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kehaulani
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Joined: 23 Mar 2003
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Location: Hawai`i - Texas
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 Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 10:40 am Post subject: Desperately need advice/confirmation |
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The subject is getting a pure and consistant buzz. I really need help. My condition is a bit unique.
Background: I have had two major and three minor strokes that left me, not paralyzed, but weakened. I can't walk anymore and my left side is weaker. (For musicians, you will understand the relative strength when I say I can't play the fingering on French horn but can manage the right-hand trumpet fingerings.)
When I play, I often get an inconsistancy of buzz. I understand that the lips should vibrate and that it is supported by air. But when I play, I often get a raspy or an intermittent sound. The sound breaks up almost as if an amateur blows as loud as they can, until the sound is blatty. I get the same sounding results at a fraction of the volume.
I think I am putting enough air through the horn so that leaves it to a consistant buzz. After a year of recovery, I am still just a few lessons into beginning books (Hickman, Mitchell, Little, Schlossberg). It's very discouraging.
I know that, and have been building back my strength. My routine is to buzz a little (James Thompson), do some slurs (Little, Chicowitz, Schlosssberg) and lessons (Mitchell or Hickman). I follow that up with Caruso's Six Notes. That's about all the strength I have.
Caveat: I was a professional musician all my life. I know a lot more than I can play. It is very discouraging.
It seems to me that I need more facial control and a purer buzz. I don't know what else to do. Can you just confirm that I'm on the right track or do you have any other observations for me to consider.
Thanks a lot. Kehaulani.
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Andy Del
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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This is a terrible story to read, my deepest sympathies. These sort of health issues have such serious and unconsidered consequences which may not be thought of my health professionals. (FWIW, it is 16 months since my other passion, diving was medically excluded from my life. To be a bit more precise, the doctors made this clear, diving colleagues in the medical world agreed, yet the technical facts do not. It took a defibrillator technician to give me all the facts!)
If I were in this situation, I would be talking again to specialists and making sure I knew to what extent my facial muscles have been effected. It may be that a regime of physiotherapy can help give back the strength / co-ordination to play as you wish to again... but, not being a medical type, this is only a thought. It's the quacks you need to talk to!
cheers
Andy
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LSOfanboy
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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I would say, firstly, that we don't actually 'buzz' when producing a sound. There are numerous examples of great players demonstrating how air down the mouthpiece, when placed into the receiver generates a full sound.
Don't get too fixated on the 'strength' of the facial muscles (primarily the obicularis oris) or indeed 'the lips', which do not inherently contain any strength.
It is impossible to know exactly what is making your sound 'break up' but it sounds to me like the problem may be the opposite of your diagnosis; you are in fact working too hard to produce the notes and are clamping down, closing off the aperture, and quite possibly over-blowing too.
My advice would be to focus on the core aspects of tone production, leave behind the notions of 'strength', 'tightness' and indeed the idea that the lips need to be 'locked' into position by the muscle around it. Instead focus on allowing the correct inter-oral air pressure to stimulate a very relaxed lip (and therefore a compliant vibrating surface) in a manner that is sympathetic to the internal resonances (harmonics) of the trumpet.
The first exercise is a three-step note. Place the mouthpiece onto your face, allow your lips to relax once the mouthpiece has them held in position, and then apply the air. Firstly we should hear nothing but air passing down the instrument, as time passes this will slowly (providing you start to generate the correct level of air pressure) begin to stimulate the internal resonance of the instrument and we will hear a 'whisper' of the pitch in the air. The final part of this note is to allow the feedback loop to strengthen and the note to grow and gather resonance. This process can take a long time to get and symptoms such as; immediate uncontrolled starting of the clear note, a 'bump' in the transition from 'whisper' to 'note' or the inability to generate the whisper tone is suggestive of too much tension and too great an amount of resistance against the air.
Remember that trumpet playing is about the quality of the vibration of the lip surface within the mouthpiece, as long as you have lips, a mouthpiece to hold them together and an air pressure difference to apply to them, you can have a good vibration. Muscles are not a necessary part of this equation (which is not to say we don't use them at all, but they are not a necessity for vibration).
Hope that can help
All the best |
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Robert P
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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With a history of strokes have you consulted with your doctor as to whether it's safe for you to be playing at all?
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gchun01
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richardwy
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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Sing it.
Buzz it without a mouthpiece.
Try it with a mouthpiece.
Also, get some kids to teach.
Time will tell.
Prayers and good wishes.
