My name is Dion Tucker. I am a professional jazz trombonist based in NYC. After developing embouchure dystonia in 2019 and spending months training and rehabilitating my "chops", I decided to start The Chops Shop---a platform where strategies are provided for brass players to avoid embouchure misuse and overuse, and to share techniques with other musicians to enhance their musical abilities.
I provide individualized lessons and methods for musicians to perform more efficiently and execute music more confidently. Lessons are taught online via www.thechops-shop.com and in person through one-on-one and group clinic formats. The Chops Shop is the place to learn and discuss different approaches to playing your instrument as well as how those same concepts can be applied to improvisation, solo performances and having a healthier mental approach to playing music. This channel will feature instructional videos and performance tips.
But "mmm" plus blow into free air equals just air flow. Buzzing requires additional effort in the lip action, to "clamp" the lips, which is not required to play into the resonant instrument. If you play the instrument with the same action and effort as Buzzing, then the resulting tone is NOT pleasing. It is also inefficient, so more air effort is required as well. It is a counterproductive way to teach beginners for sure.
Hey love the tips I’m a beginning band playing for middle school and I need your help on getting those high notes for the brass instruments specifically the baritone
I never cease to be amazed that almost every brass teacher is fanatical about buzzing. The sound is not caused by buzzing. The lips resonate, ie, they react to the sound wave set up by causing turbulence in the cup when you blow. It is similar to whistling. You don't buzz to whistle.
@@davidyoung6834 many band directors aren’t brass players so they teach what they learned in a music ed course in college. That’s the root of the issue.
I feel like it’s a mind thing. Your lips have to vibrate/buzz to make a sound, but the placement of the lips in the mouthpiece should help create the buzz depending on the setup and embouchure placement. I feel like if you end up getting to much air sound, it’s probably because the aperture is too big or you are not using enough air or consistent stream of air to support or sustain the vibration/buzz. It’s almost like a reed or a grass. The sound is created by the vibration with the air support, but the setup needs to be there, the reed or grass needs enough tension to support the vibration. For brass, the lips need to be setup well inside the mouthpiece to be able to have the sound to come out.
I love this approach. I’m kinda going through a re-transformation with my playing right now realizing how unhappy with my sound I was and focusing back on fundamentals. This was really helpful.
I don't know if my experience is unique, but when I play (euphonium player btw), my embouchure tenses up, if I'm moving air its tense, the only time it doesn't happen is when I play in the lower register. I assumed this issue would be more easily resolved after a recent dental surgery, but the issue persisted and I'm running out of options. There are times where I get it under control for a second or two and then I lose it and it cuts my range down severely. I do apologize if asking for personalized advice in a comment section!
Dear, dear Dion. I'm writing from France. I'm 51. I've bought my first trombone last wednesday. PBone tenor, no cash for brass, and a proper mouth piece. I' ve watched all your videos, sometimes several times. You can't imagine how thankful I am. No buzzing, just blowing!!! :))) and listening to what comes out of the bell! I can now play all notes, from low Bb to High F, E, Eb. You're a magician! I love the way you share things, subtle, unspeakable things, finding the words to explain such things as blowing and breathing. I love the tennis video! A million thanks Dion. Thankful and friendly thoughts from France.
I have a solo in my marching band playing the the marching baritone, because the mouthpieces is similar i thought this video may help, it does, but i am very experienced with flutter tounging but whenever i transfer it to the baritone, its just not raspy enough and sounds like im a bad baritone player, any advice?
So to clarify, playing high notes doesn't necessarily mean I should have to tighten my lips, right? I'm a new player, playing about 6 months, and the highest I can play is probably high F with 2 ledger lines above the staff. I find that in order to play this note I have to tighten my lips like crazy which produces a low-quality sound, and also limits how much higher I can play. What can I do to play high notes easier and have better sound quality?
Thanks so much for all this great advice! (I've just watched about 10 of your videos, so impressed!) As a French horn player, I definately over think my playing, paralysis by analysis definately applies! Yesterday was la fête de la musique here in France, playing outside in gusty wind and cold definately helped shift the focus too.🤣Looking forward to activating all your trombone tips, it definately makes playing more mellow. 👍
Try playing Eb in 3rd then move it to sharp 2nd position. The partials are very close between Db and Eb in second position. Sometimes it’s hard to lock in when you’re getting the sound of the note in your ear.
Try playing Eb in 3rd position then move it to sharp 2nd. Db and Eb are very close partials in 2nd position. Get the sound and feel of Eb in its natural overtone first, then try 2nd position.
