How frequent do you see a need for a tuba mute?

[BopEuph]

I'd like to see someone use a giant plunger on tuba.... with a foot operated lever setup.... hmmn.. I'll have to work on this idea...

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I had this idea in college for euphonium, when I thought I might be the next Rich Mattesson. I'm glad I realized how ridiculous jazz euph was before I doubled down!

[kingrob76]

I'll go a couple years without needing it, but by the end of March I'll have used one 4 times in the preceding 12 months. It's a tool, hard to replicate the change in sound, and I'm lucky in the I have a Balu Sputnik which is just about the best mute one can imagine.

[cktuba]

ONCE is too many.

I concur. Another way to ask the mute question... is how many times do I want to dent my bell? I can get basic mute results with a large dog bowl with a rubber ring around the bottom. You've got to learn how to hold it, but it doesn't take long.

[dp]

ONCE is too many.

Aaahahaha....I got a mute about 40 years ago when we played a piece at Flint that called for two tubas with mutes. It was before I quit drinking so I don't remember the piece. In fact the only show I remember there during that era with two tubas was a Poulenc 2-piano concerto that these twin sister piano players played on. I doubt the mutes were during that but then who the hell knows if it was the same concert or a different one I'm sure I was drunk then too. I've used my mute since then, periodically. A few years ago after I'd moved here to potland we had a piece with muted tuba on the rehearsal schedule so I dragged the mute along and just my luck the other tubas in section were home watching a damn broncos game. I was kinda pissed, I'd even added some cork to the strips so it'd work "appropriately" in my PT-6. Right. I got way more attention than anyone deserves. Since then, when surprised by a sordino notation in rehearsals I just throw a jacket in the bell.

One thing to remember is if you ever DO get a mute, it''ll last a lot longer than a jacket. But the jacket's a lot more satisfying to use as intended.

[BopEuph]

I forgot to mention the kicker, as I'm working on this music:

There's a few sections calling for straight mute, a few calling for harmon (!?) mute. I'm totally NOT going that far into finding something, and if expecting a tuba player to have a mute is already unreasonable, expecting one to have access in any magnitude to a harmon is completely ridiculous.

[Grumpikins]

All joking aside, is there possibly a university nearby( with a tuba prof' ) that may have a mute that can be loaned out?

A complete longshot like Quigley...

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[Three Valves]

…with a toilet seat hinge.

[BopEuph]

All joking aside, is there possibly a university nearby( with a tuba prof' ) that may have a mute that can be loaned out?

That's actually who I got. Bonus is he's in the town of the show, which is a few hours away, so I am just getting it on the way to the venue with no detour and dropping it off before my trek home.

[JC2]

Often you don’t need a mute very often, but when you do need it it’s pretty darn important to have it. A younger version of myself may have gotten a bollocking for not having a mute when I needed it. Don’t be like me, just have it.

[LeMark]

My office this morning

[bloke]

I think people who really hate mutes either have tubas that aren't very suited to mutes or have mutes that aren't really suited to their tubas. It's kind of fun to play the tuba with a really good mute that works with a tuba.

[LeMark]

Thank you! I've been saying that forever

Or... They played a stonelined mute in high school and assume all mutes are that bad

[BopEuph]

Often you don’t need a mute very often, but when you do need it it’s pretty darn important to have it. A younger version of myself may have gotten a bollocking for not having a mute when I needed it. Don’t be like me, just have it.

Well, a local just DMed me with an offer to buy his at a good price. So after this weekend, I'll have my own, too.

[BopEuph]

I think people who really hate mutes either have tubas that aren't very suited to mutes or have mutes that aren't really suited to their tubas. It's kind of fun to play the tuba with a really good mute that works with a tuba.

Thank you! I've been saying that forever

Or... They played a stonelined mute in high school and assume all mutes are that bad

To be fair, I have nothing against the sound or any of their quirks. I just didn't want to waste the space and money on something that I might never have the opportunity to use. Space is a hot commodity when I already have too many instruments!

And, I have nothing against Stonelined. You just gotta be a good player who's practiced with them to make them musical.

[The Brute Squad]

In my current (community) orchestra I think I've averaged once every two years needing a mute. Maybe a little less (I'm mostly thinking based on the number of pieces, not concerts)

[GC]

A lot of modern brass band music has muted tuba parts. One thing I've noticed from the audience is that inserting mutes means you can barely hear them from the audience, if you can hear them at all.

[bloke]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo

...and scroll back - just a bit - to hear some by-myself low stuff...

(my best tuba with my best mute)

[arpthark]

I like the smooth glasses removal after the downbeat.

[bloke]

I like the smooth glasses removal after the downbeat.

I kept copying/pasting the place where the muted section (Bozza) begins, but the "paste" kept screwing up and giving me the main link to the video.

I STILL missed the precise mark that I tried to capture (several seconds earlier)... 31:50 is a good spot...

[andycat]

I think people who really hate mutes either have tubas that aren't very suited to mutes or have mutes that aren't really suited to their tubas. It's kind of fun to play the tuba with a really good mute that works with a tuba.

I hate mutes. We have 3 different performances in the next month alone with them. Schlepping a tuba (in hard case), 2 uniforms, a mute and bag on and off coaches, up and down stairs in venues is no fun at all.

They're the devils work. Brass band works recently have called for a cup AND a straight in the same test piece recently. You'd need to employ a sherpa...