Mute (music)

A mute is a device which alters the timbre or reduces the volume of a musical instrument.

The use of a mute is indicated in sheet music by the direction con sordino (often abbreviated to con sord.). That the mute should be removed is indicated by senza sordino (or senza sord.).

Types of mute

String instruments

On string instruments of the violin family, the mute takes the form of some deivce attatched to the bridge of the instrument, stopping it from vibrating so much and resulting in a "softer" sound. Usually this takes the form of a small three-prong implement which is attatched to the top of the bridge with one prong between each pair of strings, although anything which stops the bridge vibrating will suffice, and sprung clothes pegs, for example, have been used.

A more modern invention is a mute which sits on the strings between the bridge and tailpiece of the instrument. This is slid into place right next to the bridge to produce the same effect as the detatchable three-pronged mutes.

Heavy "practice mutes" are available for string instruments. These also fix onto the bridge of the instrument and reduce its loudness. They are not used in any serious context, but can be useful to reduce the volume of the instrument when practicing.

On the cello a wolf mute is often attached to the G-string between the bridge and the tailpiece. This does not change the timbre of the instrument on the whole, but helps to eliminate the wolf note which is found on many cellos around a sixth or seventh above the open G-string.

Brass instruments

A variety of mutes have been used on brass instruments. The most common type, at least in classical music, is cone-shaped and fits into the bell of the instrument. This results in a more metallic sound, and when played at loud volumes can result in a very piercing note. In French horn technique, "hand stopping", where the player puts his hand right up the bell of the instrument, blocking it, results in a similar effect.

The other common form of brass mute is the wah-wah mute. This is a bowler hat shaped object, usually made of metal (although an actual bowler hat could be, and has been, used) which is opened and closed over the bell of the instrument to produce the sound that gives the mute its imitative name.

Woodwind instruments

Muting woodwind instruments is very uncommon, and in the case of the flute is almost completely unheard of. In the 18th century purpose build mutes existed for the oboe and clarinet, but in the rare cases when one of these instruments is muted today a handkerchief is usually stuffed up the bell resulting in a muffled sound. Some bassoonists still use purpose built mutes, generally as a way of regulating volume at extremes of the instrument's register.

Percussion instruments

Percussion instruments require no specialist mutes. If a triangle, for example, is to be muted, this can be acheived by simply gripping the instrument with the hand, stopping it vibrating so much. Drums can be muted by laying a cloth over their skin resulting in a muffled sound.

The piano

The "soft" pedal of the piano, the use of which makes the hammers hit only two of the three strings for each note (or one of the two at lower registers) can be seen as a kind of mute. Indication that the soft pedal should be used is the instruction una corda or sometimes due corde with tre corde or sometimes tutte le corde cancelling it. One older pianos it was possible by use of the soft pedal to play only one, two or all three strings, making the distinction between una corda (one string) and due corde (two strings) meaningful, but this is no longer the case.

It also used to be common for pianos to be fitted with another kind of mute: a piece of felt or similar material which would sit between the hammers and the strings. This results in a very muffled and much quieter sound. It was not used in any serious context, but was useful to reduce the volume of the instrument when practicing. Few pianos, apart from some uprights, have this device today.

To confuse matters, the instruction senza sordino is sometimes used to indicate use of the sustain pedal on a piano, although this is more usually indicated by Ped. or just P. written below the staff.

Examples of mute use

One of the earliest examples in the use of muted string instruments is found in Act II of Jean-Baptiste Lully's Armide, when the entire string section sporadically plays with mutes. However, the use of mutes did not become widespread in classical music until the 19th century when romantic composers sought new timbres from the orchestra. By the 20th century the use of mutes was common.

In jazz the use of the wah-wah mute on brass instruments was common from the 1920s when King Oliver and others used it. Later, Miles Davis habitually used a cone mute giving his playing a distinctive timbre.