Grappelli's mute

[Paul Brennan]

It's a terrible picture, but you can just about see a black disk on SG's bridge. This was at Montreal in the 80s but I often see it in his stage pics. 

From googling, I gather that it's a mute and he routinely played with one in his later career. It looks like somebody sold a Grappelli Mute for a while (the web page has gone down): "Based on an antique design, this lightweight mute instantly gives you the unique tone of Stephane Grappelli's later years. Whereas many mutes only cut the volume of your instrument, this model brings out a warmer, smoother tone by reducing certain frequencies resulting in an authentic and pure Grappelli sound. Smooth, sophisiticated and pleasing to the eye, it fits easily in your violin case or pocket."

Does anybody have any background on SG's use of a mute? 

 

[Altgeiger]

I looked through a lot of pictures of Grappelli performing in his later years, and I can't find a single clear picture of him playing with a mute.  He certainly did use one at times — the sound is still in my ears — but I can't find it pictured.  It sounds to me like the effect you get with the three-pronged wooden mutes that used to be in wider use than they are today, though I don't think that's what is in the picture you posted.

[Paul Brennan]

Here's a better shot of it. It's similar to the style of playing on the May Fools / Milou en Mai soundtrack album that came out in 1990. Also the "Meeting Grappelli" documentary has him using the mute at the 23 minute mark, I think it's on Willow Weep for Me. Maybe just during the Martin Taylor period? 

 

[Don Cooke]

Grappelli certainly used mutes, especially on tunes like Nuages. The best mute I've found is by WMutes a concert mute available at any online string dealer. Not cheap, but a very pleasing tone and worth a try.

[Paul Brennan]

Thanks Don I will check that out. 

[Swing Monkey 1]

Grappelli used mutes from the Hot club to his old age. I've seen him pictured at a BBC broadcast that had him in close proximity to the mic, using a three prong metal mute. There are pictures of him with the old slide roller type of mutes and later in life with the round disc type.

I've seen him play live where uses the mute off and on depending on the song and was lucky enough to see him perform about 20 times, as well as having every commercial recording I could ever find. 

[Bill Merkel]

I was granted audience to the overlord and this is what she had to say

>what kind of mute did Stéphane Grappelli use?

Stéphane Grappelli, the renowned jazz violinist, was known for using a variety of mutes on his instrument to achieve different tonal effects. One particular type of mute he commonly used was the "Tourte" or "Bass Tourte" mute.

The Tourte mute is a small wooden or rubber device that attaches to the strings of a violin or viola near the bridge. It is designed to dampen the vibrations of the strings, resulting in a softer and more muted sound. The Tourte mute is adjustable, allowing the player to vary the degree of muting according to their preference.

It's worth noting that Grappelli experimented with different mutes throughout his career, and he may have used other types of mutes as well. However, the Tourte mute is often associated with his playing style and is commonly mentioned when discussing his use of mutes.

[Swing Monkey 1]

I would love an audience with the overlord, Queen of the Muse, and gather any other information I could.

[Bill Merkel]

I will be the message bearer for your questions

[Swing Monkey 1]

I hate second hand information pertaining to the great man.

[Bill Merkel]

I can bear your questions the the spirit realm as well.

[Paul Brennan]

Very good! Through WayBack Machine, which I guess is a kind of digital spirit realm, I was able to find a picture of the "Grappelli Mute" that was once offered for sale.  But I also read that the maker (a luthier who made fine gypsy jazz guitars) really has passed away. 

[Swing Monkey 1]

I bought that very mute several years back which was pricey at the time.

I did not like it at all, thought it too heavy.

A good hacksaw cut on both sides making a three-prong mute and burnishing all of the edges from the cut really improved it IMHO.

[Swing Monkey 1]

"this lightweight mute instantly gives you the unique tone of Stephane Grappelli's later years"

Grappelli used many different mutes over the years and it is possibly questionable to think that the way he sounded was because of a mute. Some of his guitarist said that he had several violins he used and he always sounded like himself on all them.

 

 

[Aashi1]

On 5/23/2023 at 10:09 PM, Don Cooke said:

Grappelli certainly used mutes, especially on tunes like Nuages. The best mute I've found is by WMutes a concert mute available at any online string dealer. Not cheap, but a very pleasing tone and worth a try.

Hi friend

On songs like Nuages, in particular, Grappelli's usage of mutes gives his performance a distinctive flair. Although it's a bit pricy, I suggest giving the WMutes concert mute a try for a nice tone. Worth a try!networth

[GoPractice]

Since the availability of media related to post- hot club related jazz violin is limited, it helps to carefully listen to how the tone is modified. If one might try to mimic the tone, much of it will matter how the instrument sounds without the mute.

It is possible to buy many mutes for $100usd and while many might ask why, there is an assumption that a muted instruments sounds a particular way. There are very few quantified tests, and even with students, it helps to test out several. As a young violinist, I only heard lore regarding the firing of the violinsts upon forgetting their mutes, pencils, mothers, etc were subsequently fired. Many US trumpet players have owned an assortment of mutes to recreate period sounds and styles. Why not for violinists?

Personally, the tone of the newer "Tourte" two hole models sound mushy. The older hard rubber models had a more focused tone and often left a skid mark on the bridge. This was beneficial in that the mute would hold reasonably well even if partially applied. As did the metal clipped rubber Heifetz branded mute.

If one is completing their PhD thesis on the SG mute, then I have nothing to offer. I did see him perform perhaps a dozen times, as he kept working forever. As for the tonality of his musical quips live, the quality was generally at the mercy of the house sound guy. In my teens, the assumption was that he played a Vuillaume Strad model if not a real Strad, with no substantial evidence. On LPs, he communicated well, and better instruments were much cheaper then. During high school, the assumption also was that my teacher's teaching instrument was a Vuillaume, but it ended up being a very sweet Gagliano.

Try different mutes to get the desired sound.

[GeorgeH]

On 5/23/2023 at 4:20 PM, Paul Brennan said:

I was able to find a picture of the "Grappelli Mute" that was once offered for sale.  But I also read that the maker (a luthier who made fine gypsy jazz guitars) really has passed away. 

I just found one of those with an old fiddle. It is made from 2 metal plates with a piece of ebony sandwiched in-between. Seems very old, though.

[Paul Brennan]

1 hour ago, GeorgeH said:

just found one of those with an old fiddle.

Wow - how does it sound to you? 

[Paul Brennan]

Maybe this is one for the Pegbox but does anybody know what exactly a mute does in acoustic terms? I guess it adds weight and/or height to the bridge which alters its movement trajectory? And this differentially affects certain frequencies and overtones? I wonder how different materials and shapes could be distinctive other than with regard to mass? If mass was equal, would it really matter if the mute was high, low, stiff, floppy.... It seems to me that it probably would but I can't explain why.