I can second the concept Of sing and buzz. This summer working with Fergus McWilliam he pushed a concept of his the McWilliam four step... you sing it, intonation pitch and everything correct. After one masters that you whistle (or do the blowing thing that those who cant whistle do =P.) Same rules apply. Flowed by buzzing it. same rules.... Than we add the horn to the mouthpiece and buzz it like we whistled it like we sung it, and believe me, you know instantly and we watched person after person prove the theory. It works. It was like Fergus told me, "that little hole, is your portal to another world" I support buzzing! Mat
On 8/6/07, Johnson, Timothy A <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > "If you have a horn available to play, then I see little use in > mouthpiece buzzing." - Jonathan West > > With respect, I would submit that there are some uses for mouthpiece > buzzing - particularly for younger and amateur horn players. > > There is a tendency I have observed, to play somewhat approximately - > without having a clear concept of the pitch in mind - letting the horn > force the right pitch (more or less) with its harmonic series. While > this works passably well in the lower to middle range, it is full of > danger in the higher ranges where one will find many pitches close > together. This is not from lack of ability, though. It may be > laziness, or simply lack of understanding, but when most players listen > to a piece, they can identify poor intonation, and if asked to sing the > same piece, will be able to do so quite readily and accurately (I'm not > talking "Queen of the Night" Aria here). > > Removing the horn with its harmonic crutch from the equation while > buzzing the mouthpiece does a couple things. It will enable the player > to focus on the pitch without other technical distractions. If you can > hear the pitch, you can play it. If you can't hear it, it will be > obvious. Buzzing can also clear up problems with too much pressure or > tension. > > I have seen Bernhard Scully use this in a master class to significantly > improve the playing of an already quite talented performer. I have used > it myself to help my two sons (one Horn, the other Trumpet) with their > playing. When they are having trouble with a particular passage, I will > have them stop playing and take a moment to first sing it. If they > can't sing it, then they don't know the music and are just guessing. We > stop to learn what it should sound like - then, play the piece with just > mouthpiece, taking care to keep the pitch as accurate as possible. > After that is accomplished, we go back to the instrument. I find that > this significantly improves their playing. > > Timothy A. Johnson > > -----Original Message----- > From: Jonathan West > Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 7:43 AM > To: horn@music.memphis.edu > Subject: Re: [Hornlist] What should I be doing in the practice room? > > If you have a horn available to play, then I see little use in > mouthpiece > buzzing. As far as I'm concerned, mouthpiece buzzing is of limited use, > basically to try to keep your lip in where you can't play the horn > itself > because it would disturb your neighbors, or because you are travelling > and > cannot take the horn with you. > > But if those situations don't apply, then I think it better to spend > your > time actually practicing the horn. > > Regards > Jonathan West > > _______________________________________________ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/hornboy101%40gmail.com > -- Mathew James _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
