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Tagged: "double buzz" lips embouchure visualizer

This topic has 2 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 10 months ago by beautymountainfarm2.

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- 11 September 2018 at 8:10 am #8434
  
  beautymountainfarm2
  Participant
  
  Hi Greg – could you talk about what causes the double buzz, and how to keep it from happening? I’ve got it happening now, playing the slurred-thirds 16ths from Bb to D (on the D’s). I hold the D, and it’s still there.
  
  1. I don’t *feel* fatigued. (But perhaps fatigue is the cause nevertheless?) And my tone is good otherwise – i.e., when I play lower and the d.b. stops.
  2. My extra note is ALWAYS precisely one octave down from the note I’m playing, and has a raspy tone.
  3. When it’s happening, I can clearly feel that lower buzz on the tip of my upper lip.
  4. It doesn’t happen all the time. But when it does start, it continues.
  5. I don’t recall the d.b. ever happening from about the middle of the staff down.
  
  Thanks!
- 12 September 2018 at 7:58 pm #8460
  
  Greg Spence
  Keymaster
  
  Hi Beautymountainfarm2, My understanding of the double buzz is the lips are to tight for the note you are trying to play. I suggest doing some really soft ‘pu’ attacks followed by a long soft tone.
  
  Once you have done that starting on the Bb really softly, start doing some gradual crescendos to see where it breaks up, then rest and go up to B, C etc etc.
  
  You are realigning so this phenomenon is not unusual.
  
  Stay in touch.
  
  cheers,
  Greg
- 13 September 2018 at 1:26 am #8471
  
  beautymountainfarm2
  Participant
  
  Update!
  So I received my visualizer yesterday, and for the first time ever saw what’s going on behind the mouthpiece. I don’t know if this is common or not, but… in my case, the center lower bit of the top lip (the procheilon, as I just learned it’s called) extends downward in a pointy sort of way – only noticeable when I pucker.
  
  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Surface_anatomy_of_the_human_lips.png
  
  As I buzzed up the staff with the visualizer, I noticed a second, larger aperture open on the *right* side. Whoa.
  
  Well. I’ve been playing for decades with the mp slightly to *left* of center – using the smaller aperture, apparently – and with the horn pointed somewhat to the left. It appears that I may have been playing this way because placing the mp in the lateral center didn’t working for me in the past, so i unconsciously adapted. (Of course I then asked myself: Could this explain why my double buzz has been an octave lower? Because of this other, larger aperture on the right side starting to open and vibrate?)
  
  After centering the visualizer on this larger aperture and observing for awhile while letting the air produce a buzz, I switched to the mp, and then finally to the horn, aiming the bell pretty much straight ahead, which is where it seems to sound best now. Wow. Big, beautiful sound from pp through fff. Flexibility seems a bit improved as well. And the double buzz seems to be gone, at least it is so far.)
  
  (It may be helpful to note that I had good classical technique back in college, but my consistent, useable range was limited to D concert above high C. So no piccolo repertoire for me.)
  
  Anyway, I’m not a teacher, and I may totally be misinterpreting what I’m seeing and hearing. But I’m going to be using this new positioning for the time being.
  
  So +1 for experimentation, and +1 also for finally getting a visualizer. The journey continues.
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