ATV Instructions For Use

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Use the ATV to develop a relaxed aperture

1. A relaxed aperture will greatly improve tone and efficiency.
2. Start a buzz on the ATV in a register where you can get a full, naturally loud buzz.
3. Buzz a descending scale while trying to maintain a full buzz along the entire width of your aperture (from rim to rim). Hint: Do not relax the support muscles around the aperture.
4. During the following days, try to work down to lower pitches. If you can buzz down to a low C on the ATV, you are doing great – into the pedal register, fantastic!
5. When first starting out, even many experienced players cannot do this exercise well at all. They quickly improve and then are pleasantly surprised to hear an amazing improvement in lower and middle register tone quality.

Use the ATV for a high intensity workout

These advanced exercises will push the limits of your physical capabilities.

Advanced Exercise 1:

1. Start in the middle register. Ascend upwards in siren-like glides extending your reach each time. Go for the highest pitch you can reach without a thinning of the sound or excessive arm pressure. You may be surprised at the amount of resistance that is created with this exercise. The ATV will not allow you to have success until your breath is highly compressed and solidly supported and your aperture is relaxed!
2. This is a very intense exercise intended for advanced players. Avoid pushing yourself beyond natural limits. You wouldn't go into a gym and begin with the heaviest weights without warming up, so likewise, don't attempt these without a good warm-up first (of course, the BuzzzMaster would be ideal for this warm-up).
3. These ascending exercises are ISOTONIC, because they involve an active use of the muscles from relaxed to fully contracted. Our good friend and dealer in Japan, Taijiro Takeura, has published some good information about isometric vs isotonic exercises which can be viewed here.

Advanced Exercise 2:

1. This exercise combines Isometric and Isotonic techniques to build powerful control.
2. Quickly ascend to the highest pitch you can achieve without strain or excess pressure. Immediately begin a slow, siren-like descending glide. Time your descent so that your entire air supply is depleted when you arrive at your target pitch.
3. As you gain strength over the following weeks, the parameters on both ends will increase.
4. This exercise can be compared to curling a barbell to your chest, and lowering it back down very slowly. It is very challenging and very taxing because you're focusing on TWO things simultaneously:
   • learning how to maintain a proper buzz across the entire aperture throughout the exercise
   • learning how to adjust embouchure muscle contraction as needed
   • all while getting the workout needed for the muscle conditioning process
5. Remember, your muscles will only rebuild and gain strength during the rest time which follows - Please allow this process the time it needs to work. Regular practice will not interfere with your progress, but wait at least 48 hours until your next attempt at this exercise.

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