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Denny Schreffler
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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| LSOfanboy wrote: | I would say, firstly, that we don't actually 'buzz' when producing a sound. There are numerous examples of great players demonstrating how air down the mouthpiece, when placed into the receiver generates a full sound.
...
My advice would be to focus on the core aspects of tone production, leave behind the notions of 'strength', 'tightness' and indeed the idea that the lips need to be 'locked' into position by the muscle around it. Instead focus on allowing the correct inter-oral air pressure to stimulate a very relaxed lip (and therefore a compliant vibrating surface) in a manner that is sympathetic to the internal resonances (harmonics) of the trumpet.
The first exercise is a three-step note. Place the mouthpiece onto your face, allow your lips to relax once the mouthpiece has them held in position, and then apply the air. Firstly we should hear nothing but air passing down the instrument, as time passes this will slowly (providing you start to generate the correct level of air pressure) begin to stimulate the internal resonance of the instrument and we will hear a 'whisper' of the pitch in the air. The final part of this note is to allow the feedback loop to strengthen and the note to grow and gather resonance. This process can take a long time to get and symptoms such as; immediate uncontrolled starting of the clear note, a 'bump' in the transition from 'whisper' to 'note' or the inability to generate the whisper tone is suggestive of too much tension and too great an amount of resistance against the air.
Remember that trumpet playing is about the quality of the vibration of the lip surface within the mouthpiece, as long as you have lips, a mouthpiece to hold them together and an air pressure difference to apply to them, you can have a good vibration. Muscles are not a necessary part of this equation (which is not to say we don't use them at all, but they are not a necessity for vibration).
Hope that can help
All the best |
Without treading into the waters of whether or not it is necessary to buzz to get a sound (and I agree with LSOfanboy, it is not), LSO offers sound advice if not, necessarily, for your condition.
For sound production without buzzing, look at ...
https://mysterytomastery.com/beginner-page/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y0uuFa59brVvSCcdo49YT6OeDOSeEq_q/view?ts=5b8c094d
Your history of strokes could certainly be affecting the strength of the muscles on one side of your face, including the muscles surrounding your lips and the muscle tissue that is part of the makeup of your lips -- I know that it has gotten to be a common thought among some brass players and teachers that muscle tissue surrounds our lips, only, and that the lips themselves contain no muscles, but those who hold this thought should look beyond named muscles and muscle groups and look at the histology of the lips.
If you have permanent weakness on one side of you embouchure, you might want to explore building a new embouchure on the strong side as far off center as it needs to be. You will be surprised about how well that might work for you.
Reinhardt, in one of his books, writes about totally rebuilding a professional horn player's embouchure after the player's face was disfigured in war. If I can find that reference, I'll add it to the discussion, but I remember him mentioning that he used a constant application of Vaseline to keep the mouthpiece from trying to place itself in the old embouchure as they were finding the spot for the new one.
LSOfnaboy wrote -- Remember that trumpet playing is about the quality of the vibration of the lip surface within the mouthpiece, as long as you have lips, a mouthpiece to hold them together and an air pressure difference to apply to them, you can have a good vibration -- but that's not the case if the musculature of the lower face will not hold enough of a seal. Almost every time that I've had local anesthesia for a dental procedure in one or more quadrants, I marveled at the feeling of not being able to create a sound on my normal embouchure because the mouthpiece is not enough to hold together a flaccid pair of lips.
Also, working with a didgeridoo might give you some insight as to what is happening with your lips. Just as the two videos (above) seek to evoke a production of sound that coordinates the resonance of the oral cavity and the acoustic impedance of the leadpipe, a didgeridoo will do this in spades.
And ... it's traditional to play a didge at one side of the mouth.
Clint McLaughlin (Pops) might be a guy to consult about this -- he's a master mechanic and .... he plays didge.
-Denny |
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LSOfanboy
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:30 am Post subject: |
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| Denny Schreffler wrote: |
LSOfnaboy wrote -- Remember that trumpet playing is about the quality of the vibration of the lip surface within the mouthpiece, as long as you have lips, a mouthpiece to hold them together and an air pressure difference to apply to them, you can have a good vibration -- but that's not the case if the musculature of the lower face will not hold enough of a seal. Almost every time that I've had local anesthesia for a dental procedure in one or more quadrants, I marveled at the feeling of not being able to create a sound on my normal embouchure because the mouthpiece is not enough to hold together a flaccid pair of lips.
