mute
A device fitted to an instrument to soften, quiet, or alter its tone; or the act of using such a device.
As a noun, it is the physical object (like a brass plunger or a rubber violin bridge clip); as a verb, it means to dampen the sound. It alters the quality of the sound, not just the volume.
Word relationships
- dampen: Dampen means to reduce the vibration or volume generally, while mute often refers to using a specific physical device to alter the tone color.
- amplify: Amplify means to make a sound louder and larger, whereas mute softens and restricts the sound.
Commonly confused with
- damper: A damper stops a string from vibrating entirely to end a note, while a mute allows the string to keep vibrating but softens and alters its tone.
Word family
- muted (adjective): Softened, quieted, or toned down.
- muting (noun): The act of dampening or softening an instrument's sound.
Collocations
- brass mute
- insert a mute
- mute the strings
Example sentences
- "The trumpeter inserted a metal mute to soften his sound." A jazz performance description.
Memory hook
Think of the 'mute' button on your TV remote. A musical mute is a physical button (or device) you put on your instrument to quiet it down. A mute keeps your instrument quiet.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'silence,' as a muted instrument still makes sound, just with a muffled or altered tone.
Fun facts
- Jazz brass players sometimes use household items like bathroom plungers or bowler hats as mutes to create unique 'wah-wah' vocal sound effects.
Related words
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