Mouthpiece Buzzing
Buzzing Book Warm-Up for Low Brass
Using James Thompson's Buzzing Book
Mouthpiece Buzzing can help players improve their audiation skills, strengthen the ear-to-embouchure connection, help with centering or "slotting" notes, and improve air flow/usage
These are the exercises that I do to reinforce a good centered buzz on all of the mouthpieces that I play on. Right now, I am playing euphonium, F Tuba, CC Tuba, and Sousaphone a lot so I’m trying to make sure that I have a similar setup on all mouthpieces and spend a little time on each of them during my warm-up. This could also be useful for people that play trombone, bass trombone, or baritone as well. Adapt this to fit your needs. If you’re only playing on one instrument, then only do these exercises on your main mouthpiece.
I love doing these Buzzing Book exercises because it keeps me switching back and forth between buzzing and playing. This helps me draw connections between what I need to listen for in a “good” buzz and how to transfer that to a good sound on the instrument.
With the mouthpiece only exercises I am going for an airy and gooey sounding buzz. I want my embouchure to be as relaxed as possible and allow my air to flow freely through it. I’m mainly listening for intonation and trying to start each note with air and in the center of the pitch.
Warm-Up
do these exercises in an appropriate octave - for euphonium these will be down an octave and for tuba these will be down two octaves
Exercise 1
done on the smallest mouthpiece, for me its a euphonium mouthpiece
using the “More Air” Towel
Exercise 2
instead of sustaining for two whole notes I do the descending version of beautiful sounds each time, but still include the cresc/decresc
Mouthpiece: Euphonium
Horn: CC Tuba
Exercise 3
Mouthpiece: Euphonium
Horn: CC Tuba
Exercise 4
Mouthpiece: Euphonium
Horn: CC Tuba
Exercise 5
Mouthpiece: F Tuba
Horn: CC Tuba
Exercise 6
Mouthpiece: F Tuba
Horn: CC Tuba
Exercise 8
-by this point I’m feeling pretty warmed up and usually just do this on the CC Tuba
Horn: CC Tuba
Exercise 9
Horn: CC Tuba