Straight Mute Brass Mutes

From the name alone, mutes sound like they're made to silence an instrument. But in reality, that's only true for a small number of brass mutes, and the straight mute designs in this section have an entirely different job to do. Instead of quieting an instrument's tone, they simply change it: as a rule of thumb, straight mutes make the sound more metallic and piercing, especially at high volume levels. They also tend to put an instrument on the sharp side, so they may require a little bit of tuning adjustment for best results. But when you're playing a piece of music that can benefit from a straight brass mute's effect on your tone, that small effort is more than worth it!

The shape of a mute is the most important factor in how it sounds, and since this page is devoted to straight mutes, you can expect them all to be somewhat similar. In fact, the biggest difference between any two of these straight brass mutes will probably come down to material. Humes & Berg mutes like the Stonelined Series Flugelhorn Mutes are usually made of a plastered cardboard material, while others are plastics such as the Mutec MHT113 True Tone Blue Polymer Trumpet Straight Mute. Each material has its own character, and even when looking at traditional metal straight mutes, the specific metal will have an impact on the tone, so for instance, the Tom Crown Copper Straight Trumpet Mute wouldn't sound exactly like the aluminum Jo-Ral TPT-1A Trumpet Straight Mute.

There are even wooden mutes available, like the Balu Regular Series Tuba Straight Mutes. Since the straight mute is the most common variety among brass mutes, it's no surprise to see so many different options in the lineup. And the simple truth about mutes is that there isn't a single best option for every player - choosing your favorite design and material is a personal thing, or at the very least a decision for your ensemble to make as a group. Start by narrowing down the selection by instrument and go from there; with a little bit of care, it won't take long to figure out which straight mute is the one for you (and don't forget that there's nothing stopping you from building a collection with mutes for all occasions!).