Muted

As Printed on a Score

Printed over a part as a state rather than an action (muted, muted trumpet), meaning the passage is played with a mute; it holds until open, without mute or mute off. It also appears in instrument labels and cue descriptions.

How Composers Use It

Muted describes the sound, so it pairs naturally with an instrument name (muted horns, muted trumpet). Use it for passages that should sound distant, veiled or nasal, and name the mute type for brass if one colour is essential. For horn, muted and stopped are different sounds, so write the one you mean.

Related Terms