Brass Clinic

Trumpet Articulation
by Louis Davidson

A ll aspects of playing the

trumpet are inextricably
affected by the attack. Slur-
ring, tonguing, high and low notes in
Take a breath and without any hesi-
tation release the air as the tongue re-
tracts.
After establishing a sense of coor-
minimum for that note; when a
player consciously sets lip tension in
advance, he almost always uses exces-
sive tension. Complete repose of the
fortissimo or pianissimo all begin with dination and timing with the mouth- embouchure before an attack allows
the attack. Above all other tech- piece, practice with the trumpet using the lips to form into the exact degree
niques, attacks should be as natural, a middle G. Attacks in different dy- of tension that is necessary for that
uncomplicated, and as much a reflex namics come only after the basic tim- note.
action to players as breathing and ing is established.
walking. In a good attack the note Having breath support for the at-
starts freely, without hesitation, force, tack cannot be overemphasized, but
or a hint of a hiss. Synchronizing the do not blow at the note, blow
lips, breath, and tongue produces a through it. Golf and baseball players
pure sound with immediacy and pres- follow through with the swing after
ence. Should the timing of any one of the ball is well on its way. The equiva-
these basic elements be off, the result lent follow through for wind players is
will be a bad attack. continuing the air stream after the at-
For most players the tongue con- tack, sustaining the sound with the
tacts at or near the juncture of the up- breath as string players sustain it with
per teeth and gum line. At its point of bow motion.
contact the tongue should not be held The less fuss and preparation there
in a fixed position before releasing for is before attacking a note, the more
the attack, but should resemble a tim- natural and secure an attack will be.
panist striking a drum-head softly Relax the lips completely before each
with a short downward and upward breath to counter the tendency to set Setting the lips before an attackf
motion of the mallet. The tongue lip tension in advance of playing. tends to affect whatever follows
gives short forward and retracting When players tense the lips before an attack by causing the embouchure I
movements, and the retracting one attack, they usually get more tension be out of kilter. Practice on these t
releases the air and starts the note. than is necessary, and this causes cises can break the habit of setting 1;
The excellent players who attack them to miss the pitch entirely or to tension relatively quickly.
and tongue between their teeth are produce a strained and labored Special Exercises on the Attack
the exception rather than the rule. sound. M o d e r a t e l y Fast
The tongue position upon retraction Instead of cranking up the lips to
differs with each syllable, taa, too, and where a trumpeter thinks the note
tee for low, medium, and high regis-
TTiTTJri^
lies, he should let the attack be almost
ters. With the taa the tongue arches in a reflex action. Although it usually is
/T\
the lower part of the mouth, like a easy to play a note in the context of a
bowl held upright; with the too it flat- scale, arpeggio, or etude, an entrance
^3=
tens in the center of the mouth; with that begins with the same pitch seems
the tee the tongue arches in the upper harder. When players are anxious, the
part of the mouth, somewhat like an difficulty of a task increases: what
inverted bowl. Some players worry normally weighs an ounce may take
that their tongue retracts into differ- on the weight of an elephant. In play-
ent positions, but the important thing ing brass instruments, however, Louis Davidson studied with
is that the tongue contacts the same players should realize that the energy Schlossberg and played with the Cin
place regardless of range, volume, or or tension to play a particular note nati Symphony under Fritz Reiner at t
articulation. stays the same regardless of the con- 16. He was solo trumpeter with •
To improve timing in the attack, text. Cleveland Orchestra for 23 years,
practice coordinating the breath, By relaxing the lips to a position of taught at Indiana University,
tongue, and lips without using a repose, taking a breath, and quickly Western Reserve University, Clt
mouthpiece. When this feels natural, attacking a note, the attack is clean. Institute of Music, and Oberlin i
practice with the mouthpiece but At the moment of attack the note it- He has written a book, Trumpet T«
pausing to relax the lips completely. self sets lip tension at the absolute niques.
62 THE INSTRUMENTALIST / AUGUST 1992
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National Educational Music Company. Ltd.
pp attacks in all registers with absolute 1181 Rome 22 • Box ii-30 Mountainside. NJ 07092
attention to the mechanics and tim-
ing.
ARTHUR PRYOR
1 ongumg Historical Recordings Trombone Soloist with
Shortening tongue strokes to the Sousa & Pryor Band*:
Original Victor Recording!, u-,. L,t on LP S4S1. Blue 6eiii of Scot
smallest distance possible is the most for these nistoncal issues Beautifully land, Love Thoughts Waltz,
direct route to good tonguing tech- packaged with photographs, biographies, Nearer My God fo Thee, ,
discou/aphiei and other information on We Won't Go Home Until
nique, because the shorter the stroke, the most cxdairned tornetist c:"d trorn Morning, Oh D'y 'Those I
the taster the tongue can articulate. A boinSt of ell l;n'.e fears, Sfobat/Mo'er, iove i
long forward and retracting move- HERBERT L. CLARKE Enchantment, Littia Nell, f
Cornet Soloist with Ce/esfe Aida Polka Fan-
ment Causes sluggish tonguing. 1 he Sousa Band & Victor tastic. My Old Kentucky I
shorter the stroke, the less energy ex- Orchastra: S4SO. Car Home, Aido Duet, The f
r-ivyl of Venice, Rondo Patriot, Parisian Melodies.
pended and the less tongue fatigue, Capi.xe. Russ.an Fan & Dearie.
and the greater the accuracy. roi/, B.-;de of the $9 98 ea/record. or $10 98 aa/cassette
Breath support is an integral part of Waves, Southern plus $2 per order tor shipping
Cross, Va/se BnlliOnte. Canada. US $9 98 ea/iecord. or US $10 98 w/cass«u
the short stroke technique, and Stars m a Velvety Sky. , Vi/ofrlei
should create the sensation of an un- ia Veto Caprice, Show
interrupted flow of air. Without using e/i of Gold, the Debu CRYSTAL" RECORDS
tame, & Ah! Cupid. 2235 Willida In, Sedro Woolley, WA 9S284
the trumpet, hum a long tone while
articulating a series of doo's. The ef-
fect is a series of articulations superim-
posed over a sustained tone. At this A Jean Cavallaro
stage the syllable doa rather than too is Case Cover can help
better to shorten the tongue stroke. you protect it.
For most players the tongue will con-
tact the upper teeth at the gum line.
Experiment vocally, using the tongue
Waterproof. To keep ram out and
to articulate a series of doo's, keeping the humidity in.
the tongue close to the teeth, with
Completely lined with fluffy, fuzzy
minimal movement and almost no polyester shearling. To pro
sensation of movement at the base of vide extra burnp protection,
the tongue. retard temperature fluctua-
I here should be no more visible tion, and make the outer
sign of tongue movement inside the cloth last and last.
mouth than when holding a long Soft nylon zipper. To securely close
tone. With long tongue strokes, facial without scratching your case.
signs reflect the laborious tongue Nylon handles. Put on to last.
movements; practice in front of a mir- Guaranteed. To be the best. If you
ror to see and feel the effects of a value your instrument
shortened tongue stroke. When prac- invest in a Jean Cavallaro
ticing this technique with the instru- Case Cover,
ment, remember the earlier physical Ask your dealer for
sensations. The pitch, dynamics, and Jean Cavallaro Instrument & Cjie Covers
speed should be comfortable
AUuUal Ns>: / I Hfc IK.-, i KUMEN i ALL-, 1 t>3
 Once a player acquires consistency The subtleties of articulation add im-
in this technique, try a slightly measurably to musical performances.
harder, more pointed articulation, The loo syllable is the softest articu-
gently intensifying the soft doo.The lation of all, and is a handy device to
stroke will have a little more defini- negotiate difficult slurred intervals.
tion and a sharper point or hardness Expertly done, a player can simulate
to each articulation. This syllable seemingly perfect slurs despite difficult
evolves by stages into a soft too and intervals. The trumpet passage in the
then the hard Coo. Usually a player ex- second movement of Prokofiev's Sym-
periences no great difficulty and in a phony No. 7 is a good place to use the
reasonable time plays both syllables loo syllable.
CUSTOM-BUILT - with facility. Trumpet in B\>
There should be no spaces between Alleoro
INSTRUMENTS the notes with either the soft or hard
too articulation. This uninterrupted
AND MOUTHPIECES flow of air with a sharper point on
played p 1 oo 1 00

