Mr. Jacobs learned the benefits of mouthpiece buzzing at an early age – hear him explain this! Buzzing should only be done for a short period of time and can also be done on a mouthpiece rim. The signal from the brain passes through the seventh cranial nerve to the lips as demonstrated by Adolph Herseth who sings, buzzes and plays the Promenade from Pictures at an Exhibition.

From Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind*

When Jacobs was a boy, he was hospitalized for months. At that time, he was playing the trumpet, and his mother brought him his mouthpiece. It was here that he first learned the benefit of mouthpiece practice. He was buzzing the mouthpiece all the time. When they finally released him, he went home and picked up his trumpet. After a few moments to reestablish the feeling of the partials, he found that he played better than when he entered the hospital.

By playing only on the mouthpiece, the instrument’s acoustic resonation is removed. There is much stimulus involved with the instrument. A player will pick it up, put his hand in position, and a signal is sent from the mind to the embouchure at the mouthpiece. At this point, the instrument resonates.

To introduce change, removing the instrument will force the student into recall and mentalization so that he can immediately concentrate on the musical factor. All of the tissues involved in playing are still involved with the exception of the hands holding and fingering the instrument. When returning to the instrument, the signal being sent to the embouchure is usually improved.

Another method of mouthpiece practice is using a mouthpiece rim [visualizer]. Jacobs does not recommend buzzing without a ring to isolate the embouchure’s vibrations that go from the center to the edges of the lip. There is the possibility of deterioration of the lip’s muscles without the use of a rim. He recommends that buzzing should only be done in the low and middle range for only two or three minutes at a time.

Jacobs does not encourage practicing long tones or drill forms on the mouthpiece. Instead he encourages practicing music and songs to connect musical thoughts and the lip. “I never give exercises or drills, but challenge students with simple music, such as Pop Goes the Weasel.”

After studying with Jacobs, Paul Ebbers writes, “Playing on the mouthpiece alone removes the instrument, but it does not remove the need to think. Mouthpiece practice helps connect the ability to hear a pitch in your head with the ability to play the pitch with your lips. Many players do not send a pitch into the instrument—they just blow and use their fingers to find the notes. Invariably, successful players can sing their parts. If you learn to sing using your voice to create the right pitch, sound, and style, the concepts can be transferred to an instrument. The same ideas will apply to the ‘vocal chords’ of the tuba—your embouchure.”

*Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind, Copyright 1996 Windsong Press, Ltd., All rights reserved.