As mentioned in the last two posts, matching pitch while playing the mouthpiece is an important goal. But we can work on other things. Just as you might do long tones on the trumpet, we can play long tones on the mouthpiece.

Just like free buzzing or buzzing with the visualizer, I like to start off a long tone on the mouthpiece with a breath attack. I think of “pooh” in order to get the aperture nice and small, so that response and efficiency are better. There is less resistance on the mouthpiece, so I like to give myself a challenge by playing softly. If I can get a response while buzzing softly on the mouthpiece, then I know that when I switch to playing the trumpet, my response will be easy and efficient.

While playing the note, I listen for a balance between a certain looseness and focus. Most trumpeters are too “focused” when they buzz on the mouthpiece. Instead, try getting a less-focused tone by relaxing the aperture. Your goal is to produce a beautiful, fluffy sound.

Watch this video for a live demonstration in some of these mouthpiece-buzzing concepts.