<< Why wouldn't buzzing work for some players? -Douglas Tham >>

My theory is that trumpet players who use the Orbicularis Oris to control the pitch (as opposed to those who use different amounts of mouthpiece pressure or varying air speeds etc.) are going to benefit the most from doing lip buzz. Doing lip buzz helps to train the lips to make the proper amount of movement in order to get the different pitches. This movement can be described as "rolling in" for higher notes and "rolling out" for lower notes. To trumpet players who require the lips to stay in one position, this would not work at all.

I practice lip buzz and I do use the Orbicularis Oris to control the pitch, but I would never say that players who don't are wrong. I didn't originally play this way. I got tired of the pain, slow progress and the idea that I would be practicing the same stuff, every day for the rest of my life (what a scary thought).

The Orbicularis Oris is a muscle and muscle can be strengthened. I haven't stopped getting stronger since I changed. Plus, if you use the Orbicularis Oris, you SHOULD NOT practice every day. That's something that appeals to me. I take at least one day off a week, two weeks off a year. When I come back from a day off or the two weeks off, I'm a better player than I was before (and not just on the first day).

But there are many other good ways to play. Each of the different ways to play have their strong points and their weak points. I go with the one that I do because it's most suited for my life style and personality. I would never say that someone else's system or approach is wrong and I'll get into it with anyone who wants to say that my way is wrong.

Eddie Lewis

On Sun, 28 Jul 1996, Tham Lew Kian wrote:

> Why wouldn't buzzing work for some players?
> -Douglas Tham
> thamlk@temasek.teleview.com.sg

Bill Adam had his students play on the lead pipe (main tuning slide removed, mpc inserted normally into receiver) rather than play the mouthpiece. The theory is that when playing into a resonant tube (lead pipe or horn) it takes slightly less tension to produce a buzz than if you are blowing into a non resonant tube (mpc alone).

Mr. Adam viewed tension as something to be eliminated. Hence... no mpc buzzing. He was and is a very successful teacher.

When taking lessons from Mark Van Cleave he told me if he felt someone was too tense he would have them buzz on the lead pipe. If he felt they were too loose he would have them buzz on a mpc. For himself he said "I play trumpet not mouthpiece."

I personally am glad there are as many viewpoints as teachers. Find what works for you.

James Sowinski
Indiana Univ. Cyclotron Facility
sowinski@iucf.indiana.edu

Eddie wrote:

>I take at least one day off a week, two weeks off a year.

I agree, when you are playing 2 to 4 hrs a day fatigue of the muscles takes place and having one day off a week can let the muscles really relax and follow that by a good warm up on the day back (warm up can just be good basic playing {long tones, lip slurs, tonguing ex., scale work} ) I am ready for another week of playing. The two weeks off can be good for my jazz playing, I seem to come back with fresh thoughts and sometimes that creativity leads to new ideas that become part of my jazz vocab.

Eddie I enjoy you comments, even though we have only talked a few times in person I have always heard good things about your playing in Houston. I am working with Bruce Melville 6 night a week now and he said you have sounded good the last time he heard you.

Keep it going.
Sparky Koerner
Texas City, Tx.

In a message dated 96-07-28 14:19:15 EDT, James Sowinski writes:

<< Bill Adam had his students play on the lead pipe (main tuning slide removed,
mpc inserted normally into receiver) rather than play the mouthpiece. >>

I recently had a lesson with Jeff Curnow (who BTW is now principle trumpet of the Dallas Symphony). He does the same thing with the tuning slide. However, I did not get the impression that he does this in stead of buzzing. He might.

I just didn't think to ask him.

Eddie Lewis