Life moves fast. Between rehearsals, lessons, gigs, and everything else on the calendar, most of us are looking for anything that saves a step, a mess, or one more thing to remember. It’s the same reason bagged salad and single-serve coffee pods caught on. When your day is already full, a small convenience goes a long way.
If you’re a violinist who freelances or plays in an orchestra, you know the feeling. You’re one coffee away from a meltdown, one clean pair of black pants away from digging through the hamper, or one dead phone battery away from getting lost on the way to the gig. Any tool that takes something off your mental to-do list is worth a look. That’s why we think every busy violinist should consider the Finissima Violin Mute. It’s one less thing to think about, remember, or worry about.
A Mute That’s Always There
The Finissima installs easily and lives on your strings between the bridge and tailpiece, sitting securely between the A and D strings. When you see con sordino in your orchestra part (or mit Dämpfer, if you’re playing Mahler), you simply slide it up onto the bridge. No more panicking because your mute is in your case back in the green room. With the Finissima, it’s already on your violin, right where you need it.
Muted Color Without Losing Your Voice
The Finissima is more than convenient. It colors your sound without smothering it, giving you that veiled, muted quality while keeping much of your volume and projection. Orchestral players love it because it slides on and off the bridge quickly, in less than a measure in many cases.
Soloists appreciate it too. Imagine you’re performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with an orchestra. The second movement, the Canzonetta, calls for a mute, and you want that dusky, intimate color. But you still need to carry over the orchestra and reach the back of the hall. You can hope the orchestra plays sensitively underneath you, but you never know. The Finissima lets you achieve the muted effect while keeping enough presence to be heard.
No Rattles, No Fuss
A mute that stays on your instrument full time has to behave when it’s not in use. The Finissima doesn’t rattle or buzz while it’s parked near the tailpiece, so you won’t be chasing down mysterious noises during quiet passages. It’s also gentle on your bridge. Some mutes can mark up or discolor a bridge over time, but the Finissima slides on and off without leaving residue behind.
Loved by the Pros
Well-respected professionals love this mute too. Here’s what legendary violinist Isaac Stern had to say about the Finissima:
"I have enormous enthusiasm for the Finissima Artist Mute. Since putting it on my own violin the afternoon it was shown to me, I have not removed it and it will remain a permanent part of my accessories for performance.
It is an extraordinarily wonderful development for all string players, in particular every orchestral string player. The quality of its muted sound is much better than any other that has been developed to this point. And its ease, speed and comfort make it the most natural concomitant to good music making that I have seen.
I heartily endorse this mute for any performer that has respect for his own work."
Isaac Stern, New York, 1997
Ready to keep your mute right where you need it? Pick up the Finissima Violin Mute or browse the full selection of violin and viola mutes at Shar Music.
Hear It for Yourself
Before you head back out into the busy world, here’s a little soothing music. Enjoy Isaac Stern himself playing the second movement of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, in all its muted glory:
