Mute use


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Posted by Mary Ann on September 18, 2003 at 09:25:42:

OK, I needed a mute for the upcoming concert so I called Matt and had him send me one. It works fine; the problem is getting it in and out of the bell quietly enough. Last night....I tried to do what I've seen done from the audience, which is pick up the mute while I'm in my normal sitting position, and put it in the bell. Well, I couldn't reach it, and I started leaning back and back trying to get the mute into the bell...and I just almost fell over backwards!! I got as far as balancing wildly on the two back legs of the chair and just barely regaining my balance. So scratch THAT method....then I tried standing up first, with the tuba still on the chair, and that worked, but who wants to stand up in the middle of the music every time they need to put the mute in or out? Next was to put the tuba on the floor; that worked too but took too long, that is, I missed an entrance (I'm practicing with the CD for timing) ... so that is no good either.
It looks like the only method that will work is standing up and leaving the tuba on the chair, which is bit more of a show than I'd really like. I suppose I could make it a better show by painting the mute some shade of hot pink, with candy stripes of white like a barber pole.
Any other ideas? Remember the relative size of the player and the instrument. (This is the Miraphone CC with its stovepipe bell.)
MA


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