The Buzzkill: How a Quiet Little Practice Aid Fixed My Biggest Problem

I'll be upfront: I am not a mouthpiece buzzing guy. Never have been. My issue with free buzzing has always been that without the resistance of an actual instrument, it sets up overblowing habits almost immediately, and overblowing is already my number one problem. So I've basically never made it a regular part of my practice routine. Then Troy from Divitt reached out and asked if he could send me the Buzzkill to try. We've worked together before, so I said sure. The concept is smart: variable resistance mouthpiece buzzing, quiet enough to use anywhere, with adjustable back pressure so you can dial it in to feel more like an actual instrument. It works with trumpet, cornet, French horn, large and small bore trombone, by swapping out the receivers. The resistance is controlled by how far you back the end cap out of the tube, and the two included inserts give you different base resistance levels depending on your instrument. Here's where it got real for me. I was heading into NABBA after a brutal stretch: hell week rehearsals every day, an Easter gig, subbing lead trumpet for Aubrey Morgan, just a ton of playing. My face felt stiff and unresponsive, and we were driving to a rehearsal with no time to warm up properly. So I grabbed the Buzzkill in the car, closed the resistance almost all the way to keep it quiet, and started buzzing. And I basically couldn't make a sound at first, because I was blowing the way I normally do. So I started relaxing. Really relaxing. And I started finding my embouchure again: the specific muscle engagement, the aperture shape, the way to firm up into the upper register without just blowing harder. You literally cannot overblow your way through it when it's nearly closed. And that forced me to find a more efficient way to play. That's the thing I didn't expect. It's not just a warm-up tool. For me, it's become a way to reload the correct playing sensations before I ever pick up my horn. Once I know what that efficient feel is, I can translate it directly to the instrument. For $35, this is a legitimate practice aid and we carry it at erniewilliamson.com. I only stock stuff I actually believe in, and this one earned its place. 🎺 Check it out at erniewilliamson.com