Muted trumpet

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See also Brass instrument mutes

Muting a trumpet affects the tone and reduces the loudness of an instrument. Straight and cup mutes are commonly used in classical music while wah-wah (often called Harmon, after a popular brand), plunger (the "plumber's helper"), and bucket mutes, were developed (and commonly used) in jazz. Occasionally, all these mutes are used in both types of music. Big-band brass sections used hat mutes, flapping them in unison. Miles Davis often played through a Harmon mute without the stem. There are also straight and cup mutes designed for the piccolo trumpet, but they are rarely used.

Practice mutes are not used for performance but instead muffle the sound of the trumpet to avoid creating an undesired disturbance.

Prices for mutes vary drastically according to type, quality, and brand. Mutes will usually make the instrument play sharp. High quality mutes try to reduce intonation issues while maintaining the characteristic sound. Even so, it is often necessary for the trumpet to accommodate by adjusting the tuning slide.