Best precision piccolo plastic trumpet Bell mute

Popularized by iconic trumpet players like Miles Davis, Harmon-style mutes are used almost exclusively in jazz performances. Also referred to as [wah-wah" or [wow-wow" mutes because of the sound they produce, trumpet harmon mutes fit inside the bell and completely divert all airflow into the mute. Unlike straight and cup mutes, which allow some airflow around the mute`s upper cone, a wide strip of cork generally encircles the top of a harmon mute and creates an airtight seal with the interior bell. This does, of course, create noticeable resistance and requires more significant effort from the musician while performing with it.

Traditional harmon mutes suffer from several significant design and performance problems. Due to their weight and insufficient insertion engineering, you`ll find most harmon trumpet mutes with a number of small dents from striking the floor during performances and auditions. Their complete airflow diversion generally makes them hard to play for extended sections or pieces, and their pitch is significantly inconsistent, especially in the lower register. In addition there are many harmon mute manufacturers, although the name comes from the Harmon Mute Company, and this large number o manufacturers has designed a number of competing designs and shapes, like [straight" harmon and a [bubble", making for a big difference in the sound.

After multiple requests from trumpet players desperately seeking the [great sounding, excellent intonation, easy to play, stay in the bell combination", SouloMute set out to remedy all the failings of typical harmon mutes before releasing its version in May 2018. Like the revolutionary construction of their other trumpet mute designs, Soulo Mute created a harmon-style mute with a perfect, interior hemisphere that plays much more easily and dramatically improves the lower register pitch. The patented [cimpless" connection also contributed to the vastly improved intonation and free-blowing experience. Instead of the inferior, traditional cork, its design includes a soft, high-friction foam that won`t damage the bell`s interior finish and will stay in place. By carefully updating the design and manufacturing of their harmon-style trumpet mute, Soulo Mute has preserved the traditional Miles Davis sound while eliminating the shortcomings of the original product.

Trumpet mutes are handheld attachments used to alter the trumpet sound. They`re capable of softening, warming, reducing, or altering the instrument`s tone to produce the specific, desired sound. Although most any solid object can be used to mute a brass instrument, the most common trumpet mutes used by working players are straight, cup, harmon, bucket, plunger, and practice. Standard trumpet mutes are either inserted into the bell and held in place by friction, like the straight, cup, or harmon mutes, or attached to the outer bell by clips, like some bucket mutes. The plunger mute, as an exception, stays in the player`s left hand and must be precisely held in place over a specific portion of the bell to produce the desired tone.

Early trumpet mutes were constructed from fiber materials and polyurethane. As the Industrial Age progressed and manufacturing techniques improved, straight mutes were soon being made by processes that included metal spinning, injection molding, woodworking, and casting. By the 1960`s, mute manufacturers used aluminum, wood, brass, copper, ABS, polystyrene, carbon fiber, and fiberglass. Today, the finest mutes are generally made of specially-engineered fibers or independently-spun aluminum halves joined together. The metal mutes that join together are usually mechanically joined forming a [crimp" connection. The Soulo Mute Company designed the first, break through [crimp-less" connection, joining the two halves in a way that allows the air to flow freely on the inside, as well as on the outside.

Most inserted trumpet mutes utilize a solid strip or small segments of cork to retain the mute inside the bell. To reduce falling, some brands require the musician to file and individually shape their mute`s cork segments to better match the bell`s interior surface angle. The issue with using cork is that over time it deteriorates and dries out, leading to the inevitable mute fall outs. Modern mute makers like SouloMute use an advanced combination of shaped cork and neoprene to [lock" the mutes in place. This prevents musicians from experiencing the inconvenience and embarrassment of losing their mutes during a performance, as well as protecting their investment. Over time, damage from falling can potentially alter the tone your mute produces.