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Hi Denny,
That was a thoughtful and interesting response.
The point you make above is in some ways an individual one, and is a little dependent on the system one uses to play the instrument. But, I would actually argue that the seal is only really required within the mouthpiece- as long as the jaw can hold the lips vaguely together, the mouthpiece rim can provide the seal that the segmental muscle (obicularis oris) around the lip fails to. My evidence for this is that I, and a great deal of the (professional) players I work with on a daily basis, often experience a low level of leakage from the sides of the mouth. In many ways I think it is indicative of a relaxed set of chops and of a very free vibrating surface. I believe there is evidence that Louis Armstrong use to have air and spit coming out of his corners when he played. So, in my opinion, the concept of 'sealing the lips' is a little over-rated and is more idealistic than practical.
All the best |
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Denny Schreffler
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 7:13 am Post subject: |
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| LSOfanboy wrote: | | Denny Schreffler wrote: |
LSOfnaboy wrote -- Remember that trumpet playing is about the quality of the vibration of the lip surface within the mouthpiece, as long as you have lips, a mouthpiece to hold them together and an air pressure difference to apply to them, you can have a good vibration -- but that's not the case if the musculature of the lower face will not hold enough of a seal. Almost every time that I've had local anesthesia for a dental procedure in one or more quadrants, I marveled at the feeling of not being able to create a sound on my normal embouchure because the mouthpiece is not enough to hold together a flaccid pair of lips.
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Hi Denny,
That was a thoughtful and interesting response.
The point you make above is in some ways an individual one, and is a little dependent on the system one uses to play the instrument. But, I would actually argue that the seal is only really required within the mouthpiece- as long as the jaw can hold the lips vaguely together, the mouthpiece rim can provide the seal that the segmental muscle (obicularis oris) around the lip fails to. My evidence for this is that I, and a great deal of the (professional) players I work with on a daily basis, often experience a low level of leakage from the sides of the mouth. In many ways I think it is indicative of a relaxed set of chops and of a very free vibrating surface. I believe there is evidence that Louis Armstrong use to have air and spit coming out of his corners when he played. So, in my opinion, the concept of 'sealing the lips' is a little over-rated and is more idealistic than practical.
All the best |
Thanks fanboy,
The low-level leakage that you and your professional friends, and I and my professional friends experience cannot be compared to the higher-level leakage that the weakness from a stroke might cause or the total flaccidity that can be experienced from local anesthesia.
Put a medium-size straw (as large as a boba straw if it's not too disruptive) in the corner of your mouth and -- without covering the straw with your tongue -- try to get the lips to buzz.
Let us know how that works.
-Denny |
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LSOfanboy
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 7:56 am Post subject: |
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| Denny Schreffler wrote: | | LSOfanboy wrote: | | Denny Schreffler wrote: |
LSOfnaboy wrote -- Remember that trumpet playing is about the quality of the vibration of the lip surface within the mouthpiece, as long as you have lips, a mouthpiece to hold them together and an air pressure difference to apply to them, you can have a good vibration -- but that's not the case if the musculature of the lower face will not hold enough of a seal. Almost every time that I've had local anesthesia for a dental procedure in one or more quadrants, I marveled at the feeling of not being able to create a sound on my normal embouchure because the mouthpiece is not enough to hold together a flaccid pair of lips.
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Hi Denny,
That was a thoughtful and interesting response.
The point you make above is in some ways an individual one, and is a little dependent on the system one uses to play the instrument. But, I would actually argue that the seal is only really required within the mouthpiece- as long as the jaw can hold the lips vaguely together, the mouthpiece rim can provide the seal that the segmental muscle (obicularis oris) around the lip fails to. My evidence for this is that I, and a great deal of the (professional) players I work with on a daily basis, often experience a low level of leakage from the sides of the mouth. In many ways I think it is indicative of a relaxed set of chops and of a very free vibrating surface. I believe there is evidence that Louis Armstrong use to have air and spit coming out of his corners when he played. So, in my opinion, the concept of 'sealing the lips' is a little over-rated and is more idealistic than practical.
All the best |
Thanks fanboy,
The low-level leakage that you and your professional friends, and I and my professional friends experience cannot be compared to the higher-level leakage that the weakness from a stroke might cause or the total flaccidity that can be experienced from local anesthesia.
Put a medium-size straw (as large as a boba straw if it's not too disruptive) in the corner of your mouth and -- without covering the straw with your tongue -- try to get the lips to buzz.
Let us know how that works.
