Speaking in tongues?

[Seymor B Fudd]

Having played for a life-time without really knowing what and how I did it, no lessons until 6 years ago, I found a wealth of knowledge on the TH but -a diversity of opinions on the subject of how to use the tongue.
The video showing Sarah Willis was an eye opener ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWcOwgWsPHA ).
When climbing the range ladder her tongue seems to place itself with the tip onto the base of the lower front teeth. Also the tongue is raised aganist the "roof" of the oral cavity. So far so good.

Lately, guided by my efforts to circumvent the effects of advancing age (=to maximize that what makes playing easier, reducing noise in the signal/noise ratio, bying a more easy blown trumpet etc etc) I have found, much to my astonishment that there is a huge difference in clarity, quality of sound production if my tongue is put into a "whistling" position; more so higher up. Range seems positively affected. It might be that I have, subconscionsly used this setting prior to my 'discovery' of it.

Furthermore I recently stumbled upon a dissertation by Ryan Russell Ernest Chapman (2014) ( https://scholarship.miami.edu/esploro/outputs/doctoral/A-Strategy-for-Proper-Utilization-of-the-Glottis-and-Implications-of-Improper-Use-in-Trumpet-Performance/991031448066602976 ) yes I know long, also quite a heavy reading but worthwile) - where he studies the role of the glottis in playing (glottis: Opening of the larynx or entrance to the windpipe; glotal stop: a consonant sound produced by closing and suddenly opening the glottis). What becomes obvious from his study is that it is rather common that we play with a closed glottis - i.e like trying to speak without the support of air. He provides a lot of exercices created aiming at gaining control. There are more apertures than the one created by the lips!
Just thinking of this seems to in some way, liberate my airflow.
Yes I know, a lot of abstract texts. Yet valuable.

Congratulations if you made it through, It´s far more easy to remain ignorant. I was for some 60 years.
Probably I´m tearing down an already open door.

What´s your opinion?
_________________
Cornets:
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Trumpets:
Yamaha 6335 RC Schilke 14B
King Super 20 Symphony DB (1970)
Selmer Eb/D trumpet (1974)

[sdr93trp]

As far as getting into the weeds on the science, that's not really my thing. I do know that anchor tonguing and lip setpoint (pretty sure "Pops" has that trademarked lol) have turned me into a completely different player.

By focusing on the tongue and the compression of the air by using the stomach (not tightening the abs but pulling in the navel), and basically just letting the lips do what they're gonna do, this seems to fix a lot of problems.

Before I was trying to do everything with the lips and my skill ceiling was much lower. I'm sure I was still using some tongue arch and navel compression but in my mind everything was done by the lips. I was a middling undergraduate trumpet player before. Not horrible, but not great either. Not much improvement over time.

I've been practicing every day for a few months now using the new stuff and there's no comparison. So, not very scientific but 100% true.
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SDR

This advice may be free. But remember, you get what you pay for.

Yamaha YTR-6335 HSMV
1936 Buescher Aristocrat Tru Tone

[SteveDurand]

I find it so interesting how different each persons individual experience can be.

I experimented a great deal with tongue positions and movement and found that I could do anything I wanted with my tongue and it made no difference in my playing. It wasn't until I got the mechanics of my lips right that I was able to overcome some issues I was having. I now just make sure I get the interface between my lips and the mouthpiece right and I don't think at all about what my tongue is doing.

I also found no benefit from "anchor tonguing". Tonguing with the tip of my tongue right through my teeth seems to work best for me.

Steve