strange double buzz out of nowhere

[Captain Sousie]

I know you've probably tried it but I got rid of a lot of my double buzz problems by buzzing on the mouthpiece. I tried a lot of things but that was the only one that consistently worked.

The only other exercise I ever had any success with was a 'popping' one. To do it you take the horn away from the face and relax your facial muscles. You then visualize the feeling you need to create the note. Then you try to hear the note. When you have the note and way to play it firmly in your mind, bring the horn up to the face and without taking time to set the note, you play it. The effect is that you play the note the instant the mouthpiece hits your face. Sounds weird but it worked for me.

Good luck,
Sou

[bububassboner]

This has happened to me when I play for REALLY long amounts of time for 2-3 weeks straight. If you have done this take a day off. It always helps me.

[Ryan_Beucke]

Are you saying that this is a mechanical issue (like the instrument itself is buzzing), or a chops issue?

If it's chops, I would say you've got the right idea, take a break. But I would recommend still playing, but only maybe 20 minutes of mf long tones, on the mid to lower register. If your lips actually feel tired though, at the beginning of the day before any playing, then don't even bother. That's a sign that your lips are REALLY blown out.

On a side note, just in case you don't know this already, make sure you practice with frequent breaks. Especially if you're going to practice a lot during the course of a day, make sure you take a good 5 minute break every 20-30 minutes or so, to drink some water and walk around. It'll help your lips AND your mind recover and be at their best.

Good luck!

[timayer]

That happened to me this summer when I got a new horn, and it was just that I needed to pull out my slide more on the A on the bottom of the staff. It double buzzed because my lips were trying to play it in tune, but the tubing was too short, and so my lips got into a fight with physics, and physics won. Worth a shot. I think it's the cheapest solution.

[Casey Tucker]

this happens to me when i get lazy with my chops. i'll stop thinking about the fundamentals and let something go lax and i'll get a double buzz. usually, if i let my cheeks puff out or fill with air while i play i'll get the double buzz. i like what everyone else has said, TAKE A BREAK! practicing that much is good and productive but if you don't allow yourself to recover it will be detrimental to your playing. over the weekend, buzz to a couple tunes on the radio and at the most play long low tones. other than that you should just relax. next week if it's still happening play in front of a mirror and make sure everything is set the way you have always played. if you see yourself puffing cheeks, relaxing muscles, etc. fix it. hope this helps.

-casey

[Raul I. Rodriguez]

Aside from all the great advice everyone has given you (mainly to take a break from playing), you ought to try to strive for more "balance" in your regimen. If you were practicing 4-5 hours a day before state was it just the excerpts, solos, too much high register, not enough low register? You see where I'm going with this?

The approach that helped me with my "double buzz" was to implement more balance. Lots of slow, melodic playing at an extremely quiet dynamic. Be careful not to over blow either. That'll get the lips to split frequencies and create the double buzz.

Good luck with it and be sure to give it time. It won't happen as quick as you might want it to.

take care,

Raul

[Frank Byrne]

The infamous double buzz or "rattle" as Arnold Jacobs used to call it, was diagnosed by him as entirely an issue of insufficient air to the embouchure, usually because air was being restricted by the tongue.

The fix?

1) Loud mouthpiece playing -- familiar songs

2) Mental concept of "OH" with a big oral cavity - keep that dang tongue down.

3) Ensure you have an abundant air supply in the lungs -- when some of us get down to the end, there is a subconscious tendency to conserve air and starve the embouchure.

4) think "FAST air" and not air pressure

Good luck!

Frank

[rascaljim]

When I've had to deal with this for myself, I've found the problem is often where I'm blowing to in the mouthpiece. I find if my air stream is blowing straight down the center I sometimes get a double buzz from just extra lip tissue buzzing. Whereas when I blow slightly above or below the center of the mouthpiece, I never hear it. I've found other benefits as well.

Give it a shot.
Jim Langenberg