| Re: Tongue Level
I am not an advocate of CONSCIOUS tongue level awareness FOR LIP SLURS. I believe a talented student will do what needs to be done without invoking a certain vowel. When you whistle a tune you do so based on how the tune goes and you don't invoke a physical awareness of the process. You just whistle.
I don't advocate it be cause to do so often exaggerates a natural process and generally diminishes the tone in the upper register. I insist on my students "pre-hearing" tones and tone color and allowing the physical process to take a backseat to the musical.
About the only remedial advice I give for consistency is asking a student to think TOE or TOOH when they're doing articulated work and I ask them to pronounce that throughout the range of the instrument.
Does this mean I don't believe the tongue changes? No, of course it does. I don't believe it needs to be invoked any more than nature asks it to as a matter of context for playing trumpet.
Flame away.
ML |