A violin mute is a small device made of wood, leather, or rubber that has slots spaced evenly to accommodate the strings. To dampen the sound made by the strings, a violinist places a mute over the bridge of the violin. The bridge’s mass is increased by the mute, which reduces the amplitude of the vibrations and limits audible harmonics. There are two main types of violin mute, each with its own set of functions.
A sordino, also known as an orchestral mute, is a small mute used in performance. The violinist reduces the overtones produced by the strings by placing the mute over the bridge, giving the violin a smoother, more mellow sound. The orchestral mute creates a hushed effect in performance, especially when used by all of the violins in a string section. The musical direction “con sordina” (or “con sord”) denotes the use of a mute. For performances of his music, Danish composer Carl Nielsen recommended a specific type of wooden violin mute.
Orchestral violin mute comes in two varieties. The clamp is detachable and can be placed on and removed from the bridge. The sliding type is attached to the strings permanently. The violinist leaves a sliding mute attached to the strings between the bridge and tailpiece of the violin when it is not in use.
A practice mute, also known as a hotel mute, is a larger mute that is rarely used onstage. While the orchestral mute muffles the violin’s sound, the practice mute muffles it even more. Violinists who want to practice in crowded areas like apartment buildings and hotels sometimes use a practice mute to keep their neighbors from being disturbed.
Violinists who want to practice quietly sometimes use a mute violin, a violin with no soundbox or a very small soundbox, in addition to a violin mute. Mute violins don’t have a soundbox, so the sound produced by the vibrating strings isn’t amplified. This creates a thin, quiet sound that allows the violinist to assess whether or not his or her playing is correct while avoiding disturbing other listeners. This type of violin has been around since the 18th century.
Mutes, which are similar to violin mutes, can also be used on other stringed instruments. They fit over the bridge like violin mutes, dampening vibrations and quieting the instrument’s sound. The cello and the viola are two instruments that use mutes.