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James Thompson Buzzing Book


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jarrelainen
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know if this belongs to Stamp forum but I just had to say something.

Since I got the Buzzing basics and have been doing the exercises combined with a BERP and paying close attention to the dynamics marked, it has had tremendous almost incredible results on my sound and flexibility!

I haven't moved on from the first four exercises yet, since I'm on my 4-5th week only.

Anyone out there using this book also? and is it possible to use some stamp exercises alongside or exchanging them some days?
Let me know what Your experiences are and if there are things to look after when doing them that are important?

Take care, JK
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trumpetDS
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 2:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Buzzing Basic works very well with both the Stamp and Caruso method. If I remember correctly, Mr. Thompson meant for it to be used alone or in conjuntion with other methods. I believe that you always start with 1-4 even after you move on.
The first time I saw the Buzzing Basics presented in a master class, I did not care for them. A year later, after a second clinic, I gave them a real try for a few months. I been doing them ever since and use them with all of my students. The benefits I found were a much more effecient embouchure and more consistancy in range and attacks.
Resting afterwards helped me a lot too. These are not calistenics even though you use the long chop setting.

[ This Message was edited by: trumpetDS on 2004-02-15 17:49 ]
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jarrelainen
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 1:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes I agree, they might not look like any revolutionary exercises but they really work! When doing the exercises should i keep the setting and mpc on my face even between the exercises or just through one exercise at a time?
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trumpetherald
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I recall from hearing JT talk about these, he felt that much of the stuff in the Stamp drills starts out at a relatively advanced level that's not appropriate for everyone, thus the origin of the word 'Basics' in the title.

Mike Zonshine might know more - he studied with Jim ... Mike?

As far as I'm concerned (IMHO), there's nothing in 'Buzzing Basics' which is contradictory or incompatible with Stamp's stuff.

Quote:
jarrelainen:
When doing the exercises should i keep the setting and mpc on my face even between the exercises or just through one exercise at a time?


Hmm, I would recommend that you concentrate on getting a relaxed, even slightly airy, quality to the buzz, and let the mechanics take care of themselves. If you're careful and consistent with how you do the buzzing, the 'setting' of your embouchure will stabilize quite naturally over time.

TD
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Mzony
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 11:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi,

I love the Buzzing Book...although I had a pretty rough start with it. When I first started learning it, Thompson explained that the glissando was the most "basic" form of playing...More basic than the more "advanced" schools of playing (ie. Stamp, Cichowicz, Adam, etc.). He also explained that all the schools of playing, when played correctly, allowed one to play with all the positive attributes of any other school of playing.
The Buzzing Book is a simplification of these more "advanced" schools of playing and can certainly be used in conjunction with any other studies. The Buzzing Book enables one to have all the tools to begin learing any of these other schools.
The use of these studies with the "soundtrack" is valuable, in that it enables one to tune to something reliable, keeping your pitch and time in tack from the get go.
I will say this: These "simple" excercises can create MAJOR changes in your playing. They certainly did for me. I would first approach these first four excercises when you have a relatively light couple of weeks of playing ahead.
I say that because when I first started working on them, I was a very strong player. However, these excerpts really force one to play with as little movement and as efficently as possible through the glissando, and I quite clearly was not nearly as efficent as I thought I was.
After I started working on these, I got very stiff for a couple of weeks, but when I got out of this stifness, my sound was so much more resonant than before. These excercises created a dramatic change in my playing, one that I was thrilled with.
I hope this helps.
One final word, if I may: These excercises can be extremely tiring to anybody. I would not advise doing them a half hour before your first rehearsal....If I have a 9am children's concert, I tend to incorporate these concepts through a Stamp warm up.
Again, I hope this helps...In reading this post, I realize I may have caused more confusion than clarity, but perhaps I will try again later.

Mike
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Derek Reaban
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

JK,

I posted my impressions on this book quite a while ago in the Fundamentals folder. You can see my comments at: http://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=12702&forum=2. Like the others who have commented so far, I can't say enough good things about the Jim Thompson book. You might find some worthwhile suggestions from my post in the link.

Good luck!
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jarrelainen
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for all the great replys!

One thing that I've noticed is that I have been playing with lots and lots of unnecessary tension in the embouchure especially in the middle of the lips, where it should be totally free to vibrate.
These exercises have cured my sound problems in low and middle register, (so far) since I haven't began doing the exercises further ahead, but I notice the benefits partially even if I play stuff above my buzzing book exercise range

Just one question:
When do I know I'm ready to move forward from exercises 1-4, I'm not in a hurry but what/how do I know?

When doing these exercises I strive for good timed breath and listening to the sound, if it sounds good it is good!
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Mzony
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think you will know when it is truly time to advance yourself in the book. When you feel that you have the basics (and the first four excercises really have the basic elements of the entire book in them) of the first four, and you feel that your playing has adjusted well to it, then move on to the next two.
Thompson seemed to move me two at a time...I had to look at my lesson notes for that tidbit, but that is what I would do.
Hope that helps.

