Again some mute questions

freshdax · Regular Member Joined: 16 Aug 2012 Posts: 35

Hey guys,

which mute is the in the trumpet using, is this a cup mute? It's also using vibrato on some tones for sure...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaLegF2hAxI

darn it.....years into orchestration studies, but still struggle sometimes with identifying mutes. Any general advice?? (I'm not a trumpet player but composer/orchestrator)

Also, speaking of mutes, two other questions:

-is it true that you can achiev the "wah-wah" sound both with the harmon w/ stem but also with the plunger mute? if yes,where's the difference, or is plunger used more or even only used on trombones wah-wah??

-what can you tell me about the pixie mute? just came across this one a while ago, is this similar to straight?

best,
Freshdax

trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4810

dstdenis · Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 3:26 pm Post subject:

Don't beat yourself up—I think there might be three different mutes in this track.

0:05, that might be a harmon mute with stem in

0:33, that's a cup mute

1:48, I'm not sure, but that might be a solo tone mute (a.k.a., clear tone mute, a.k.a. "sweet" mute) played softly with some distance to the mic.

A trumpeter can do wah wah effects with a plunger, with the hand, with a solo tone mute, with a harmon mute (especially with the stem in), and with a short straight mute (pixie mute) and a plunger mute over that. There were even some who used a pixie mute cupped in the palm of their hand as a wah wah mute.

Here's a video from Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Academy that demos some of these wah wah effects:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0w_qeTCqiw
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freshdax · Regular Member Joined: 16 Aug 2012 Posts: 35

dstdenis · Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:12 pm Post subject:

RitchieTrumpet · New Member Joined: 27 Jan 2017 Posts: 5

My guess is that the first one is a solo tone mute, it isn't quite as tinny as I would expect for a harmon. As the guys above are saying, the other muted thing is a trombone with a cup mute.

cheiden · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 2:38 pm Post subject:

I'm hearing either a Harmon with stem or a Solotone (Shastock) but I'm really suspecting it's the later.

The Harmon with stem usually has a good deal more buzz in it and it doesn't usually have much warmth or dynamic range.

Solotone often sounds like those old recordings where someone's singing through a megaphone. Given the melancholy in the tune it would make sense to use a sound that sounds vintage like this.

I agree that that middle section is almost certainly trombone with cup mute.

Many of the mutes allow some amount of wha-wha effect.

Plunger alone is usually fairly obvious in that it goes from very closed through a hollow sound to a fully open sound. A lot of players also introduce growl effects. Sugar Blues is a good example.
https://youtu.be/SjemjB3kgAM

Harmon with hand over the stem is a decidedly more nasal sound. Here's a popular short solo around 1:10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH2PH0auTUU

A Pixie with Plunger is different still. Here's a guy show the Pixie with Plunger versus the Plunger alone.
https://youtu.be/s0w_qeTCqiw

Here's the Solotone. I don't think he demonstrates putting a hand over the end for a wha-wha effect but it can be done.
https://youtu.be/wcZm2HDXHVQ
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freshdax · Regular Member Joined: 16 Aug 2012 Posts: 35

rufflicks · Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 11:06 pm Post subject:

As for your next round question a Trumcor Lyric would be my guess. It is a very soft straight mute

http://www.wwbw.com/Trumcor-Lyric-Trumpet-Straight-Mute-472207.wwbw?source=TWWR5J1BB&cntry=us&currency=usd&gclid=CjwKEAjwlKLHBRDztKr6wMnRthMSJAALcT-sdnVIXKclsidDWgQ_qloc2MMM9oYsl-0wFfQN-igoexoCo1Lw_wcB

You can get a comparison at 2:12 in

Link

Best, Jon
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DoubleEagle · Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 11:10 pm Post subject:

Pretty sure it's some form of a Clear Tone/Solo Tone. Several companies have made them out of various materials. The Harmon with the stem in is a "poor man's substitute." Micro Products made a second one in their Free-Tone line as well simply called a Solo mute with no brass on either end. I have both an HB Clear Tone and the Micro Products Solo mutes. Maybe someday I'll find a Solotone that I can afford too. They all sound a little different.
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