Double Buzz/Rasp Help

Kadune · Heavyweight Member Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Posts: 662

Okay, one of my Region/State pieces is Voisin's Etude #1 (out of his 11 Etude book).

One particular phrase is a repeated rhthym of dotted quarter-eighth notes descending down the Eb scale started on midline Bb ending on a half note Ab below the staff. My problem is that when I land on the Ab, about 1/2 of the time I play it, the note is very raspy or has a double buzz to it.

When I talk to my teacher about it, he doesn't really say much mainly because I usually play it fine at my lesson or he attributes it to fatigue or lack of warm up.

I've found that this is not really the case as it can occur whenever I play it during my practice schedule. Are there any tips on overcoming this nasty disturbance?

Peter Bond · Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 9:06 pm Post subject: Re: Double Buzz/Rasp Help

Gray · Regular Member Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 85

Peter Bond wrote:

Derek Reaban · Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 11:15 pm Post subject:

Kadune,

Until this week I’ve never experienced a double buzz in my playing (just lucky I guess). I’ve been in San Diego on a business trip this past week, and to keep up with my practicing I did several sessions a day sitting in the passenger seat of the rental car that I had. At the beginning of Day 3, I found that when articulating, I had a double buzz that I just couldn’t shake! It didn’t show itself in any of my long tones (just when I began tonguing).

I’m certain that this was a result of the odd acoustic that I was in, which led to a subtle “over tensioning” in my playing. I think Peter provides some really great suggestions.

In addition, I’m wondering if this double buzz occurs when you are “slurring” or if it only shows itself when articulating. Michael Sachs has a great approach to tricky lines that may be of help here. Its called “skeletonlization”. I’m not familiar with the Voisin Etudes, but the idea is to outline the “important” notes leading down to that Ab. If the line has a mixing of eighth and sixteenth notes, you might simply play the notes on the downbeats in a quarter note pattern.

Play the line the first time by simply slurring this skeletonized quarter note pattern down to the Ab to establish the most basic approach to sound production and to make sure your air is working properly. Don’t blow too hard, just get the sound to respond easily. Hopefully, you will find that there is no double buzz in your sound.

The key to this approach is two fold. The first part is to add one additional element at a time (more pieces of the rhythm in a slurred approach until you get back to the printed rhythm and notes) and then add back in the articulation. The second part is to sing the lines as you play them so that your mind understands exactly what it needs to hear to give yourself a fighting change to play it perfectly (well centered, great intonation, vibrant sound).

By reinforcing many different approaches in getting down to that Ab without the double buzz presenting itself, the more chances you will have in getting rid of if completely when playing the line as written.

Also, play in the best acoustic space that you can. Getting good feedback of your sound will help you to relax, and not lead to this “over tensioning” that may be causing the problem.

Hope these ideas help!
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Kadune · Heavyweight Member Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Posts: 662

Thanks! I'm about to go practice and try some of those techniques.

I read the Sachs post and one of those techniques is what my teacher does a lot to try to enforce staying in beat and in the right style (the switching an eighth note for 2 sixteenths), that was really great.

Thanks a lot, and I'll see what my results are and edit this post!

downdawg · Veteran Member Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Posts: 118

Kadune -- just a thought:

Is the buzz definitely coming form your chops? When I had excess buzzing in the low register like that, it was actually vibration coming from the second valve tuning slide, which was loose. I 'fixed' it by adding a thick layer of grease to that slide. (a repair guy could also enlarge the slide for you slightly to tighten the fit.)

An easy way to test for this is to put your finger on that slide when the buzz occurs -- if it is that kind of vibration, your finger should stop the buzz at that time.

With me, when the buzz is a fatigued-chops issue, it's usually in the upper register that the problem occurs.

DD

Chris4 · Heavyweight Member Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Posts: 1128

The double buzz is probably from you tensing your chops too much-probably worried about an upcoming high note or something. Just relax it will fix itself.
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Kadune · Heavyweight Member Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Posts: 662

Peter Bond · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:31 pm Post subject:

trickg · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:56 pm Post subject:

I have at times had some chops issues where I couldn't play low and soft without a double buzz creeping in. The temporary "fix" was that I would simply work harder, use more pressure, etc. These phases of my playing usually have everything to do with periods of playing too hard, using too much pressure and being too tense.

I can usually solve the problem in just a few days by doing some exercises that help me to relax and pull the pressure off of my chops.

I start off by blowing a G in the staff and then descending to low C. Once I am there, I gradually pull pressure off of my lips by consciously pulling the horn away until the double buzz starts to erupt. Then, working from that threshold, I just keep blowing soft, relaxed, low long tones using as little pressure as I can to allow the chops to re-focus and to allow the air to do the work. After a few days of doing this, I can just about pull the horn completely away from my face without losing the tone and once I have that soft focus back, it eliminates all sorts of nasty aspects that had creeped into my playing such as lack of accuracy, lack of control, lack of upper register and lack of endurance. It also serves to thicken my sound back up.

For me, it all comes from simply playing too hard, using the good ol' "Flex Armstrong" method of upper range, and playing too loud and blowing the chops out of focus.

Now that I have posted all of this, I'm not sure if you are experiencing the same kind of problem, but if it is, that's how I fix it when it starts to happen to me.
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