Tonguing

ejaime23 · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 12:42 pm Post subject:

Hey guys, I have a weird dilemma. After all these years of playing trumpet I have just now started paying attention to the fact that my single tonguing speed is very slow. That kind of has me worried, but not too worried. I can double and triple tongue very clean and very very fast, for example, I can cleanly and evenly triple tongue the passage in the third movement of the Scheherazade excerpt up to the correct tempo. I can also double tongue very very fast. What worries me is that I'll get up to around 102bpm single tonguing sixteenths when it starts getting sloppy. Though I can make it with my double and triple tonguing abilities, I would like to find a way to increase my single tonguing speed so I'll sound clearer and cleaner at those "in between" tempos. Thanks a lot guys!!

Derek Reaban · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 1:32 pm Post subject:

ejamie23,

I am in a very similar situation to yours. I have spent a lot of time making my mulitple tonguing work very well (clarity, evenness, and speed), but my single tongue is still slow (max between 100-104 for sixteenths). I have been targeting this "weak" area of my playing and described the process that I am using in the folder "Fundamentally - Where are Your Weaknesses" at: http://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=11444&forum=2.

I am seeing some glimmers of improvement, so it's just a matter of time now. It feels like instead of physically placing the tongue for every note, that there is a "letting go" that needs to take place and "riding" on the air stream will let my velocity take off. I've experienced this "letting go" once or twice and it's totally out of control for me, but MUCH faster. Time and discipline should sort out this problem.

Good luck to both of us!

_________________
Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona

[ This Message was edited by: Derek Reaban on 2003-10-30 16:34 ]

hazmat · Heavyweight Member Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Posts: 669

One of my teachers, Mark Bacon of the Thayer Symphony Orchestra, gave me a great simple exercise to increase my single tonguing. This in turn also gives better attacks, more accuracy and faster multiple tonguing.

Simply put

-Start on 2nd line G
-play at a mf or f
-tongue 12 beats of 32nd notes at your top speed. (Obviously the beat is very slow for me it used to be like 50 now I think I'm at 70 or something like it) Oh and accent the first 32nd note of each beat.
-Then REST for 24 consistent beats.

Start again a half-step higher. Go as high as you can a half-step at a time. probably around A-C (you will get lightheaded even if your range is good)
Then go back to G and go down to low F#. The low notes will probably be much slower than the higher notes.

The reason I am posting this is because I once had the same problem and this helped me improve it alot. It is also a good exercise to do if your chops are starting to weaken at the end of practice. It can take anywhere from 20-50 min depending on your speed. DON'T GIVE UP. It may be boring but don't give up.