Posted by Jay Bertolet on September 16, 2002 at 07:32:38:
In Reply to: Re: Tuba Harmon Mute posted by wondering on September 16, 2002 at 05:54:10:
I was thinking the same thing. We do the Symphony #1 on a regular basis (the one dedicated to AIDS victims and recorded by the CSO) and it doesn't have any reguirement for harmon mutes in either tuba part. That said, I can see how that final section of the last movement (Epilogue), where all the brass are playing a sort of "wave" and everybody is muted, would work really well if the tuba sound was different. A more raspy sound, like some metal mutes produce, doesn't work all that well in this section.
I've always wanted to see a tuba harmon mute. Especially, I'd love to hear the sound when you play a tuba with one of these mutes (ala Miles Davis) with the stem pulled out. I can imagine some nice possibilities with that sound. Perhaps someone who has one of these mutes can let us all know where to obtain them. I've never ever seen them offered.
My opinion for what it's worth...