buzzing discussion below


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Posted by Michael Allen on September 20, 2002 at 09:30:21:

I have been watching the buzzing discussion below blossom with some interest. A couple of thoughts:

In regard to becoming a better musician-tuba player, anything you do away from the horn is a means to an end and not an end in itself. Which begs the question - what is the end? A topic for another post.

Buzzing, with or without resisitance, can be beneficial if done correctly. This is a vital point, because you can create some really bad habits and even do quite a bit of damage (whether you are using resisitance or not) if your lip vibrations are not air and ear driven. It is quite possible to make a fairly clear "angry bee" vibration on a mouthpiece and use practically no air. This is just wrong.

Emulating the resistance of the instrument is very valuable if you are using mouthpiece buzzing as a way to connect what you are doing with air and chops to your ears. The mouthpiece, even with resistance added, does not "slot pitches." I tend to think that anything we do on the mouthpiece that connects a musical impulse directly with the business end (the mouthpiece) is a great means to an end. It is also a great way to get a student to move lots of air in a smooth continuous column without ever talking about it.

What exactly do we teach our chops by not buzzing into some resistance? Before the flame throwers ignite - I use both methods with my students. But where do we draw the line? If we were to all subscribe to the Jimmy Stamp method for example (and not Roy Popers' excellent interpretation of it), the world would be full of "muscle bound" tuba players that no one could tune with. Buzzing on a trumpet mouthpiece is quite a different thing then buzzing on tuba or even trombone mouthpiece. Most of the resistance and back pressure in a trumpet or horn comes from the backbore of the mouthpiece itself. I think tuba players use the inherent flow and backpressure/resistance in the leadpipe much more than we like to admit. Why is this wrong or bad? See observation No. 1.

(answer: we all draw it in a different place)

"Weightlifting" with the heavy weights on a mouthpiece is not a good idea. We want elastic, flexible, gymnast-like muscles - not to be "built" like Arnold. Strength and conditioning is very important, but without the elasticity and flexibility it doesn't help us out much. If we are going to talk about weightlifting in regard to tuba playing, how about lots of reps with lighter weights and way fewer reps with the heavy weights. Then get out on the mat and practice your routine.

For the young aspiring pedagogues out there - please do not try to teach your students to move air out with the diaphragm. This is not possible. Your diaphragm is responsible for inhalation, not exhalation. This incorrect view on the inner workings has become urban legend with many variants. I spent my first two years of college trying to move my belt buckle out and then "supporting with my diaghragm" every time I went to the horn before Mr. Jacobs got me turned around. This was particularly funny to him because at the time of my first lesson with him I was 6'4" and weighed 175 dripping wet. If you feel like you have to discuss this in public or with a student, learn how it works from a reputable source - do not perpetuate the mythology about this.

There is an excellent book by Barbara Conable (one of this countries leading Alexander technique gurus) called The Structures and Movement of Breathing - A Primer for Choruses (available from amazon). This book, in a very straightforward and no nonsense way, describes.... as the title suggests. $6.00 - should be in every wind/brass/vocalists library.

Next up, some thoughts on multiple tonguing.

Michael Allen
University of Colorado at Boulder
Home of the 1-2 Buffs


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