Mike
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Derek Reaban
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 10:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

JK,

I will echo what Mzony has said. My whole premise for using the Thompson book was to enhance the resonance in my sound. As I began to experience more ring, color, vibrancy creep into my sound while playing the first four exercises, my work with the book began to validate my original intent.

When I couple the idea of resonance with these quotes from James Stamp (and Roy Poper), it should give you a better understanding of what I was looking for to know that I was ready to advance to the next exercises:

Stamp believed that one of the keys to a good upper register was to play the middle register in the center of the horn and to not allow a large amount of accumulated lip and body tension to creep into the middle register.

Stay as loose as possible in the center of the lip while buzzing.


When I had truly achieved a resonant and colorful sound in this middle and low register, I observed what it felt like to produce this sound. Lip and body tension was minimal and the center of my lips was as loose as possible. When I really accepted that this is the quality that I needed to cultivate in my playing, then I was ready to move on to the next exercises. I believe that if you start to introduce “a large amount of accumulated lip and body tension” to exercises 5-8, you are missing the point. If that happens, step back, evaluate why you believe that you had success in the first four exercises and then carry that quality with you forward into the later exercises. I think you will find the same thing that I did!

I hope this helps! Good luck!


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[ This Message was edited by: Derek Reaban on 2004-02-17 13:34 ]
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jarrelainen
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 11:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Today when I was practicing the first four exercises felt great, very resonant and not forced! By that time I was very happy with the way I sounded.

The thing is that after the exercises I can play scales and arpeggios that sound very good, but as soon as I begin my ordinary practicing and have the notes in front of me, somehow I can feel something is not right(by the way it sounds) since almost everything that I "need" practice goes above C2 and then I begin having problems, its so depressing to know how I sounded when doing the exercises in BB and see/hear the deteriorating sound when playing my other Arban etc material...
Should I wait with practicing stuff that goes above C2 for now or just keep on practicing?

Maybe this will go away the more I incorporate the buzzing book fundamentals, but I guess there is no shortcuts I just have to be patient and keep on practicing.

Thanks for all your kind advice and help.
Take care, JK
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MauiTrumpet
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 21, 2004 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had the pleasure of working with Mike with the basic set of exercises of the Buzzing Basics, and I can say that for me, I also had a couple of weeks where it really felt like I couldn't do anything after I was done doing them, but after those couple of weeks, I had a sound that was unlike anything I was used to hearing coming out of my bell. I really, really think that these things work very well, and they're a great complement to any school of playing that you adhere to.

One of the things that I especially love about the Buzzing Basics is that it teaches you to play very neutral, without shifting around a lot, which is a huge problem for me. The Buzzing Basics really help you settle in and get secure, which is great feeling.

Now that I've said my piece...I'm off to the practice room.
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jarrelainen
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2004 3:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, I agree, I've had some interesting experiences lately doing these exercises, they kind of unconsciously enhances the embouchure and breathing!

I'll get back and tell more when I've been doing these for some time...

/JK
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cornet42
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 22, 2004 1:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have try the Buzzing Book in 5 week , iam very suprise of the respons from my playing after doing buzzing ex
My emb feel very good ,I play more freely in upper reg and my progres for good sound is accelrate i think .
My be i Hope to much ?
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cjtrpt
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know this is an older post, but I just started doing #1-4. Mike, do you use 1-4 as a warm up, or do you approach it a little later on?

thanks,

Conrad
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cheiden
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've not studied from the Thompson book but my teacher who was a long time Stamp student has looked into it extensively. His comments to me were what I'd characterise as "too much of a good thing". According to him Stamp placed a high importance on buzzing and doing so correctly but he specifically advised against prolonged and extended buzzing. From what I understand the Buzzing book either prescribes or results in much more buzzing than Stamp advocated for. I would think Stamp adherants wishing to use the Buzzing book would be wise to approach the exercises with restraint.
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dbacon
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DB

Last edited by dbacon on Sat Jul 02, 2022 4:19 pm; edited 1 time in total
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cheiden
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

dbacon wrote:
In a lesson with Mr. Jacobs he told me to mouthpiece practice about 20 mins a day, melodies etc...I asked in another lesson why 20 mins?..he smiled and said, "So you'd do 5-10 mins!"..and after a couple of lessons we didn't play mouthpiece at all...right to the Arban/Clarke/Schlossberg flow studies..then music!!

5-10 sounds about right. It also need to be said that for some folks buzzing doesn't provide benefit and sometimes it even does more harm than good.
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dbacon
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 11:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DB

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JoshRzepka
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

While I was at Oberlin I studied with Roy Poper, I know he is a big fan of buzzing basics. He has used it many times as a step to get people into Stamp.

I think it is a great book, and used it for a while.

- Josh
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swthiel
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cjtrpt wrote:
I know this is an older post, but I just started doing #1-4. Mike, do you use 1-4 as a warm up, or do you approach it a little later on?

thanks,

Conrad

I've rotated the book out of my routine for a while, but I have had success with it both as the first thing I've played in the day and as part of a later session. Different people look at "warming up" differently and use the beginning of their playing day to accomplish different things. You might want to try using it both ways and see what works best for you.
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