Helpful-Trumpet-Guide.com

TRUMPET MUTES AND ACCESSORIES

As you advance, you’ll no doubt find yourself needing a variety of accessories for the trumpet. Here is a quick description of some of the most popular ones:

TRUMPET MUTES FOR PERFORMANCE

It won’t be long before you’ll encounter musical settings that will require the use of mutes. A trumpet mute is inserted into the bell and muffles the sound in various ways, depending on the structure of the mute.

Here are the most popular trumpet mutes used in performance:

CUP MUTE – this mute is used in many settings and provides an interesting, and at times comical sound to the trumpet. As you might guess, it gets its name because it expands at the end into a cup shape.
Take a look at a Trumpet Cup Mute

STRAIGHT MUTE – this mute is also popular in many settings. It has a more streamlined look as it does not end in a cup shape. The straight mute provides a somewhat more buzzy sound, yet is pleasing to the ear.
Here is a Trumpet Straight Mute

HARMON MUTE – this mute adds a sophisticated and even mysterious sound to the trumpet. It is particularly popular in jazz settings. A harmon mute actually has 2 parts - the main part that attaches to the bell, and a stem that is inserted into the end of the main part. The stem has a significant effect on the sound produced, as it can be fully in the mute, extended out of the mute, or completely removed from the mute. In addition, the end of the stem is open-ended, and lets you place the palm of your hand over the end to muffle the sound even further. You can also take your hand and move it away from the stem to produce a wah-wah effect.
Here is a Trumpet Harmon Mute

PLUNGER MUTE – as the name implies, this mute is bessentially a toilet plunger. Unlike the other mutes, you hold this mute in your hand and alternately place it over and remove it from the bell of the trumpet, creating a far more dramatic wah-wah effect than you get with the harmon mute. This mute is also especially popular in jazz settings and also can be used to add quite a comic effect! There are a few specially made trumpet plunger mutes available for sale, but personally I think you'll do just fine at your local hardware store!

TRUMPET PRACTICE MUTES

As it’s name implies, this mute is used strictly for practicing, and not in performance settings. It significantly lowers the volume of the trumpet’s sound and is very useful for the player in an apartment or even in another room of a house, for the purpose of not disturbing other family members.

Here is a popular Trumpet Practice Mute

CASES AND GIG BAGS

The case that comes with your trumpet is a hard case, which, especially for the young student, is invaluable in terms of protecting the instrument from dents while in transit. As time goes on and the gigs and gear start adding up, it may be more convenient to purchase a lighter weight case, or ‘gig bag’. These bags come in a variety of sizes, materials and configurations.

Take a look at a popular Trumpet Case .