How to Select the Best Violin Mute

A varied collection of mutes can offer a wide palette of colors

When in playing position, the mute increases the mass of the bridge, thus reducing the amplitude of its vibrations and the strength of the produced harmonics, especially the higher harmonics. As a result, tone color generally becomes softer, less brilliant, and the amount of sound is reduced. However, the degree of these effects varies with the type of mute and materials from which it is made. Mutes come in an array of sizes, shapes, and materials, each affecting the bridge somewhat differently—hence the variations in sound.

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