If you are interested in jazz, you’ll need to know about Harmon mutes.
With a Harmon mute, you can completely change your trumpet’s sound. After choosing the right mute, you can successfully improve your jazz technique and start playing a wide variety of music.
Let’s discuss the best trumpet Harmon mutes to see which brand is best for you.
Here Are the Best Harmon Mutes:
Good trumpet Harmon mutes will have solid intonation at every register and great tone quality. The best Harmon mutes for trumpet players are the JoRal TPT-2C Bubble Mute, the Faxx Harmon Mute, the Denis Wick Extending Tube Mute, The Zinger by TrumCor, and the Best Brass Trumpet Wah-Wah Mute.
Table of Contents
1. JoRal TPT-2C Trumpet Aluminum/Copper Bubble Mute
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One of the most highly reviewed Harmon mutes on the market is the JoRal TPT-2C Bubble Mute.
This Harmon mute offers a unique sound that many trumpet players prefer over other brands with its edgy and biting tone.
JoRal designed this mute to maximize acoustics. The bubble mute provides great intonation, projection, and timbre, named after its round shape.
Some mutes have a distinctive tone but problems in intonation. With the JoRoal Bubble Mute, you won’t have to worry about this. Even across the extremes of your register, you can play each note perfectly in tune.
Jazz musicians can benefit from this Harmon mute because of its edgy tone. The JoRal Harmon mute changes your trumpet’s tone, giving it a “meaty buzz.” Because it has a copper bottom and an aluminum body, you can achieve a dark, rich sound ideal for jazz styles.
Cheap mutes will have cork pads that easily dry out and affect the mute’s ability to stay inside the horn. The JoRal Harmon mute was made with neoprene-enhanced composite cork pads that last much longer than other brands. This high-quality material will be durable and pliable, even after years of use.
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Another great feature of the JoRal Harmon mute is its adjustable stem. You have the choice of moving this stem to achieve a specific sound. Any trumpet player can have a wider tonal range with this innovative design.
On Woodwind and Brasswind, you can purchase the JoRal TPT-2C Trumpet Bubble Mute for $80. Although this is an expensive mute, it will perform better and last longer than cheaper versions.
To see the top features of the JoRal bubble mute and hear its distinctive sound, check out this video by Woodwind and Brasswind:
2. Faxx Harmon Mute
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Faxx is a company that has been making brass mutes since 2009.
Although they are not as popular as other brands, they are dedicated to providing products with great quality. Made in the United States, Faxx mutes are a great choice for any trumpet player.
You can find two different designs of Faxx Harmon mutes. They are constructed in a standard Harmon mute style and a bubble mute style.
Many trumpet players love the Faxx Harmon mute, mentioning that it offers a free and easy blowing sound. Although it might not mute as much of your sound as other brands, this Harmon mute does provide a distinctive tone color.
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The best way to know the quality of a mute is to test its intonation and response.
When playing with this mute, you’ll find that it doesn’t alter your intonation at all. Your pitch will be very even and consistent, just like playing without a mute.
The Faxx Harmon mute also offers an exceptional response for any player experimenting with jazz styles. Even when moving through technical passages, you can achieve a consistent and accurate sound.
A copper Faxx Harmon mute is priced at $59. Their aluminum version is slightly cheaper, set at $45.
3. Denis Wick Extending Tube Mute for Trumpet
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Although many Harmon mutes have trouble maintaining consistent intonation and projection, Denis Wick has solved these problems.
Their extending tube mute is a solid choice for any beginner because of its solid tone quality and reasonable price.
Unlike other brands that try to innovate their mute design, Denis Wick keeps the classic Harmon mute shape. This allows trumpet players to produce a traditional Harmon mute tone that is easily recognizable.
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This extending tube mute has an extra long inner tube to fix common intonation problems. This improves pitch at even the extremes of the trumpet register.
Reviewers mention that the Denis Wick Harmon mute is well made and functions well. There is some back pressure, but not enough to affect your playing. In general, it is more free-blowing than other mutes.
On Amazon, the Denis Wick Extending Tube Mute costs only $50. Because of its lower price, this mute would be a great choice for beginners who want to start learning jazz styles.
4. TrumCor: The Zinger
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One of the most popular Harmon mutes is the Zinger by TrumCor. This high-end mute offers exceptional intonation, tone, range, projection, and much more.
TrumCor is a well-known brand that is dedicated to playability. The Zinger is a Harmon mute developed over four years, as they wanted to create a mute at the highest performance level.
When trumpet players use Harmon mutes, they commonly find problems with intonation and difficulty playing in the lower register. With the Zinger, you can not only reach lower notes but play them in tune.
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The Zinger delivers very consistent pitches. Because of this assurance, trumpet players can experiment with expression without worrying about intonation or tone.
This Harmon mute is very light, so you barely feel a weight difference when playing with it. This can be very beneficial for trumpet players who need to play long, muted passages. Plus, this makes it easy to transport your mute from home to rehearsal.
Professional trumpet players have also reviewed TrumCor’s Harmon mutes. Wayne Bergeron stated that the Zinger is one of his favorite mutes because of its great sound and intonation through different dynamic levels.
The Zinger comes in two versions: black and copper. The black design is priced at $130, and the copper is $150. Although this is expensive, the Zinger can be a great investment in your music career.
You can hear the Zinger in action in this great review by Trent Austin!
5. Best Brass Trumpet Wah-Wah Mute
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Best Brass constructs high-quality mutes that are used by many professional musicians.
Unlike some cheaper mute brands, Best Brass has been used by great trumpet players like Wynton Marsalis, Tony Guerrero, and Adam Rapa.
Many trumpet players worry about their Harmon mutes affecting the intonation of their playing. If you’re looking for the best brand to solve this problem, you can’t go wrong with Best Brass.
The Best Brass trumpet wah-wah mute is well known for its unique acoustic design, accurate intonation, and high-performance level. This mute has been tested to ensure that it stays in tune throughout your full register.
You can use this mute to create many different types of sounds. It comes with a stem that you can place fully inside the mute, halfway in, or take out completely.
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You can achieve a warm timbre when playing with the Best Brass Harmon mute. Every trumpet player seems to love its soft, classic tone, even saying it sounded “unbelievably great.”
Look no further than the Best Brass Trumpet Wah-Wah Mute for professionals who need a top-of-the-line Harmon mute. Although it is an expensive model, it will vastly improve the sound quality of your muted playing.
The Best Brass Harmon mute price varies based on the material you choose. The aluminum model is on Woodwind and Brasswind for $130, but the copper mute is slightly more expensive at $150.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, great Harmon mutes won’t come cheap.
Unless you want to sacrifice tone, intonation, or longevity, a Harmon mute will likely cost between $45 and $150. Beginners should choose a mute on the lower end of this price range, but professionals benefit from a more expensive option.
Faxx and Denis Wick make great Harmon mutes that are inexpensive. The JoRal Bubble Mute is average-priced, while TrumCor and Best Brass are high-end Harmon mutes.