Accompanying Vocalists

Ever perform with a singer and feel like the sound of your instrument and the vocals were competing rather than complementing one-another? It’s no secret that this isn’t merely a clash of artistic differences but indeed a very real challenge that many musicians encounter while learning to marry vocals with orchestral instruments, especially the violin.

Viol Orchestral Mute mounted for balanced mezzo piano. The viol mute can be placed anywhere across the bridge to fine tune the mezzo piano effect across the instrument’s spectrum.

The human voice and stringed instruments share an overlapping frequency range and skilled musicians can convey the same emotional depth through their music that singers convey with their vocals.

Wiessmeyer 3 Position mute mounted for mezzo piano effect.

Bow technique, string selection, and instrument setup all play into the sound dynamic between you and the singer. If you’re still struggling to find the right balance consider experimenting with an orchestral mute with a mezzo piano effect such as our Viol or 3 Position models. These mutes are specifically designed to subtly soften the palette of the instrument so that you, your fellow performers, and your audience move from a competing performance to a complementing experience.