What is it?

[jonnyboy]

I'm still not clear on this. So this is a practice tool? Buzz in the mouthpiece and finger along, but don't make any noise?

[mellophonium]

I'm still not clear on this. So this is a practice tool? Buzz in the mouthpiece and finger along, but don't make any noise?

It's meant to mimic your horn carriage while allowing you to buzz on the mouthpiece. In drum corps, it's mostly just for show. I marched two corps that used them, I only put my mouthpiece in it 5 times in those two years.

[Shamu89]

It's meant to mimic your horn carriage while allowing you to buzz on the mouthpiece. In drum corps, it's mostly just for show. I marched two corps that used them, I only put my mouthpiece in it 5 times in those two years.

Guess it depends on the instructors. Cadets buzz a lot at the beginning of every brass warmup.

[GeneralTsoChicken]

It's meant to mimic your horn carriage while allowing you to buzz on the mouthpiece. In drum corps, it's mostly just for show. I marched two corps that used them, I only put my mouthpiece in it 5 times in those two years.

I think it would have been better to say... "in my drum corps experience, it's mostly just for show..."

Because the quote above is patently false in current context.

[mellophonium]

Cadets buzz a lot at the beginning of every brass warmup.

Most hornlines do. In my drum corps experience, the berps were usually never prefered over holding the mouthpiece in our non-dominant hand while buzzing.