the trombones never have. It was Port-au-Prince that got us talking about it. There is a nice decently-sized passage that we could use mutes on. Or, having never played a muted trombone, I think it would be fun.

What type of music?

I can’t recall if I’ve ever used a straight mute in a jazz band for example.

As for recommendations... personally I do with Humes & Berg. Super light. Reasonably durable. THE sound. Cheap.

My mute collection is larger than it needs to be and some perform better than H&B, but I like the sound of them and the other trombonists in the bands I’m in all have H&B so we match.

Unfortunately, for mutes, you'll eventually need (probably in this order):

A metal straight mute, from either Denis Wick, Jo-Ral, or Tom Crown
A humes and berg cup mute for big band
A rubber plunger
A harmon mute
A Peter Gaine mute
Possibly a humes and berg stonelined plunger

I see a lot of these metal convertible cup mutes ... But they aren't as good as having separate cup and straight mutes.

Mutes are a pain. When the score CALLS (edit correction) for one and you don't have it, it's like, "sowwy... Try again next time!"

For a first mute you don't need to go fancy. A StoneLine straight and/or cup will do fine. And the pair will probably cost less than a high quality aluminum straight.

Note that cups can be tricky: the standard cup (or Mica Mute cup) doesn't fit a large bore trombone like a Bach 42; you need the smaller "bass trombone" mute.

You asked the difference between a straight and a cup. The cup has a flange that goes from the mute to the bell. Changes the tone dramatically


Straight:

Cup:

harrisonreed wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 2:41 pm Unfortunately, for mutes, you'll eventually need (probably in this order):

A metal straight mute, from either Denis Wick, Jo-Ral, or Tom Crown
A humes and berg cup mute for big band
A rubber plunger
A harmon mute
A Peter Gaine mute
Possibly a humes and berg stonelined plunger

I see a lot of these metal convertible cup mutes ... But they aren't as good as having separate cup and straight mutes.

Mutes are a pain. When the score and for one and you don't have it, it's like, "sowwy... Try again next time!"

So true.and for big band you also will need a classic humes and berg bucket mute. They come in 3 or 4 different sizes, you need to pick the right for your horn.

Argh, forgot about that one, bucket mute. Yup, that one too!

Thanks for the replies (so far and to come).

I was very happy to see that those red and white stone-lined H&B are considered to be a decent to excellent option by some of you. One of our fellows is a little tight, and a just received email response to my query about possibly spending up to $60 on a mute was, "no way in hell". (of course, he has no problem with going through $60 in pull tabs during our "board meetings" ,

Anyway, Amazon has the HB straight mute for $20, and he will go for that... so I just ordered three of them. For good or ill, the deed is done and everyone is happy.

(the trumpets are all using those HB red and white mutes, as well (I remember them from back in high school, man, they have around a long, long time.)

For my own use, I will check into an cup mute sometime. Christmas is just around the corner ...

Thanks again for the quick and useful replies. I will have the mutes in hand before Thursday's rehearsal.

The H&B mutes are good for starting out with, but more importantly are really the only thing to use in a big band. There are other options, for sure, but if there's a stonelined version from H&B, you can't go wrong with that in a big band.

I also just realized that the H&B stonelined straight mute that Bruce linked a photo to is basically the same thing as what I called a Peter Gane mute. Peter Gane makes the same style mutes as H&B, but they are more expensive, maybe higher quality in terms of intonation. For some reason a fiber straight mute like that gets called a Peter Gane mute even if it's an H&B. Maybe that's just me!

harrisonreed wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 2:41 pm Unfortunately, for mutes, you'll eventually need (probably in this order):
A metal straight mute, from either Denis Wick, Jo-Ral, or Tom Crown
A humes and berg cup mute for big band
A rubber plunger
A harmon mute
A Peter Gaine mute
Possibly a humes and berg stonelined plunger

A bit of overkill in my mind.

For community bands and non-professional big bands, you will generally need no more than:
• Cup mute - used frequently in big band charts (H & B StoneLined are the most popular choice)
• Straight mute (probably the only mute you'll need in the community band) - H & B StoneLined are fine
• Bucket mute (big band only) - my big band mates are happy with the lightweight, space-saving neoprene Softone mutes)
• Plunger - skip the H&B metal plunger and get a standard rubber toilet plunger at the hardware store.
Tell the clerk to keep the handle - you use your hands - and see the look on his/her face!

I can't remember the last time we used trombone Harmon mutes in any of my big bands (but the trumpets use them frequently).

If you play in an orchestra, you'll fit in better with a metal straight mute (lots of good choices) than the H&B StoneLined fiber mute.

• Bucket mute (big band only) - my big band mates are happy with the lightweight, space-saving neoprene Softone mutes)

Yeah, everyone here in SLC uses them too for most playing. I know maybe one person who carries around a Jo-Ral bucket but also carries the softone and I think always ends up using the softone anyway. Oddly enough, I'm playing a chart for a concert coming up that actually specifically calls for softone

Softone is a great warmup mute in addition to being a bucket substitute.

I had two orchestral pieces (both early 20th century) that called for a Wa-wa mute (Harmon mute) but they actually worked better with a Solotone (Clear Tone) with hand stop.

Again, generally the first mute to get is a straight; generally a StoneLine (H&B) or sometimes one of those really cheap papier mache mutes.