Links between whistling and playing trumpet?

[rwendell]

[kalijah]

There is no link.

[zackh411]

I actually couldn't whistle at all, then suddenly discovered I could whistle quite well after having played trumpet for a few years,
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~Zack

Lead Piece: Custom PickettBrass
Jazz Piece: Custom Curry TC
Legit Piece: Yamaha Shew Jazz (18 Drill)

[Jerry Freedman]

I can whistle quite well, I can even do a mean double tongued sleigh ride. I love doing it, I whistle all the time but, after years I can say it only helps with ear training. period

[TrpPro]

There seems to be a similarity in tongue movement between trumpet and whistling. But the two acomplish different things. In whistling the tongue doesn't impact the embouchure muscles. With the trumpet it is part of the the effort that the embouchure makes to make the aperture smaller and bigger.

Whistling: aperture doesn't change with pitch (check it in a mirror).

Trumpet: it does.

With whistling the tongue seems very relaxed. With trumpet it seems to exert a lot of effort in conjunction with the other muscles of the face. My experience anyway

I conclude that whistling has no impact on the physical aspect of trumpet playing, positive or negative. But I guess it could give you a sense of the movement that the tongue makes for whatever that might be worth.

[John Mohan]

The tongue moves in the same general way to change register when playing a brass instrument as it does when whistling (as almost all the Flexibility books point out).

The tongue moves toward the position it's in when say the word "sea" for higher notes and it moves toward the position it's in when saying the word "saw" for lower notes. Note that in both cases, the tip of the tongue stays down in the area just behind the bottom front teeth. That's why using the method of tonguing described early-on by Liberati and Herbert L. Clarke (what Claude Gordon refers to as K-Tongue Modified or KTM) is critical, as this method of tonging keeps the tip down low behind those bottom front teeth and out of the way of the airstream. Though the exact position of the tongue on any particular note at any particular volume level cannot be described, it can be felt. While it is helpful to be aware of the general way the tongue moves when playing (or when whistling), routine practice is essential to build up the "knack" or "feel" of it until it works correctly by habit.

Since the tongue moves in similar ways when changing register during both whistling and playing, it is useful with a developing player to use whistling to have him (or her) demonstrate to himself the feeling of how the tongue needs to move. And this is one of the rare times I use mouthpiece buzzing in my teaching. Typically, when I have a new student who isn't aware of how the tongue works, I'll have that student whistle glissandos (siren-like sounds) and tell him to pay attention to how his tongue moves. Then I'll have him take his mouthpiece and buzz similar glissandos on it, and note again, the movement of the tongue to facilitate those glissandos. Then it's just a matter of adding the trumpet and doing some easy slurs (it's important not to make it too difficult for the younger or newer student at this point since our goal is to demonstrate the feel of it). Perhaps I'll have the student slur between Low C and Middle C a few times, or if he can easily, between Middle G and High C (on top the staff).

But again, the simple knowledge of how it works in general, doth not a virtuoso maketh. One can explain all day to someone else how to perform gymnastics on the double bars or a floor routine. It's not going to turn that person into a gymnast. But practice will. And if the person knows the basics of how things work and what they should concentrate on when practicing, results will happen sooner.

Lastly, the OP mentioned that after playing a lot, whistling was difficult. He surmised that this was due to his lips being tired. I submit that perhaps it was more than just tired lips. I suggest that it was his tongue that was tired. The tongue is filled with muscle and that muscle gets a work out when we play. Not just from tonguing the notes, but also from arching up and resisting the powerful airstream generated for high notes.

If you're interested, some more info on the subject is available at the Webpage under my name.

Best wishes,

John Mohan
How Tongue Arch Affects and Promotes a Successful Embouchure
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Trumpet Player, Clinician & Teacher
1st Trpt for Cats, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Evita, Hunchback of Notre Dame,
Grease, The Producers, Addams Family, In the Heights, etc.
Ex LA Studio Musician
16 Year Claude Gordon Student

[etc-etc]

There could be a link, for some trumpet embouchures. Consider how the sound is started if the initial dynamics is ppp. The whistled note becomes the "seed" for the note sounding from the horn.

[zackh411]

You are correct... aperture size doesn't change pitch when whistling... I've always known that, but I guess that never "clicked" before... and I've always felt like what I do when whistling feels the same as what I do in the upper register with my tongue.
can't believe I didn't put 2 and 2 together before.
_________________
~Zack

Lead Piece: Custom PickettBrass
Jazz Piece: Custom Curry TC
Legit Piece: Yamaha Shew Jazz (18 Drill)

[jadickson]

I teach middle school band. I tell my kids that changing notes on a brass instrument is exactly the same as changig notes while whistling. I teach this concept while they are buzzing on the mouthpiece. It seems to work well.

This thread is validating to my method, which is nice.

[kalijah]

[Trumpet Seeker]

This is fascinating that Clifford Brown whistled for a hour as part of his warm-up. He had such beautiful tone! OK---please advise me. I usually start my warm-up with mouthpiece buzzing. Should I whistle before or after buzzing the mouthpiece.
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Mister Trumpet
Getzen Capri C in lacquer
Getzen Capri C in silver
Selmer Radial B-flat in lacquer
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[kalijah]

Whistling or mouthpiece buzzing is not required and detrimental. Play the full instrument even when you begin your warmup.

[JayKosta]

[Doug Elliott]

The mythology is astounding to me.

[astadler]

[Irving]

[tptptp]

[Shark01]

[Trumpet Seeker]

For now, this is what I am doing---though I'm open to further suggestions---I do mouthpiece buzzing with the piano briefly to start my warm-up. Then breathing exercises, and then on with my session. I'm only using whistling after my trumpet cool-down to relax my embouchure. I whistle along with a song I'm working on which provides a double benefit, I think. Please let me know what you think of this procedure.
_________________
Mister Trumpet
Getzen Capri C in lacquer
Getzen Capri C in silver
Selmer Radial B-flat in lacquer
Selmer Radial B-Flat silver and gold
Couesnon convertible 1951

[abontrumpet]