Buzz Aids for Horn
Tuesday, April 25, 2023 by Billy Roberts | French horn
This month I am writing about the P.E.T.E., the Buzzard, and the Hoffman Trainer, several devices that I’ve found can be useful to maintain a well-developed horn embouchure when practice time is scarce. Although this blog is titled “Buzz Aids”, the Warburton Personal Embouchure Training Exerciser (P.E.T.E.) is not actually used for buzzing. It is an isometric training device with a disk on one end that can provide resistance as you use it tug on your lip muscles. The other end, which is more like a straw, is shaped so that you can comfortably flex your lip muscles with it by forming a horn embouchure and seeing how well you can close the gap between the P.E.T.E. and your lips. The first week that I had this device, I was only able to practice my horn twice but I used the P.E.T.E. for a few minutes each day. I was surprised to find that my high range was more secure than usual the second time I picked up the horn that week, despite not being able to practice, so the P.E.T.E. does serve its intended purpose. However, I would advise caution. I used the P.E.T.E. too much the following week, and when I picked up the horn I had the sensation that my lips were too big for the mouthpiece. After a day or so of normal playing my embouchure was back to normal, but I think that this device might add too much bulk to the lip muscles if used inappropriately.
The Warburton Buzzard is my pick as the most useful of these three devices. It is similar in concept to the Buzz Extension and Resistance Piece (Berp), which has been used by brass musicians for the past 30 years, with two key differences. The first is that the resistance of the Buzzard is not adjustable. I feel like the Buzzard’s resistance closely matches that of a French horn, so I like the simplicity of the Buzzard in this regard. The second major difference is that the Warburton Buzzard does not have a clip on it. Instead of attaching it to your leadpipe, you simply hold it in the air. Again, I prefer the streamlined design of the Buzzard to the Berp, which is awkward to hold if you do not use the clip. I also like that I can get a smooth glissando from the bottom to the top of my range more easily with the Buzzard than I could with the Berp.
The Bernd Hoffmann trainer is a wooden device that comes from Europe. It has several advantages over the Buzzard. The first advantage is that it does not drip. Since it is closed on one end, all moisture is caught by the wood. Two small exhaust holes keep the moisture from building up inside the Hoffman Trainer. The second advantage is that it is very quiet to use. The tone is muffled consistently from the top to the bottom of the range, with no major register breaks. The third advantage of the Hoffman trainer is that its resistance forces you to use air efficiently without overblowing. This is the same benefit that you would gain from occasionally practicing the horn with a practice mute. However, despite these advantages, I prefer the Buzzard for its simplicity and because of its more natural feeling of resistance.
In summary, The P.E.T.E., the Buzzard, and the Hoffman Trainer each have their place as effective practice aids, but I would recommend sticking with just one of them and using it consistently for a short period of time each day. These tools can help you to improve your technique and develop your embouchure in conjunction with a consistent practice routine of several good hours per week with the horn, if possible. If you have a tendency to play with forced air or use too much mouthpiece pressure, you might benefit the most from the Hoffman Trainer. If you have excessive asymmetry in lip development or difficulty finding a comfortable embouchure, using the P.E.T.E. sparingly might help. However, if you have no major issues and just want a buzzing tool with resistance that closely matches your horn, the Warburton Buzzard may be the simplest way to go. Each of these three tools can help you find balance in playing with plentiful but unforced air and a firm but not overly tight embouchure. This in turn can help you play with an effortless style that comes as naturally as breathing.
