I have a really cheap tuba and nowhere to play it. I live in an apartment and i don't want to play it and annoy every single person around me. Does anyone know of a "silencer" for tubas. I have found some online that somehow put the sound into a thing you put into your bell and it plays through earbuds. I have no idea if this would even work. Help me out here.
Sounds like you're talking about Yamaha's Silent Brass System. That would certainly be one option. That runs about $450 new (at least according to WWBW).
The other option, which I have far more experience with, is to go with a Schlipf practice mute. These aren't cheap either at ~ $350 +/- but they work very well for what you're trying to accomplish. I used one regularly for 2 years while I lived in a downtown condo. I lived in an interior unit and I could practice in the early morning hours or late at night and nobody ever said a word. Of course playing without a mute is ALWAYS better, but when you've got no other choice, the Schlipf is the way to go.
There are other practice mute, some of which cost less. The Schlipf practice mute is the only one I've ever spent any time with so I cannot comment on other offerings, but wanted to point out that there are other brands on the market at various prices. You could also try to come up with a home brew solution using towels, blankets, bowls, pillows, foam, etc., etc. Maybe you fabricate something that is completely acceptable for little or no money.
Then there is always the option on "sound proofing" your practice space so that you can play "wide open." This is usually the most complicated solution and may not be practical for you. Drapes, panels, foam, bass traps, sealing and insulating...it can take a lot of time and cost a lot of money depending how good is "good enough."
Here in Needles you could try Santa Fe Park if you don't mind an audience. If it isn't too windy, and it's the middle of the week, you could try the truck stop behind Carl's Jr. and Taco Bell on the west end of town at the East Broadway freeway exit. The dog park by the sheriff's station is a good place too. The dogs don't mind it a bit. (On a hot summer day, the best place is Santa Fe Park. If a sheriff's deputy asks to see your permit to solicit money, tell him you aren't taking any.)
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janewolowitz2 wrote:The Schlipf practice mute is the only one I've ever spent any time with so I cannot comment on other offerings, but wanted to point out that there are other brands on the market at various prices. You could also try to come up with a home brew solution using towels, blankets, bowls, pillows, foam, etc., etc. Maybe you fabricate something that is completely acceptable for little or no money.
Uh, ok...I thought I'd already said that over a week ago...
Tom wrote: The Schlipf practice mute is the only one I've ever spent any time with so I cannot comment on other offerings, but wanted to point out that there are other brands on the market at various prices. You could also try to come up with a home brew solution using towels, blankets, bowls, pillows, foam, etc., etc. Maybe you fabricate something that is completely acceptable for little or no money.
Mutes tend to have a sort of dome on the top, rising above the bell flare. I read in another thread that the acoustic internals of the tuba actually project a bit beyond the bell flare, too - probably not a coincidence? I'm guessing the mute needs to have an internal cavity the size and shape of the bell, plus that dome. That's kind of an awkward shape to fabricate at home, but on the bright side, you have a mould right there, and the result will be a custom fit. Maybe paper maché over a wire armature.
