Cymbal Mutes

Cymbal mutes quieten your hi-hat, crash and ride so you can practise drums at home, even in the evening. Most are thin rubber discs or discs made from a soft material that you place on a cymbal of the same diameter and remove after practising. Here you'll find mutes from Evans SoundOff, Meinl Cymbal Mute, Vic Firth, Tama and NRG, as well as the felt Rohema Mr.Muff Muffins 10". They come individually for a specific cymbal size and in sets for 14", 16", 18" and 20" cymbals.

What size cymbal mutes do you need?

A mute should have the same diameter as your cymbal; otherwise, it may slip off or leave part of the surface uncovered. Measure the diameter across the centre of the cymbal or look for the size stamped on its underside. Evans SO14HAT and Tama CM14HH are designed for a 14" hi-hat, while Evans SO20RIDE and SO22RIDE fit 20" and 22" ride cymbals respectively. Evans SO-CYM fits cymbals with diameters from 16" to 20".

Meinl Cymbal Mute comes in 14", 16", 18" and 20" sizes, as well as 14/16/20 and 14/16/18/20 sets, so you can quieten your whole cymbal setup at once.

What does playing with a cymbal mute feel like?

Evans SoundOff is made from very thin rubber that gives your stick a rebound similar to a cymbal. The bell stays exposed, so you can practise bell strokes too. Meinl Cymbal Mute uses a soft material that dampens the attack and stops the cymbal from ringing out. Place Vic Firth VICMUTE22C on top of your cymbal, and its non-slip rubber holds it in place.

The felt Rohema Mr.Muff Muffins 10" has a cut-out in the centre, so it also fits on a hi-hat. It doesn't make the cymbal completely quiet, but gives it a muted sound in the style of drums from the 60s.

Cymbal mutes or low volume cymbals?

You fit a mute onto the cymbals you already own and lift it off in one movement before band rehearsal. If you want to play quietly on an ongoing basis, take a look at low volume cymbals, which are designed for quieter playing and don't need mutes. You'll find drum mutes, dampening rings, gels and sets for a whole drum kit in the drum dampening accessories category.