-Denny |
Hi Denny,
I tried your test and can confirm two things: no I couldn't buzz freely (but I never do that anyway) but when playing with the whole instrument I could play surprisingly well. The sound was thinner and my range a little diminished but could still play a smooth high C and bottom F sharp.
I do accept however that my particular system of playing may well differ from others- my dental structure plays a role and I have spent many years playing on very relaxed (and inflated) lips. Others who do not have teeth like mine may not manage to play in this manner and I would accept that your test may be dependent on the individual.
Does prove my point though, at least for me as an individual, that the lips outside the mouthpiece really don't require a very strong seal.
Thanks |
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Denny Schreffler
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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| LSOfanboy wrote: | | Denny Schreffler wrote: | | LSOfanboy wrote: | | Denny Schreffler wrote: |
LSOfnaboy wrote -- Remember that trumpet playing is about the quality of the vibration of the lip surface within the mouthpiece, as long as you have lips, a mouthpiece to hold them together and an air pressure difference to apply to them, you can have a good vibration -- but that's not the case if the musculature of the lower face will not hold enough of a seal. Almost every time that I've had local anesthesia for a dental procedure in one or more quadrants, I marveled at the feeling of not being able to create a sound on my normal embouchure because the mouthpiece is not enough to hold together a flaccid pair of lips.
|
Hi Denny,
That was a thoughtful and interesting response.
The point you make above is in some ways an individual one, and is a little dependent on the system one uses to play the instrument. But, I would actually argue that the seal is only really required within the mouthpiece- as long as the jaw can hold the lips vaguely together, the mouthpiece rim can provide the seal that the segmental muscle (obicularis oris) around the lip fails to. My evidence for this is that I, and a great deal of the (professional) players I work with on a daily basis, often experience a low level of leakage from the sides of the mouth. In many ways I think it is indicative of a relaxed set of chops and of a very free vibrating surface. I believe there is evidence that Louis Armstrong use to have air and spit coming out of his corners when he played. So, in my opinion, the concept of 'sealing the lips' is a little over-rated and is more idealistic than practical.
All the best |
Thanks fanboy,
The low-level leakage that you and your professional friends, and I and my professional friends experience cannot be compared to the higher-level leakage that the weakness from a stroke might cause or the total flaccidity that can be experienced from local anesthesia.
Put a medium-size straw (as large as a boba straw if it's not too disruptive) in the corner of your mouth and -- without covering the straw with your tongue -- try to get the lips to buzz.
Let us know how that works.
-Denny |
Hi Denny,
I tried your test and can confirm two things: no I couldn't buzz freely (but I never do that anyway) but when playing with the whole instrument I could play surprisingly well. The sound was thinner and my range a little diminished but could still play a smooth high C and bottom F sharp.
I do accept however that my particular system of playing may well differ from others- my dental structure plays a role and I have spent many years playing on very relaxed (and inflated) lips. Others who do not have teeth like mine may not manage to play in this manner and I would accept that your test may be dependent on the individual.
Does prove my point though, at least for me as an individual, that the lips outside the mouthpiece really don't require a very strong seal.
Thanks |
Hi, fanboy,
The OP was talking about losing the buzz, which could be attributable to facial weakness due to his history of multiple strokes.
We agree that a 100% seal is not necessary. You leak a bit -- I leak a bit -- we know other competent players who leak. You proved a point on which we already agreed
The demonstration point that I was trying to make with the straw is that -- with enough venting, thru a large enough straw or other significant lapse of the labial seal -- there would not be enough pressure against the inside of the lips (which are being "contained" by the mpc) to cause the lips to vibrate.
Try closing off the end of the straw with you finger -- sound a tone -- open the straw as you're playing. ¿Results?
If you'd like to get together on a Skype call. I'd be glad to see how large of a vent (failure to seal) it would take to divert enough pressure from your air column to totally disable your ability to produce a sound. I'd be glad to send a boba straw to you in the mail before the demonstration. All in good fun!
-Denny |
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LSOfanboy
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2018 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Denny Schreffler wrote: |
Hi, fanboy,
The OP was talking about losing the buzz, which could be attributable to facial weakness due to his history of multiple strokes.
We agree that a 100% seal is not necessary. You leak a bit -- I leak a bit -- we know other competent players who leak. You proved a point on which we already agreed
The demonstration point that I was trying to make with the straw is that -- with enough venting, thru a large enough straw or other significant lapse of the labial seal -- there would not be enough pressure against the inside of the lips (which are being "contained" by the mpc) to cause the lips to vibrate.
