Posted by Paul Evans on November 02, 1999 at 01:35:34:
In Reply to: Re: What's a good tuba mute? posted by Andy Smith on November 01, 1999 at 23:00:23:
I agree, Andy. I have never spoken to an orchestral tuba player that enjoys playing with a mute in his horn. Everybody I know is always on the lookout for a mute that is 1) playable in the lower register, 2) doesn't sound overly awful, 3) doesn't affect the intonation too much, and 4) doesn't look ridiculous sticking out of a tuba bell. Most of us would rather never use one.
The problem is that unlike trumpets and trombones, there is no standard size for a tuba. Each model has a different bore and bell size. Another problem is that, whether we like it or not, composers have written for muted tuba. We can't get around this. As far as I'm concerned, a tuba mute is great for comic effect and little else.
Whenever you get a chance to try out a mute, do it. Every once in a while you'll find one that fits the above criteria. Good luck.