[Trombone-l] Free-buzzing opinions

[james meador]

I think the whole idea is a good balance in daily studies.  Any one thing in 
excess can cause problems.  Milk does a body good, but if you drink a gallon 
of it you will have problems.  I can't remember what happened the last time 
I drank too much alcohol...

I knew a guy who could play some of the most amazing lip slurs I have ever 
heard...but he couldn't play much else.  Any and every time I heard him 
practicing, he was ALWAYS doing lip slurs.  That is great if you have a job 
where you play lip slurs for a living.  Otherwise, you need balance.

My contention is a small amount of freebuzzing (which, BTW is buzzing 
without a mouthpiece or rim) combined with mouthpiece buzzing combined with 
BERP or other resistance training combined with the horn, etc. probably will 
not hurt, but freebuzzing an hour a day will destroy any embouchure relating 
to playing brass instruments.

James

======================
James N. Meador, Bass Trombone
Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán
+52-999-221-5845 cell
+52-999-195-1144 home
jamesmeador at hotmail.com



From: Douglas Ward <dwdraw at gmail.com>
To: trombone-l at server5.samford.edu
Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Free-buzzing opinions
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2007 8:19 PM

On Feb 7, 2007, at 11:55 AM, Joshua Hauser wrote:

    I have been doing a lot of free buzzing over the last few months  since 
Sam
Burtis posted his pictures of the evidence of free buzzing on his  
embouchure
and have found it to be very useful.  I also have been looking at  other
pictures of trombone players ‘in action’ and have been trying to  use those
as a model for embouchure efficiency.  It took about a month or so  before I
began to see any lasting effects, but after doing 5-10 minutes of free
buzzing per day for several months, I have developed a much more  efficient
embouchure and have found that my breathing is more effective as  well.  I
noticed this in quintet rehearsal a few weeks ago when I realized  that I 
was
making phrases that were several bars longer than I would have been  able to
last semester.

That brings me to my question and a topic that I hope you will  comment on
(especially Sam).  While surfing on youtube the other day, I came  across
this video clip of Arnold Jacobs.  Not to dismiss any of his wisdom
regarding breathing, but this seems to be totally contradictory to  my 
recent
experience both for myself and my students regarding free buzzing vs.
mouthpiece buzzing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqTUwX0OVpM

Comments?

Josh




Living near Chicago and having been around the Chicago crowd some, I  know 
free buzzing is traditionally taboo, and using the rim cutout is  still 
preferred. I've found free buzzing useful, but it's not as easy  to do the 
right way as it is to pick up a mouthpiece.

Perhaps Charlie Vernon has one of the most PC views which,  paraphrased, is: 
I don't free buzz because I think it uses muscles  that aren't used when 
playing, and can be harmful, but, my friend  Bill Watrous free buzzes and 
can play a lot of amazing high licks I  can't play.

Alessi doesn't advocate it, either.
Alain Trudel teaches it in his buzzing masterclasses.
And, the list goes on. Obviously, it works well for some people, but  not 
for everyone.