Tarter_trpt8

Hey Manny,

I'm going to ask this tonguing question because I read your post on the importance of tonguinmg and how it is a huge factor on getting a priciple position, so here it goes:

When you tongue, do you place the tongue in a particular spot, or do you just "tongue where you tongue?" Does that make sense? So many people have said that the ideal place to tongue would be where the teeth hit the gums. But in my case I don't do that and can't understand how a person can. If I tried to tongue like that my tongue would be shaped like this ( but horizontal. It would be an effort to aim it up there instead of natural tongue placement. Would it be a hindrance to trumpet playing in the future to not tongue in the "ideal" place? I would like to ask whether or not tonguing in a certain spot is as ideal as air movement to make the attack you want to. In other words, if you can make the attacks you want and get the speed you want without trouble, does it matter where your tongue is placed?

How would you work on clearer attacks? Speed with all forms of tonguing? Any personal methods?

Thanks,

JT

Manny Laureano

dear JT,

I'm going to "reprint" an answer that I gave someone who wrote in with a similar question. Good luck,

ML
Special Contributor



Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Posts: 199


Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 10:12 am** *Post subject:


In my experience I have never heard of embouchure placement as a "cure" for articulation concerns.

Here are my 2 cents:

Articulation is part of the human condition. That is, we don't do anything different when we articulate than when we speak. Therefore, assuming you have normal, standard speech patterns, you can articulate as well as anyone.

Say the folllowing:

"Time to talk turkey to turtles in tan tutus".

Easy, right? That's because it's just speaking which you do hundreds of times a day. The good news is that tonguing , as applied to brass playing, comes from the same motions. Where the tongue strikes for talking is precisely the same place as when you speak. The difference is that you're exhaling with more energy and a sense of wind than when you just speak. Same process, different application.

Try this, now:

Pretend you're blowing out a match that's only about a foot in front of your face in a nice, relaxed way, not a hurricane force wind. After you've done that, say the WORD tutu (as above) as you blow out the match. It should sound almost like a whisper because you shouldn't activate the vocal cords. DO NOT FORM A TRUMPET EMBOUCHURE WHEN YOU DO THIS. IT'S NOT ABOUT TRUMPET PLAYING FOR RIGHT NOW.

Next step: say "tutututututututu..." as you blow out the match. You should have accomplished a relaxed, consistent articulation.

Bottom line: inconsistent articulation comes from an inconsistent approach. Using speech as your guide, articulate in a consistent manner and you'll be as clear as anyone else.

Good luck,

ML
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