Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • December 2014
20
contribute to the buzz, and will lead to problems with
their tone quality.
Buzzing on a mouthpiece is great for teaching
beginners the technique for brass playing. It develops
the embouchure muscles, and builds strength and
endurance. Again, be sure to insist on these proper
low brass-playing fundamentals from the start.
• The teeth need to be open inside mouth. Some
beginners tend to have their teeth closed while
buzzing. Open teeth allow the air to move into the
instrument properly.
• The tongue should be at the bottom of the mouth.
Like saying the word “taw.” Some beginners tend to
place their tongues forward against their teeth while
buzzing. The tongue out of the way also allows for
proper airflow into the instrument.
• If the student has a nasally sound, most likely their teeth
are closed, or their tongue is arched toward their teeth.
Common Buzzing Bad Habits
• Lip puckering results in a fleshy embouchure. It will
be difficult to keep the aperture defined and flexible with
too much flesh around it. This will result in different
contact points for the air to move though, causing a
double buzz, or other problems with the sound.
• Puffing cheeks will widen the aperture too much.
This will also lead to control and accuracy problems
since the aperture is not clear and controlled.
• Smiling lips will thin out the aperture and pull it too
much laterally. The aperture needs to be a precise oval,
and smiling will cause it to be too long. This will lead to
a thin or airy sound, and note accuracy problems.
Teach students how to change the pitch while
buzzing. When practicing on the mouthpiece, it is
good to produce smooth sirens and glissandos.
• The aperture gets narrower for higher pitches, and
wider for lower pitches. This is inner mouthpiece control.
• Have students think of using “aw” and “ee” syllables.
“Aw” for lownotes, and “ee” for higher notes. These syllables
put the mouth in the right shape to play each register.
• Also think the direction of the air in the mouthpiece
for range. While playing, directing the air downward
towards the chin can help a player’s high range.
While buzzing on the mouthpiece is great for a
player’s development, it is also important to remember
to play more on the instrument than on the mouthpiece.
They have different resistances, so the feel is different.
Our ultimate goal is to have students play better on
the instrument, so have them achieve good sounds on
the instrument.
Euphoniumand tuba students will begin to strengthen
their embouchure muscles and get in different habits of
playing. So it is very important to start the students off
on an efficient path with good fundamentals. Be sure
they avoid bad habits that cause inefficiencies. Let the
tone quality and pitch accuracy be your guide on when
to change things in their embouchure. Making changes
early in a student’s development is easier than major
embouchure changes later.
The Embouchure
• Say the letter “M” to put the lips in place to buzz.
• Avoid lip puckering, puffing cheeks, and smiling lips.
• Keep a defined aperture that is also flexible
• Teeth need to be open inside mouth.
• Place the mouthpiece in the center of the lips and teeth.
• Buzzing on a mouthpiece is great for teaching the
technique of brass playing.
• Buzzing develops embouchure muscles, and builds
strength and endurance.
• Tongue placement inside the mouth influences tone
production.
• The size of the aperture changes the pitch.
• The direction of the air in the mouthpiece, and the
shape of the mouth can influence range.
What ’s Going On Back There?!
Teaching Beginning Euphonium and Tuba