Still easily available commercially, the long-used ebony mute has been made with three and two prongs and in different sizes. My own has three prongs and is large. Producing a stronger “open” and, often, bright, somewhat nasal sound (almost shrill on some instruments), this mute is suitable for the second movement of the Tchaikovsky Concerto should the soloist choose to heed the composer’s directive in this regard. One disadvantage of this mute is that you must take care not to drop it on hard surfaces, since ebony cracks easily.

In cases when I have wanted a more substantive but less bright sound than the ebony mute, and a more penetrating solo sound than that produced by the aluminum mute, I have used a similarly modeled but smaller mute that seems to be made from rosewood. Found in an old violin case, this mute has proven to be excellent in the major violin solo in the “Pas de Deux” scene from Tchaikowsky’s Swan Lake.

Rubber Slide-on Mutes
For years, my preference in orchestral settings when I needed to project an individual line was the Heifetz mute. Made of rubber and mounted on a string behind the bridge, it has been distributed under different brand names, and it is still commercially available. Unless the mute placement needs to be almost instantaneous, this model is practical in most situations since it takes a little time to lift it from its mounting and place it onto the bridge. Its smooth, projecting, satisfying sound comes close to that of my soft aluminum mute but to a less luminous, uplifting degree.

Like most other players, I have frequently used relatively inexpensive, rubber slide-on mutes permanently mounted on either one or two strings behind the bridge. Marketed under several brand names, tonal variations certainly occur from model to model. But generally, these mutes produce a sound that blends very well when strings play together and that provides an excellent background for other colors such as woodwinds in an orchestra. One disadvantage of these mutes is that they can make a disturbing “rubbing” noise as they are put onto the bridge; this can be easily remedied by using the thin edge of a well-worn bar of soap to lubricate the groove that fits over the bridge.

Furthermore, when heard on individual instruments, the sound of these mutes often has little distinguishing character, and when they’re not in use, they can create a distracting rattle under the ear. Both problems are solved with slide mutes that have a magnet that silently holds it in place when not in use. Marketed by different companies, this type of mute also produces a more distinctive sound quality because of the greater mass created by adding a magnet. The Bech mute I use on my violin creates a sound similar to that I achieve with the Heifetz model. It's a little less full-bodied but a more transparent, airy sound, and, in comparison to my other rubber slide-on mutes, provides much more sound and character projection. But it still offers the full capability to easily blend with other muted strings.

Building my personal mute collection has not only given me a wide range of color choices that has often surprised other players when I have demonstrated them, but, over time, has made me increasingly sensitive to different muted colors within a wide range of musical contexts. I believe that many other string players will find building their own collection will be an equally stimulating experience.