In the fifth blog of the Recover series, Grant Golding shifts focus to a critical component of trumpet technique: tonguing and articulation. Often overlooked, tonguing is the first aspect of playing that suffers after a break, making its revitalization essential in the recovery process.
Starting with Basic Patterns
Grant suggests beginning with simple brass gym patterns, like 0 2 1 1 2. This exercise isn't just about moving your fingers; it's about coordinating them with your tongue. He recommends practicing with a metronome, drum track, or along with your favorite tunes, focusing on various rhythms such as quavers and semi-quavers.
Developing Dynamic Articulation
The next step involves playing with dynamics and speed. Try articulating notes quietly, then loudly, slowly, and then quickly. This exercise helps to regain control over your tonguing technique, allowing you to articulate notes cleanly and precisely at different volumes and tempos.
Tonguing Technique: The Correct Approach
A common mistake in tonguing is allowing the tongue to protrude through the teeth. Grant emphasizes the importance of keeping the tongue behind the teeth, as if saying 'tap,' ensuring that the airstream remains uninterrupted. This technique is key to producing a clear, distinct sound.
Advanced Techniques: Double and Triple Tonguing
For more advanced players, Grant introduces exercises for double and triple tonguing. The focus here is on the less practiced syllable – the 'kuh' or 'guh' sound. He advises practicing this back syllable separately before integrating it with the regular 'tuh' or 'duh' sounds. The trick lies in imagining the back syllable as far forward as possible to achieve clarity and speed.
Grant encourages players to practice with backing tracks, which can be found on his YouTube channel, Brass Blast UK. This approach not only makes practice enjoyable but also helps in applying tonguing techniques to real music. He highlights a specific exercise based on the song "Sandstorm," which is both fun and challenging.
Enjoy the Process!
The overarching message of this blog is to enjoy your practice sessions. Whether playing along with a brass band piece on YouTube, working through exercises on Brass Blast UK, or simply experimenting with different tonguing techniques, the key is to find joy in the process of recovery and improvement.
Tonguing and articulation are fundamental to effective trumpet playing, especially during the recovery phase. Through consistent practice of these techniques, along with engaging exercises and backing tracks, you can regain and enhance your tonguing skills, ultimately enriching your overall playing experience.
- Want to elevate your trumpet embouchure? Check out our guide to episode four of the Recover series.
- Thinking of trying a pTrumpet but want to know what others think about our lightweight trumpet? Read reviews of pTrumpet from across the globe in this roundup!
- Need to practice your scales? Download our free trumpet major scales!
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