Try closing off the end of the straw with you finger -- sound a tone -- open the straw as you're playing. ¿Results?
If you'd like to get together on a Skype call. I'd be glad to see how large of a vent (failure to seal) it would take to divert enough pressure from your air column to totally disable your ability to produce a sound. I'd be glad to send a boba straw to you in the mail before the demonstration. All in good fun!
-Denny |
Hi Denny,
Thanks for your response. I shall attempt to answer your points in turn, and apologise if the answers are more negative than you hoped for.
Firstly, we have both acknowledged that 'buzzing' is not an essential to playing the trumpet. Therefore the OP should not be too concerned about this particular skill.
Secondly, yes; I proved the point I was making. You have lost me a little bit here, as you seem to be agreeing with me and yet seeking to disprove the point we both 'agree' on. Certainly, you can take the point to an extreme, 'force' the sides of my (or any player's) lips wide apart and say 'look, you can't play like that'. However, unless the OP is recovering from a severe stroke that has completely ruined his facial integrity (in which case any playing would be impossible), this is not a relevant point. We have both agreed that a strict labial seal is not necessary (the mouthpiece can provide a great deal of help in this regard), and so its fair to say that the natural assets of jaw, teeth and lip formation are sufficient in themselves to create enough 'connection' between both lips (when coupled with a mouthpiece) to allow one to play very well indeed.
Thirdly, using a generously sized straw, the results I have found are the same as I reported earlier. Yes, with the straw open it is harder work (certainly a degree of air pressure is lost) and achieving a loud dynamic in the high register (above a concert high C) is difficult, but general purpose playing is still very achievable.
Finally, I am happy to decline your generous offer of a Skype call. I am, fortunately (and I can assure you it is not always the case), booked up quite heavily for the following week and am hardly home. When all is said and done, this is the OPs problem and not my own- I personally have nothing at all to prove with my playing.
All the best |
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gstump
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| Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 7:51 am Post subject: |
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Take 4-5 days off. I am serious. I am no neurologist......but.....the brain sends electrical messages to the muscles. As we get older and suffer from all kinds of illnesses and normal aging things can get a little foggy!
The embouchure from time to time needs a reboot. Too much practicing does not give the pathways and the muscles themselves time to reset.
You remember how to play. Your brain remembers how to play. Right now there is a disconnect. Don't ask me how I know this 
To quote my teacher, Carmine Caruso, "Don't Think!!"
Rest and rebuild. The tone will come back but I can tell you that this will pop up again after too many days in a row without time to rest and build.
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kehaulani
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Location: Hawai`i - Texas
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| Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:04 am Post subject: |
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| LSOfanboy wrote: | | . . we have both acknowledged that 'buzzing' is not an essential to playing the trumpet. Therefore the OP should not be too concerned about this particular skill. |
The buzz is the source of the vibration that becomes tone and pitch. Musn't it be continual?
There's a difference between not over-emphasising it and ignoring it's significance, altogether. I can't think of anythging more "essential" than the source of the sound, itself. No?
@gstump - we both know that the real solution is a good dip in the surf, followed up with a Teriyaki beef plate lunch! 
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gstump
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| Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:47 am Post subject: |
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I recommend Carpaccio. After all we are dealing with metal on raw flesh here!!
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LSOfanboy
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Joined: 08 Jul 2018
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| Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 9:14 am Post subject: |
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| kehaulani wrote: | | LSOfanboy wrote: | | . . we have both acknowledged that 'buzzing' is not an essential to playing the trumpet. Therefore the OP should not be too concerned about this particular skill. |
The buzz is the source of the vibration that becomes tone and pitch. Musn't it be continual?
There's a difference between not over-emphasising it and ignoring it's significance, altogether. I can't think of anythging more "essential" than the source of the sound, itself. No?
@gstump - we both know that the real solution is a good dip in the surf, followed up with a Teriyaki beef plate lunch! |
Hi,
We don't create a sound on the trumpet through buzzing. Rather the sound is formed when we stimulate a standing wave to form within the instrument, this is done by creating a difference between the inter-oral air pressure and atmospheric air pressure, which tried to neutralise itself via a rapidly opening/closing aperture. These 'pressure pulses' start a standing wave in the instrument and this is where the sound of the trumpet comes from. 'Buzzing' the lips has nothing to do with it. The trumpet is not, remember, an amplifier but instead a system within its own right- that is why we have a harmonic series and the 'centre' of notes. If the trumpet simply amplified the buzz from the lips then we could play any note with open valves and perfect resonance.
