Mechanical banjo mutes

[Mike Moss]

So yesterday I was using a mute on my banjo (first time I used a mute in a long time) and I noticed that the tone I got was very effective for some pieces/passages; the imitation of the harp in Morley's "Pompadour" becomes much more obvious with the mute, for instance, and many of Cammeyer's pieces also seem to benefit from it (I was very pleased with how "The Dancer's Dream" sounded with the mute).

So that got me thinking about the various mechanical mutes that were used/patented throughout history; the SX Stop, the Farland Harp Attachment, the Bacon Soft Pedal, the Hartnett tone lever... none of them, however, seem very convenient and they all require some form of invasive surgery on the 'jo, such as drilling holes through the perch pole or rim.

Has anyone ever come up with a more practical alternative for a mute which may be applied and removed at will during playing? Last night I gave it some thought and came up with something based on a side-pull bicycle brake, but I'm curious to know if anyone else has given this problem a shot.

[thereallyniceman]

The mutes that I use, socks, foam rubber slab, jockey shorts rolled up and assorted items stuffed in the back of the banjo succeed for 50% of your requirement.. unfortunately they work 100% of the time so lose out on your other 50% of being removable during playing ;-)

Ages ago I got a Farland Mute off Jody (Yes Jody, it is still in the box you sent it in!). I never got round to fitting it as it was far to fiddly, but does have a slider which applies and removes the mute. Unfortunately the metal it is made from looks like it would remove surgically a chunk of your leg if you tried to use it:

I am sure that there must be a way as the tone does change dramatically when a mute is applied and it could give a pleasing effect. The B&D knee mute is great if you don't mind a great big lever sticking out and getting in the way all the time.

I have been growing my stomach so it neatly fills the back of the banjo, so with a nifty tilt forward of the instrument's neck the seal is broken and the  sound escapes.  Thought of that Mike??

[Jody Stecher]

A clothespin on the bridge may be applied and removed without much bother.

[Mike Moss]

@Ian: That might act as a "natural resonator" of sorts -- perhaps a new closed-back banjo patent? ;-)

@Jody: True; I've been using a clothes peg as well as the "cork on a string" method; both give very different sounds. The cork mutes it only slightly and retains a lot of volume; the clothes peg makes it sound almost guitar-like.

[Steve Harrison]

For practice purposes and to keep she who is to be obeyed on side, I use a wine bottle cork, trimmed as an interference fit between the perch pole and the base of the bridge....Steve.

[thereallyniceman]

I have used a Havana mute in the past, perhaps it would be possible to fit one not too tightly so that it could quickly be slid backwards and forwards during play to alter the tone/volume?

Here are details:  HAVANA MUTE

[Richard William Ineson]

I've never been a fan of mutes of any kind, the whole point of owning a musical instrument is to make noise and hopefully, annoy the neighbours. I bought a tenor saxophone a while back and, after playing about with it for a few weeks, mentioned the purchase to my nearest neighbour - 'I've just bought a saxophone', he replied 'Yes, I know'.

[Jody Stecher]

Richard, perhaps someone's neighbor invented *this* banjo mute with its "100% sound reduction".

[thereallyniceman]

I always enjoy banjo practice night with my friend:

[Steve Harrison]

thereallyniceman said:

The mutes that I use, socks, foam rubber slab, jockey shorts rolled up and assorted items stuffed in the back of the banjo succeed for 50% of your requirement.. unfortunately they work 100% of the time so lose out on your other 50% of being removable during playing ;-)

Ages ago I got a Farland Mute off Jody (Yes Jody, it is still in the box you sent it in!). I never got round to fitting it as it was far to fiddly, but does have a slider which applies and removes the mute. Unfortunately the metal it is made from looks like it would remove surgically a chunk of your leg if you tried to use it:

I am sure that there must be a way as the tone does change dramatically when a mute is applied and it could give a pleasing effect. The B&D knee mute is great if you don't mind a great big lever sticking out and getting in the way all the time.

I have been growing my stomach so it neatly fills the back of the banjo, so with a nifty tilt forward of the instrument's neck the seal is broken and the  sound escapes.  Thought of that Mike??

[Steve Harrison]

That contraption looks like something once used by the Spanish Inquisition!...Steve.

Steve Harrison said:

thereallyniceman said:

The mutes that I use, socks, foam rubber slab, jockey shorts rolled up and assorted items stuffed in the back of the banjo succeed for 50% of your requirement.. unfortunately they work 100% of the time so lose out on your other 50% of being removable during playing ;-)

Ages ago I got a Farland Mute off Jody (Yes Jody, it is still in the box you sent it in!). I never got round to fitting it as it was far to fiddly, but does have a slider which applies and removes the mute. Unfortunately the metal it is made from looks like it would remove surgically a chunk of your leg if you tried to use it:

I am sure that there must be a way as the tone does change dramatically when a mute is applied and it could give a pleasing effect. The B&D knee mute is great if you don't mind a great big lever sticking out and getting in the way all the time.

I have been growing my stomach so it neatly fills the back of the banjo, so with a nifty tilt forward of the instrument's neck the seal is broken and the  sound escapes.  Thought of that Mike??

[Mike Moss]

Conclusive evidence that the Farland mute was used to torture medieval banjoists, from Codex Banjoensis (MS 72238):

[thereallyniceman]

While searching through a box of useful stuff I came across these.

I find it surprising and a little distressing that many of the items in my collection of oddments were designed to prevent the sound escaping from my banjo...  Hmmm !!!??