Why You Should Only Buy the Original Tourte Mute

Differences are invisible until they are discovered. A classic puzzle in children's coloring books shows a row of seemingly identical snowmen (or teddy bears, or people in raincoats holding umbrellas), and one of them is slightly different. Which of these is not like the others? The child stares at the three or four snowmen, puzzled and maybe a little frustrated, until, aha! This snowman is missing a button. The child circles the unfashionable snowman and turns the page.

Now imagine the book had asked a different question: Which snowman do you like best? Most children would probably look at the four nearly identical snowmen, circle one more or less at random, smile at their new friend (now named Brian the Snowman), and turn the page, completely unaware that one of the snowmen was missing a button. But did that missing button still influence the choice? If the child had consciously noticed it, would the answer have been different? Or was the choice truly random? We'll admit we're not psychologists or philosophers, and this article isn't based on any empirical data. That said, now it's your turn. Which of these is not like the others?

That was probably a fairly easy task. But what if you had been asked, "Which of these would you prefer?" Mutes make a great example for a few reasons: they're very simple, a mute is probably one of the least thought-about purchases a string player makes, and it gives us a chance to answer everyone's burning question: Is the authentic Tourte mute better than the imitation, and why should you care?

Let's start with why you should care. Think about a moment that happens in lessons all the time. Your teacher stops you in the middle of a piece to have you try a section again. They coach you through it a few times, and on the fourth or fifth try they jump up and shout, "Yes! That was it! Did you hear it?!" You didn't hear it, but you're so eager to move on that you nod anyway. Later, in the practice room, you go back over that part of the lesson and realize your teacher was right. There is a clear difference. How did you miss it? For many string players, this scenario is a regular part of life from the very first lessons. In many ways, the journey to becoming a better musician is the repeated work of discovering a subtle difference in the way something sounds, feels, or is positioned, recognizing that one version is at least slightly better, and then building on that difference.

Discovering hidden differences and choosing the better option is a lifelong pursuit, and it applies both to practicing technique and to selecting and caring for instruments and accessories. The two mutes above do differ in ways that go beyond appearance. The original Tourte mute is made from a more flexible rubber that is molded, rather than die-cut from a stock sheet of rubber. That softness and manufacturing process allow the original to grip the string and the bridge better, reducing rattling and the chance of the mute falling off the bridge. The material also affects how each mute absorbs vibrations, giving them different tonal characteristics. Because the imitation has less grip and elasticity, the grooves that hold the string or bridge have to be deeper, which makes fast mute changes more likely to fail. The original Tourte also has a wider opening on one side, which helps prevent buzzing or pitch changes by keeping the mute from touching the vibrating string. The differences are subtle, but they exist, and there is a better option. Can you hear it? Perhaps the real question is: can you hear it yet?

Shar Music carries the original Tourte in several styles. Violinists and violists can choose the classic Tourte Original Mute for Violin or Viola or the round Tourte Mute Round 2 Holes for Violin, and violists can also try the Tourte Round Viola Mute 2 Hole. Cellists can pick up the Tourte Original 1 Hole Cello Mute. Teachers and section leaders who like to keep spares on hand can stock up with the 6-Pack of Tourte Mutes.

This idea isn't limited to mutes. It applies even more to instruments, strings, and more complex accessories. At the opposite end of the spectrum from mutes is a widely publicized blind study published in 2012. In it, experienced violinists played a mix of old Italian violins, including Stradivaris, and new instruments while wearing modified goggles so they couldn't see what they were holding. Most couldn't reliably tell old from new, and the single most-preferred instrument was a new violin. Many people concluded that there's no real difference between a Strad and a modern violin, or that Strads aren't as special as we thought. But what if the players had lived with those violins every day for months instead of making a quick judgment in a single session? What if they had simply been asked to discuss the differences in sound, so that the few who noticed something could point it out to the others until they heard it too? And would a concert audience react differently to a concerto played on a Strad versus a modern violin if they weren't asked to judge at all?