In laymen's terms, watch some of the videos of Wayne Bergeron or many others demonstrating how 'air' down a mouthpiece will turn into a proper note when placed into the trumpet. No buzzing involved.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that buzzing is the way that we form a sound on the trumpet. It may prove a useful tool for some, but is certainly not the actual process we go through to create a tone on the trumpet.
All the best
Edit: here is a link to a video of Wayne demonstrating my point. It starts at 10:10. https://youtu.be/1Wco0nNh1aM?t=610 |
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kehaulani
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| Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 9:40 am Post subject: |
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So you can produce the sound without buzzing? Cool!
@g -ono!
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
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EBjazz
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Denny Schreffler
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| Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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| LSOfanboy wrote: | | kehaulani wrote: | | LSOfanboy wrote: | | . . we have both acknowledged that 'buzzing' is not an essential to playing the trumpet. Therefore the OP should not be too concerned about this particular skill. |
The buzz is the source of the vibration that becomes tone and pitch. Musn't it be continual?
There's a difference between not over-emphasising it and ignoring it's significance, altogether. I can't think of anythging more "essential" than the source of the sound, itself. No?
@gstump - we both know that the real solution is a good dip in the surf, followed up with a Teriyaki beef plate lunch! |
Hi,
We don't create a sound on the trumpet through buzzing. Rather the sound is formed when we stimulate a standing wave to form within the instrument, this is done by creating a difference between the inter-oral air pressure and atmospheric air pressure, which tried to neutralise itself via a rapidly opening/closing aperture. These 'pressure pulses' start a standing wave in the instrument and this is where the sound of the trumpet comes from. 'Buzzing' the lips has nothing to do with it. The trumpet is not, remember, an amplifier but instead a system within its own right- that is why we have a harmonic series and the 'centre' of notes. If the trumpet simply amplified the buzz from the lips then we could play any note with open valves and perfect resonance.
In laymen's terms, watch some of the videos of Wayne Bergeron or many others demonstrating how 'air' down a mouthpiece will turn into a proper note when placed into the trumpet. No buzzing involved.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that buzzing is the way that we form a sound on the trumpet. It may prove a useful tool for some, but is certainly not the actual process we go through to create a tone on the trumpet.
All the best
Edit: here is a link to a video of Wayne demonstrating my point. It starts at 10:10. https://youtu.be/1Wco0nNh1aM?t=610 |
Semantics gets to be involved here -- the lips have to be driven to ocsillation (vibrate) for there to be a sound but we do not have to buzz into the mpc. The resonant system of the oral cavity (Mark Van Cleve calls it the Resonant Oral Cavity, Greg Spence calls it the Body's Concert Hall, I believe) and the acoustic impedance of the instrument feed mechanical energy to the lips.
I posted these earlier -- hear they are again. For sound production without buzzing, look at ...
https://mysterytomastery.com/beginner-page/ Number 2 -- Time to Play
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y0uuFa59brVvSCcdo49YT6OeDOSeEq_q/view?ts=5b8c094d
And some thoughts from Mark Van Cleve
https://allthingstrumpet.com/efficiency-through-resonant-intonation/
Once you get into this you'll recognize the difference between a "buzzed" sound and a ... let's call it a, "natural" sound.
-Denny |
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TrumpetMD
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2008
Posts: 2412
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for sharing your story. We all wish you the best.
Let me add another possible reason for your post-stroke challenges. The majority of people who have a stroke will develop "post-stroke fatigue". This fatigue can last for months or even years.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317313/
It's not about weakness, it's not exertional (like getting tired from walking), and it does not improve with rest. You are just constantly fatigued, for what appears to be no good reason. And I suspect it might be hard to create much of a buzz if you're constantly fatigued.
I don't know your specific situation, so this may not apply to you. But if you think this is contributing to your trumpet-playing challenges, it might be worth talking to your physician about post-stroke fatigue.
Best of luck,
Mike
_________________
Bach Stradivarius 43* Trumpet (1974), Bach 6C Mouthpiece.
Bach Stradivarius 184 Cornet (1988), Yamaha 13E4 Mouthpiece
Olds L-12 Flugelhorn (1969), Yamaha 13F4 Mouthpiece.
Plus a few other Bach, Getzen, Olds, Carol, HN White, and Besson horns. |
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