James Thompson "The Buzzing Book"

[mm55]

[John Mohan]

[mm55]

[John Mohan]

[John Mohan]

[dbacon]

DB

[rlk]

[dstdenis]

[kehaulani]

John, don't sweat it. There's no need to get caught up in who's "right" or "wrong". One thing is obvious though, what works for one may not work for another and there are few absolutes. Absorb what is useful, discard what is not.

While I think it's important to give experienced player's opinions a good listen, in the long it's what works for you. And there's no need to personalize it, (on any body's part).
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

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[tim_wolf]

[John Mohan]

[John Mohan]

[kehaulani]

I personally don't see five or ten minutes robbing much practice time.

For the record, I was for decades anti-buzzing - for me. Couldn't do it well and it didn't work. Now I'm rebuilding after a number of strokes and the limited-time buzzing has had an immediate positive result on me. So now I'm pro buzzing - for me.

Like I said, what works for one might not work for another. I can see where honest remarks based on tremendous experience, is helpful. I don't see where being dogmatic is
.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

[John Mohan]

[kehaulani]

Kinda hard for me to put into words, but it just seems to focus my buzz more when I do, then, play. It's also great ear training. Cleans up what I play.

It just seems to focus my chops better while isolating one factor of trumpet playing. I don't know that you can't do that by going straight to the horn or not, but this preliminary step seems to work for me.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

[John Mohan]

[loudog]

I find it very helpful to read the prose in the front of Mr. Thompson's book. There is golden information in there, and I read it every couple of months to get it back into my head. There is more to the whole "buzzing book" concept than just buzzing the mouthpiece...it's a mental exercise, as well as a physical one. It combines elements from Shuebruk, Stamp, Schlossberg, and other methods. (This isn't stated explicitly, however, but is my opinion.)

I never studied with him (although I've taken a lesson ON buzzing from him...it was fascinating). I studied with his protégé Brian Shaw for my DMA, and we basically went through the whole thing. It really helped to iron out a couple of small chop issues that I had.

I did it religiously every day for a few years, but don't much anymore. I do return to it occasionally though, when I feel like I need it. There's a lot about the balance between lip compression and air flow that is amazing...when I feel that getting out of whack it helps to center me. Also, when I feel like I'm overshooting things with my chops, I return to it as well... the results for me are more centered notes, better accuracy, and much more efficiency with my chops.

I used to view the book as part of my daily "trumpet diet"...but nowadays it's more of occasional "medicine," if I feel like I need it.

Louie
_________________
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Dr. Louie Eckhardt, trumpeter
http://www.LouieEckhardt.com
Associate Professor of Music
Hastings College

[loudog]

And on another brief note...

I find it much more beneficial when folks share what works for them, and focus on that, rather than trying to get others to NOT do something (unless it's harmful, which buzzing the mouthpiece certainly isn't). John, I think that's why folks jumped on you.

Everybody on TH could do a better job keeping things positive.
_________________
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Louie Eckhardt, trumpeter
http://www.LouieEckhardt.com
Associate Professor of Music
Hastings College

[John Mohan]

[JoseLindE4]

I never studied with Mr. Thompson, but I've used his book quite a bit on and off over the years and think it's brilliant. Other times I've used Boyd Hood's drills or Stamp. If not for these three, I wouldn't have a career.

Here's what I've gotten out of playing the mouthpiece in teaching and playing.

1. Ear Training: it works well as an intermediate step between singing and the horn. Sing, buzz (or rather play the mouthpiece), play works.

2. Revealing problems in air usage: A lot of players, even relatively accomplished ones, develop some wacky habits with their air. Connections between notes will have gaps in the air (blow, stop, blow for every note), leading to tension in the sound and trouble playing. Cichowicz air patterns help, but going to the mouthpiece usually reveals the true self and makes the issue click. The slow glisses of Thompson's book can serve as a focused study on this issue. The connection between notes are focused and smoothed out which transfers well to regular playing.

Another approach to learning this connectedness this are practicing with slow valve movements. TH's own Jim Wilt teaches something similar to this and Jay Friedman has an excellent article about it as well. While the slow valves are brilliant, the mouthpiece has worked as an excellent study on this skill for me and mine.

3. Avoiding too much lippyness in the playing: Sometimes we become overly careful in trying to place every interval. Rather than move smoothly from note to note, we target each note, often overshooting. Exploring the space between each note allows us to instantaneously gliss between notes like singers, creating well connected and always centered notes.

4. Introducing weirdness: Bad habits can be hard to break when using the object of our habits. Doing something without the baggage of the horn can be liberating.