You should learn the trombone shorty solo from st James infirmary it’s beautiful Oh this is chestnuts roasting played this last year didnt look at the title yep the Christmas song
Hi Dion, could you please make a brief statement of how long it took you to recover fully from FD and how much time you spent daily? I am asking, because I would love to bring my dystonia on the trombone away and want to plan for the future
I would say it took me about 6 months to get back to the point I was prior to Dystonia. After 8-9 months, I was playing far better than I ever had in my career. My day to day practice time varied in the beginning. There was not much time spent on the trombone. I could only play about 5-10 minutes at a time. I spent a lot of time blowing into a straw while retraining my entire system. I had many short practice sessions throughout the day. I did not play any performances for 6 months and completely invested my life into retraining. Most importantly, all of this was done under the careful guidance of Jan Kagarice and her team. This was my personal experience. The road to rehabilitation is drastically different for each individual. The main thought to remember is it can be done!
I wished I had known about this Master Class, as I would have attended. I have only found out about you a fortnight ago. Hopefully you may be back one day. But I dont read and play in Bass Clef, as I am a Brass Band person and brought up to play in Treble Clef. And I never was taught slide positions, as I self taught myself trombone, by playing by ear. I switched from trumpet to trombone, and used my experience in playing trumpet, to then find my way around the trombone. I have been playing now for just on 50 years. Was playing the contra bass trombone up until last year, but had to give it away due to health issues. And I now am only allowed to play a medium bore tenor trombone and nothing larger than that. Hopefully one day you may be back here in Tasmania. Monte Mumford here in Tasmania, ( originally from USA... a terrific trombone player) taught me trumpet back in high school in the mid 1970's. 🙂 Cheers David.
Thanks so much for showing us this, Deon! An issue I have when double-tonguing, especially when changing partials, is that my jaw and mouth are just moving way too much. What would you prescribe to alleviate any kind of movement like that? Watching you in this video, I definitely don't see any of that movement happening with your jaw and mouth.
I think tonguing as an air embellishment. I want my body to function like I'm playing a long tone. To change notes across partials there is very minor movement required from the lips. Try focusing only on the consistency of the airstream. Start with the first three notes of a scale. Try to play those three notes smooth with as little movement in the lips as possible. Add one note in the scale at time without sacrificing your embouchure setup. Hopefully this helps!
I don't think you'll be disappointed. I always have my plunger and pixie mute in my horn case. I saw Wycliffe Gordon pack his horn like this and I never stopped doing it. With that said, I would pull out the plunger at will maybe 10% of the time when it was appropriate. With this mute that percentage is a lot higher because you don't have to fight with the pitch. The blow is way easier too. Plunger work is becoming a lost art so I'm glad this mute is bringing interest back to this style of playing.
I’m coming back to French Horn after almost a decade. My previous teacher had a method for setting the embouchure that was basically just meant to introduce tension. I’m trying to unlearn that method, but it is a challenge! The muscles certainly remember. This was a very helpful video for getting started identifying tension. Thank you!
I've been trying to figure out double tonguing on the trumpet for years. I can't figure out how to articulate the letter D or G while buzzing my lips at the same time. Maybe I should play clarinet haha.
If you can say it you can play it. Try to make the vibration of your lips to a secondary thought. Don't think about buzzing your lips at all. Focus on embellishing the airstream with the tongue.
It could effect the pitch because tension will effect our airstream. The airstream is directly related to the resonance of the instrument. The more freedom in the resonance, the more consistent the pitch will be respectively.
First of all I want to THANK YOU my trombone brother from another mother 👍🤘😁 I am a classical professional trombonist and I am going on tour in Germany with the music of Walt Disney. Yesterday I took the scores and ohhh , wtf....a plunger 😲 ? I never played in my professional opera life with a plunger, but you and your video saved me ! Thank you once again 🙏 P.S. I am a basstrombonist and any advice from you about how to hold my instrument while using that plunger will be more than welcome. Thank you in advance 🍻
Glad this video came in handy right on time. Holding the bass bone with the plunger can be tricky. I don't have much experience playing bass bone and plunger but I can suggest you check out videos with Earl McyIntyre and Dave Taylor. Look at their hand placement. I would imagine it's underneath the bell to help balance the horn.
I think a lot of the early players where not afraid to experiment with sound. I've seen clips where players used a glass to change the sound of the horn. Use what you have around you and don't be afraid to try things.
its my second year of middle school and playing trombone going to third and i didnt even know i didnt buzz when i play i learned to buzz but as i started to try and open up and better my tome quality, i started to just blow i didnt even know until now nice to know thanks
