The Brass Tactics Buzz Aid allows you to buzz your mouthpiece while it is placed in the horn. The horn is in effect turned into a ‘holder’ for the mouthpiece, as air is diverted through a hole in the bottom of the buzz aid. The buzz aid does not add any resistance; buzzing with the buzz-aid feels essentially the same as buzzing your mouthpiece without it. This promotes the free flow of air, so important to a vibrant tone.
By focusing attention on the vibration of the lips, mouthpiece buzzing reveals and can correct many bad habits. It can improve range, tone, intonation and accuracy, and pinpoints specific frequencies where the embouchure does not vibrate efficiently. You also improve your ear-the pitch you hear is the pitch you buzz. Mouthpiece buzzing is a very effective practice technique, endorsed by many great teachers including James Stamp, Jim Thompson, Jimmy Maxwell and Vincent Chicowicz.
Advantages
Using a Buzz-Aid provides several distinct advantages over buzzing the mouthpiece by itself.
- By placing the mouthpiece in the horn, you naturally adopt correct playing posture and the position and manipulation of the mouthpiece on the lips more accurately replicates the feel of playing the instrument.
- You are now able to move the valves or slide in co-ordination with the changing pitches. Playing a difficult passage first on the Buzz Aid helps you to ‘blow through a phrase’, rather than getting hung up on individual notes.
- Students take buzzing more seriously with the horn in their hands. The ‘gadget’ aspect appeals to young students.
Brass Tactics Buzz Aids are now available for all brass instruments. Email for more information.