Buzzing with a piano

[Rbmcneil]

To warm up I have been buzzing on my mouthpiece and using a piano to stay in pitch. I am on my first week of serious practice at 53 (I played in middle school but all I remember about that is sore lips and wanting a sax) I use C4 to C5 on the keyboard as my reference. Does it matter as long as I am in pitch with the note or should I start with Bb3 to Bb4 or am I over thinking this!

[zaferis]

Over thinking a bit IMO. But I would suggest varying your tones.. playing 5 note scales that move: (slurred and sliding/bending not jumping from pitch to pitch)
Bb, C, D, E, F, E, D, C, Bb, rest.. C, D, E, F, G, F, E, D, C, rest... etc. Up and down as you can produce comfortably without distorting your chops)

I would be more concernded with the sound that you are making, a good chop set, and how much time you're spending on the mouthpiece alone vs. practicing the trumpet.

IMO buzzing is different than playing the trumpet. It can be a useful training guide with limitted use (warming up, ear training, focussing effort..). But because the tubing is so short, it's harder to tell if you're producing a good or bad tone. A mouthpiece buzz, a good one, is whispy and airy - more air, less buzz, without being forced.
Once you put the instrument together, your chops will adjust as you focus your tone.

If I'm practicing 60-120 min. per day, I may buzz for several minutes So that's like 1/12 or 1/24 of my practice time.. If you practice 30 minutes a day that's buzzing for only a minute or two.
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[kehaulani]

But at your stage of development, I wouldn't do too much buzzing, lest you over tense the lips going for notes out of your comfortable range. I personally, again -at your stage-, would look at buzzing more as a warm-up just to get your lips moving and the blood flowing.
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[Rbmcneil]

Thank you both for the response...I try to limit the buzzing to around 5 mins before practice...Buzzing in tune chromatically with the piano gives me the sensation that I am building embouchure muscle control. Whether this is the case or simply a placebo effect...It feels like progress!

[JayKosta]

[Irving]

Buzzing is more difficult than playing the horn. I wouldn't bother with it if you are just coming back.

[Brassnose]

Do you have a „true“ piano or an electronic piano of some sort? We have an electronic one which has the advantage you can select „organ“ and use that as a drone. That is, you play an note on the organ and then find the exact pitch of that note on your trumpet. Interesting experience, just started doing this a little while ago and find it very helpful for training the ear for intonation.

https://talkingtrumpet.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/drone-your-way-to-excellent-intonation/

Another thing my teacher told me is to just play random tones on the piano and identify them correctly. Will take awhile but is great if you need to orient yourself in a jam session or the like. This can of course also be done with buzzing or the trumpet.

Sorry for being off topic, sort of.
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[Rbmcneil]

[Billy B]