How to produce wah-wah comedic sound!

[glissando100]

Hi! I'm playing in the band for a performance of the 1985 musical Me and My Girl - it's an old style slapstick comedy! A couple of pieces have 'wah wah' written above some phrases, and I'm not sure how to produce this. I have a bucket mute but it's quite hard to hold and move the way trumpets do it (they always have it easy! )
Any help would be much appreciated!

[BGuttman]

The mute you really need is a simple toilet plunger (remove the stick, or just hand it back to the store clerk saying "I don't need that" ).

You hold the plunger with your left hand against the bell (rest the bell on your left palm) and manipulate it to cover the bell or not. Listen to what happens.

You can even try this with your hand but on a large bore trombone or a bass trombone this doesn't work that well.



And here's somebody with one:

[tepposal]

You'll need a harmon mute if the score calls for a wah wah effect. Something like the Denis Wick or Jo-Ral harmon mute does the job. Use your left hand to make the wah effect in a similar manner as the plunger.

[JohnL]

You'll need a harmon mute if the score calls for a wah wah effect.

+1
If you're going for a comedic effect, a Harmon is the way to go.

I think the name "Harmon" is trademarked, so most companies use a different name. Wick calls it an "Extending Tube Mute for Trombone" Jo-Ral calls it a "Bubble Mute", Humes and Berg (Stone Lined) calls it a "Wah-Wah". Harmon actually calls it a "Wow-Wow".

Most people do seem to use the Wick or the Jo-Ral versions.

[harrisonreed]

That's the classic comedic Trombone sound. And that's definitely a plunger.

Note that that is different from wah-wah annotated in a score.

[tbdana]

Well, you're getting partial answers.

1. You can just cover your bell with your hand and open it to create the "wah" sound.
2. You can use a toilet plunger without the stick. This is BY FAR the most common way to do it.
3. You can buy a harmon mute and "wah" with the stem in. This gives a far different (and quieter, and more quirky) sound.