Double buzz, advice needed

[BlackVoid]

For some reason, lately I've been plagued by this nasty double buzz that usually creeps in around the middle register. I've been playing for 9 years now, and never before have I had a double buzz until now. It's incredibly nasty to hear.

Anybody have any suggestions that can fix this problem?
_________________
Steven Bailey
M.M. from UMass Amherst 2013
B.M. from Towson Univ. 2010

Assistant Principal Trumpet, Hunt Valley Symphony Orchestra
Trumpet Player, Slow Lights

[deleted_user_fdb91a0]

It's just tension inside the mouthpiece. Relax the lips.

[BlackVoid]

Can a double buzz occur because of some surface problem on the lips? My top lip feels weird these days, it's all hard in some areas and has a few bumps and stuff on the surface.
_________________
Steven Bailey
M.M. from UMass Amherst 2013
B.M. from Towson Univ. 2010

Assistant Principal Trumpet, Hunt Valley Symphony Orchestra
Trumpet Player, Slow Lights

[downdawg]

I would hope that a teacher at your university would be able to help you through this.

Also, there are quite a few posts on this in the archives if you search on "double AND buzz" -- not sure how useful they would be.

----Please take the rest of this message with a grain of salt; my level of confidence in matters of embouchure and mechanics is such that I would not presume to give anyone advice in this area.----

I had this problem severely in 2001, and I got more and more frustrated, and finally, over a week or so, my sound deteriorated to how it sounded when I was a beginner in elementary school! (I was 28 in 2001.)

I went to a teacher, who suggested the Caruso six notes exercise, and in my case it seemed to fix the problem within about a week. Apparently I had gradually drifted away from keeping my corners tight, and this exercise seemed to re-train them to work correctly.

Since then I get small traces of the problem that resurface from time to time, but it usually disappears quickly. Ironically, it seems to be coming back with a vengeance this week after all these years. This time I am going to take a 3-4 day break, and start from scratch with the fundamentals along with the Caruso exercise.

Hang in there; I know you'll get your sound back!

DD

[bachstrad72]

I can only offer two tips from personal experience. I was having a problem with this in mid-October and took a lesson at school with Bob Earley, who suggested the following:
1. to think of using a smaller aperature, focusing it
2. think of blowing "cold" air, as if to cool something off.

Now these are mearly ways to conceptualize your playing, obviously since we can't see these things when we play, generally. But they helped me get rid of that.
_________________
~Perry Sutton~

[BlackVoid]

Well, there's a problem with that: we're on winter break, we're not at the University.

I sent a message to my teacher, and he said to adjust the aperture (in the way you described it). I tried doing that by blowing air (no mpc and no trumpet) and watching myself in the mirror. However, when I blow, I see these tiny little flaps on my lips begin to vibrate like crazy. And there's multiple flaps going at the same time on different spots on my top lip.

I'm also a great whistler (believe me, I'm good ), but lately, even that's fallen off. I think the two are related somewhat.

I was thinking of taking a few days off the horn. My top lip feels a bit hard in the middle, and there's all these surface problems on it. The mouthpiece just doesn't feel comfortable right now because of it. I think it just needs rest. I will keep in mind the other suggestions.

And I'm not familiar with any of Caruso's methods. I'll try to find something about that.
_________________
Steven Bailey
M.M. from UMass Amherst 2013
B.M. from Towson Univ. 2010

Assistant Principal Trumpet, Hunt Valley Symphony Orchestra
Trumpet Player, Slow Lights

[razeontherock]

Your idea of more rest is good, but I'd at least do something after 1 day off, if even only 5 minuts. (20 seconds of PE?) There are some good threads, and I've struggled w/ this on and off over the last 6 months, but only below low C. Usually I try to keep my chops as loose as possible, but once in a while a little more inward motion as in a pucker from my corners is necessary. Don't know how you feel towards pedals, but double pedals (2+ octaves below low C) helps me with this.

Ray
_________________
"And this is life: that you know the Son, and the One who sent Him." The rest is just details

[trptStudent]

It might just be fatigue and if so it should go away after a few days of rest. I know that I start getting weird leaks and buzzes out of my corners when my lips start getting tired.

It sounds like you might be getting a some kind of a callus on your top lip, which comes from lots of playing (or so I hear).

Or maybe you're coming down with some kind of skin condition which means seeing a doctor may not be a bad idea.

HTH. I hope things work out for you.

[someone]

I have a nasty blister on my top lip from too much playing. It hurts a lot, so I think I should probably take a break.

I'd imagine it's probably caused by too much pressure...

[LeeC]

Make a bet with you: The double buzz occurs after you've been playing a particularly heavy set of practice or performance for several days or weeks. Your chops need time to recover.

Even Maynard gets this sometimes. It's common in over-acheivers. And especially annoying because it happens right when you can least afford it like the night before a college audition HAHAHAHAHA.

Slow it down and GRADUALLY work up to a higher level of conditioning.

[BlackVoid]

[BlackVoid]

Well, today I noticed something funny.

I just took a day of rest off the instrument, and my lips felt better: they were the normal shape again, the muscles weren't tense, it was good.

So I warm up, and there's no double buzz! Maybe just a tiny bit on the middle C, but it was unnoticeable, really. I felt happy.

Then, for reasons which I can't get into, I had to go out and do stuff. I was gone for 3 hours. When I get back, the double buzz came back with a vengeance.

I have a rehearsal with my piano accompanist on Monday, but after that, I'm thinking of maybe taking about 3-5 days off the horn. I got about a month before my jury, and I want to be at my best.

I would just like to say that I never had any of these problems- the lip injury, the double buzz, nothing- before I went off to college. I don't know why I'm all of a sudden falling apart.

And I still don't know what PE is.
_________________
Steven Bailey
M.M. from UMass Amherst 2013
B.M. from Towson Univ. 2010

Assistant Principal Trumpet, Hunt Valley Symphony Orchestra
Trumpet Player, Slow Lights

[BlackVoid]

Any suggestions before this thread falls off the page?
_________________
Steven Bailey
M.M. from UMass Amherst 2013
B.M. from Towson Univ. 2010

Assistant Principal Trumpet, Hunt Valley Symphony Orchestra
Trumpet Player, Slow Lights