Buzzing (Scott Hartman August 2007)

Why Should We Do It?

- Embouchure development and control
- Intonation and Pitch clarity
- Addresses the often overlooked influences the trombone has upon our
embouchure

Types of Buzzing

- Mouthpiece buzzing
- Cut-out mouthpiece buzzing
- Buzzing with the B.E.R.P.
- Buzzing without a mouthpiece
- 'Half' buzzing on the horn

Mouthpiece Buzzing
Prerequisites:
- a mouthpiece!

Goals:
- to notice and study embouchure movement and placement
- to notice and study air flow
- to notice and study pressure

Concepts to keep in mind:

- playing the trombone has many issues that we should be aware of, i.e., posture, holding
the instrument, holding and moving the slide, using the valve, the harmonic series. If we
take the mouthpiece by itself, we can isolate the embouchure from these other issues.
- the embouchure is symmetrical in terms of muscle structure. To be most efficient, the
embouchure should work symmetrically unless this is impossible due to asymmetrical
tooth structure.
- the embouchure has no partials, it moves from note to note in a straight line (glissando)
- the embouchure does change as we change pitch, but not much!
- the embouchure's job is to vibrate! If it isn't buzzing, there is no sound.
- resistance is not a constant when playing the trombone. Buzzing without the horn has
even less resistance.
 - Always find the easiest place to start and progress outward in all directions
Techniques:

- start a middle range note with only the air and then let the pitch slide downward
dont hold the note, just move.
- try starting on different pitches and do the same thing
- go to a piano and play a descending major third in the middle range, for example C
Ab. Hold the lower note. Buzz along while you play this on the piano. Listen closely
and match the pitch of the buzz with the piano.
- Notice your embouchure by watching in a mirror. Corner should be matched on both
sides, firm but not tense. Dont pull the embouchure backwards by smiling. Instead,
keep it forward, like whistling. Keep the chin flat and down. Dont let it push
upwards!
- Glissando some small intervals and simple scale patterns. Play with a piano and listen
for pitch while noticing the embouchure (corners, chin, cheeks) Don't tense the
muscles any more than necessary and try to keep any movement to a minimum.
- Clarify the sound by focusing on the pitch as you glissando between notes. This
allows the muscles and air to balance themselves in an efficient manner. Dont blow
too much!
- Try some patterns that move rather quickly. You have to hear the pitch before you get
there, you embouchure needs to know where it is going before it moves! Working on
moving passages keeps you from tensing up the aperture, giving you a free and open
sound.
- If you have a computer or sequencer, program in some simple passages and try to
buzz along. Notice that you have to be relaxed and graceful to do this! The more
difficult the music is, the more graceful and efficient you need to play.

Cut-out mouthpiece buzzing

Prerequisites:
- a cut mouthpiece

Goals:
- to observe the affects that holding the trombone and moving the slide has upon the
embouchure.
- to develop an embouchure that is similar with or without the horn
- to promote a relaxed embouchure and therefore a relaxed, clear sound
- to eliminate breaks in our glissando throughout our complete range

Concepts to keep in mind:

- again, the trombone influences the music (the buzz) because of the presence of partials,
the slide, the mouthpiece, etc.
- If you can see the embouchure we can further manipulate it!
- the resistance of the cutaway mouthpiece is much less than even a normal mouthpiece
so we are teaching the embouchure to work with differing resistances
- air pressure and tension at the aperture dictate the dynamic and timbre of a note
- Study the relative pucker of our embouchure into the mouthpiece as we play lower.
As our embouchure moves in and out the point that the lips touch and vibrate rolls
forward and back

Techniques:

- place the trombone in playing position. Does this look the same as when you use just
a mouthpiece? Why or why not?
- Play an Eb scale. Does the slide movement through the positions affect your buzzing?
Try to minimize the effect of the slide upon your buzzing.
- buzz anything and everything. Observe what happens.
- Experiment with the idea of allowing your embouchure to pucker into the mouthpiece as
you play lower and then less pucker as you move higher again. The pucker can be
dangerous because flexibility suffers.

B.E.R.P and the trombone

Prerequisites:
- a B.E.R.P.

Goals:
- to observe the affects that holding the trombone and moving the slide has upon the
embouchure.
- to develop an embouchure that is similar with or without the horn
- to promote a relaxed embouchure and therefore a relaxed, clear sound
- to eliminate breaks in our glissando throughout our complete range
-

Concepts to keep in mind:

- Again, we are studying the influence of the partials, the slide, etc. upon our performance
- Some new B.E.R.P.'s have different resistance settings to practice with that variable
- again, resistance is not a constant when playing the trombone so the radical change in
resistance as a result of not having a mouthpiece or horn is valid
- Notice that the B.E.R.P. causes the trombone to be held in a slightly different position
than normal. For this reason, I prefer using a cutaway mouthpiece.
- air pressure and tension at the aperture dictate the dynamic and timbre of a note
 Buzzing without a mouthpiece (Free Buzzing)
Goals:
- to develop an embouchure that is similar with or without the horn
- to promote a relaxed embouchure and therefore a relaxed, clear sound
- to eliminate breaks in our glissando throughout our complete range

Concepts to keep in mind:

- the embouchure is symmetrical in terms of muscle structure - though not necessarily
tooth structure, to be most efficient, it should work symmetrically
- If we remove the external framework of our embouchure - the mouthpiece - we can
teach the muscles to work more efficiently
- air pressure and tension at the aperture dictate the dynamic and timbre of a note
- again, resistance is not a constant when playing the trombone so the radical change in
resistance as a result of not having a mouthpiece or horn is valid

Techniques:
- Play a note (Bb) on the trombone. Pull the horn away and keep the pitch steady - try to
put the horn back on the embouchure while continuing to buzz (watch what happens to
the corners, chin and cheeks!)
- Do the same thing. Make a crescendo and decresc. while buzzing the pitch (notice the
relationship of air pressure and tension in the embouchure as you do this) Try to put the
horn back on, etc.
- Again play a note on the horn. Pull the horn away while holding the pitch steady.
Glissando to another pitch and back. Replace the horn while continuing to buzz.
- Experiment with scales, patterns, melodies, etc. alternating 'free' buzzing and trombone
playing

'Half' Buzzing

Goals:
- to notice and study pressure
- to notice and study the trombone's partials (overtone series)
- to notice and study embouchure movement and placement
- to notice and study the impact of the slide upon air/embouchure

Working Concepts:
- the trombone has its own issues that we have to work with and around, i.e., the
mouthpiece, partials and the slide
- the embouchure has to move to change pitch, but not much!
- the embouchure's job is to vibrate! If it isn't buzzing, there is no sound.
- resistance is not a constant when playing the trombone
- Always find the easiest place to start and progress outward in all directions

Techniques:
- Play a note (try tuning note Bb), lightly 'bounce' the horn on your embouchure as you
play (keep the pitch steady)
- Play a note. Try to glissando upwards as you lessen the pressure on your embouchure
- Glissando back and forth over a partial. (Try Bb - D - Bb - D, etc.)
- With the same pitches, explore the 'grey' area between a glissando and a full-toned slur.
Find the point where the partial is present and when it disappears. Experiment with
varying amounts of partial 'click' (or articulation) Observe the influence of pressure on
this process
- Again with the same pitches, set a tempo and experiment with the speed (the relative
'snap') that you change from note to note.
- Try using alternating slide positions while doing the same note pattern - notice the
imposition the slide tends to make upon the music!
- Glissando scales, and then widening intervals and notice the embouchure (corners, chin,
cheeks - don't clamp down and tense the muscles any more than you have to)