Posted by Andy on April 13, 2002 at 08:22:08:
In Reply to: Double Buzzing posted by Dan Malcore on April 10, 2002 at 23:10:57:
I too, had this problem at times while I was a student in college. Fortunately, I studied with Mr. Jacobs, who straightened me out very quickly. He said that the problem is caused by a lack of air being provided to the lips. As was posted previously, if your tongue gets too high in your mouth, it cuts off the air flow to the lips.
You are doing the right thing by using low vowel sounds (oh, ooh, and aah) to control the placement of the tongue, (obviously you don't actually vocalize while playing).
A couple of other things that will help include practicing on the mouthpiece alone, playing simple tunes that are easily recognizable (one of Mr. Jacobs favorites was Pop Goes the Weasal). Also, don't spend too much time practicing in the high register. 80-90% of your practice time should be spent developing excellence in the middle range (ie from low Bb to Bb above the staff) at a mid dynamic (mf or f) being sure to use plenty of air. More than 10-20% of practice time, especially in the development stages, spent in the extreme upper register will likely lead to problems such as those you are experiencing. Once you develop excellence in mid range at a mid dynamic (where it's easiest to play), you transfer that excellence to the extreme ranges (both high and low, loud and soft).
One final note. As you alluded to in your post, consistent daily practice is very important. It's much better to practice 30 minutes daily than 60-90 minutes twice a week. If you want to discuss anything I have written here, or if anything is unclear, feel free to e-mail me directly. Good luck.