James Thompson "The Buzzing Book"

Jeptrumpet

Hello! This is my first post so bear with me

I am an upcoming junior in high school and I just started using this book due to my private teacher's recommendation/good testimonials from others.

The only problem I am having is that in exercise 2 I am unable to take in enough air to complete the phrase because I am breathing through my nose.
Does anyone have any tips on breathing or how to overcome this?

Also are there any other tips/information I need when using this book?

Thank you so much!

Mzony · Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 1:10 pm Post subject:

Take a slow breath over two beats, and start softly-very softly.
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Zony

drboogenbroom · Heavyweight Member Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 697

Andy Del · Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 5:58 pm Post subject:

Those. But also, just think it through: you are breathing through your nose and can't get enough air in... The answer is there, keep breathing in! Until you are full. And the keep breathing.

Most, if not all, do not really fill up. Take your time and explore this usually neglected part of your playing!

Cheers

Andy
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so many horns, so few good notes...

Jeptrumpet · Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 7:28 pm Post subject:

Thank you for the tips guys!

I'm glad I joined this very friendly and welcoming community.

YoungMW · Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 1:23 pm Post subject:

I take lessons with a new-ish graduate of James Thompson. She introduced me to this book and I could not for the life of me do all of 2. She told me that everyone starts with difficulties on it and that is the whole point. It is such a simple thing yet so hard to do well.

The advice I got, that I will pass onto you is "work on it". I hated getting that answer, but it worked. Thompson explains in the book that each set of exercises takes weeks to master and you should be patient. Just practicing this a few times each day should help focus your aperture to where it is most efficient. It should also help your breath control.

This will take time, but you should see huge improvements in your playing
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Bach Strad 37
Bach Chicago C

John Mohan

rlk · Regular Member Joined: 23 Nov 2014 Posts: 35

drboogenbroom · Heavyweight Member Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 697

John,

I have an immense amount of respect for you, and over the years (I joined this site when I was eighteen) I have come around to many of your views on trumpet playing. I am not a great player nor have I studied for 14 years from someone who has a dedicated forum on this site. Honestly, I'm just a high school/middle school band director.

However, from that perspective, I really have to wonder what you hope to accomplish by making comments like that to a 16 year old who has a private lessons teacher. Do you really think you are doing more good by attempting to undercut his trust in his current teacher than his current teacher is doing?

I'm not really interested in debating the merits of mouthpiece buzzing with you or anyone else in this context. But imagine if a high school student of yours came to you one lesson and said:

"Well Mr. Mohan, I've kinda been struggling with some of the stuff you've been telling me about and someone online said tongue arch was bunk and since I can't play a double C yet and I'm 16 I think they might be right."

At that point it doesn't really matter if using tongue arch to play is right or wrong. What matters is that some random on-line person, who might be a great player and a world class teacher or who might be just a random high school band director, or who may have never taught in any context in their life has actively tried to undermine the trust a student has in their teacher so they can.....make a point on a subject every long term forum member knows their thoughts on? And even in a best case scenario where it's coming from someone like you or Lynn Nicholson or Pat Harbison or many of the other site's pros and master teachers, none of you are there to guide the student towards becoming a better player every week.

It's fine to have these debates with adults and pros and people flailing around in the dark. But why run the risk of stepping on someone who is actually in a young person's life trying to make a difference?

I'm just some random dude who teaches about 300 young musicians a year, but to me it seems like professional courtesy.

Kevin
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By concentrating on precision, one arrives at technique, but by concentrating on technique one does not arrive at precision.

Bruno Walter

mm55 · Heavyweight Member Joined: 01 Jul 2013 Posts: 1412

Mzony

Gottfried Reiche · Veteran Member Joined: 27 Nov 2013 Posts: 184

He's just a troll. Nobody knows or cares about who he is, other than this little community on Trumpet Herald. He's obviously an expert...

Go away Mohan. Seriously.

Daniel Barenboim · Veteran Member Joined: 20 May 2011 Posts: 247

Too much of anything is bad for you, even sex!

DB

danny45635 · Heavyweight Member Joined: 01 Feb 2015 Posts: 508

I probably should get the book cause I'll be studying with him in the fall.
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1965 Bach 37, Bach 236 D, Bach Artisan C, Schilke P5-4

danny45635 · Heavyweight Member Joined: 01 Feb 2015 Posts: 508

I probably should get the book cause I'll be studying with him in the fall.
_________________
1965 Bach 37, Bach 236 D, Bach Artisan C, Schilke P5-4

Polyphonic · Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 7:40 am Post subject:

The Buzzing Book by James Thompson, when speaking of great brass playing:

kehaulani · Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 8:09 am Post subject:

oj · Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:48 am Post subject:

Here is a quote from James Thompson. He gave a great seminar in Oslo and that same year his book was published on BIM.

Let me start by saying that there are lot of different schools of playing. I find that everyone of them have validity.

The idea of warm up is an interesting concept.

Warm up - well, I just came off the plane and I can play - so, warm up in terms of the muscles is not the point. Warm up in terms of making the connections between the brain and the muscles is the point.

What do I do for a warm up, and what do I recommend for a warm up?

I do buzzing exercises. On the mouthpiece to start with.

Ole

JayV · Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 5:31 am Post subject:

The list of trumpet players and brass players who use buzzing as a tool to work on fundamentals and/or musicianship is long and full of some of the greatest players. I can also think of a few players at the highest level who advocate against it for various reasons.

Fundamentally, over-practicing any one particular technique can be harmful. Even Mr. Thompson's exercises can be harmful if one overdoes it. However, I find that the Buzzing Book exercises can be extraordinarily useful in getting students' sounds to open up. I recall one student in particular who came to me with a pinched, stuffy tone, no low range, no high range, and poor endurance. I worked with him on the Buzzing Book and his tone opened up dramatically.

Do not, under any circumstances, play these exercises too loudly. Try to reach down almost into "whisper tone" territory where it says "p" if you can. These exercises are all about proper form, not power or strength. You will gain power, range, endurance, breadth of tone color, accuracy, and even improve your articulation if you put 100% of your focus on practicing the proper form and technique. You'll make these gains because you'll be playing more efficiently since your technique and form won't be working at cross purposes and hampering you.

John Mohan