each note gives a wonderful reso- An imperceptible articulation of the

nance and clarity in fast or slow pas- loo syllable in place of a genuine slur
TRUMPETS sages. There also should be no change facilitates awkward minor sevenths.
IN Bt>, C, D, Ei>, Eb/D, F, G, in the length of the tongue stroke A word of caution: using the sharp-
E 7F/G. 65 Models-Trumpets- when using the harder too syllable. ly articulated too before the short
Cornets. The stroke remains the same regard- stroke technique is secure can lead to
less of articulation; only the syllable a stiff, percussive effect that is not
changes. The concept of changing the desirable as a regular articulation.
PICCOLO TRUMPETS length of the stroke for different styles Practicing the hard too prematurely
IN Bb/A, C
of articulation is as preposterous as often causes players to breathe
changing the position of the mouth- through the trumpet in short spurts
piece on the lips for different registers from note to note rather than with a
or dynamics. steady air stream. In extremes, this ar-
TUNING-BELL TRUMPETS Once this tonguing method is nat- ticulation resembles the putt-putt-
With Detachable Bells - ural and automatic, players can work putt of an outboard motor more than
Eliminates the tuning slide on the almost endless variety of artic- a musical sound. Many method and
improving intonation and ulations now open to them. This spec- etude authors sprinkle dots indiscrim-
response. Additional bells trum of articulations encompasses inately over all articulated notes, tell-
offer varied tone color. every degree of softness and hardness, ing inexperienced players that all ar-
from the almost indefinable loo loo loo ticulated notes should be dry, de-
to the most percussive too too too. The tached, and staccato. These authors
ability to execute subtle shadings of do not intend that every note be
MOUTHPIECES - articulation together with the know- short, but that they be punctuated
STANDARD AND SIGNATURE ledge of when to use them are charac- with sharp articulation. The correct
Precision made for Trumpet, teristics of great performers. Without marking over the notes would be an
Cornet, French Horn, Trom- exception the great artists of bowed accent symbol ( -), and not a dot.
bone, Euphonium and Tuba. string instruments use bows to In many passages, however, articu-
achieve nuances of articulation as well lation should be short, sharp, and
as for tone, technique, and dynamics. dry. In the third movement of Tchai-
Call or write
for dealer in your area:

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312-922-0570

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64 THE INSTRUMENTALIST/AUGUST 1992

kovsky's Fourth Symphony the Next extend the range in both di-
strings are plucked throughout but rections, up and down but not yet to
T K T T K T T K
become tacet when the brass enter extremes. As with single-tonguing,
or the syllables vary with the registers,
with a series of short, dryly articulated
notes that should imitate the pizzicato from too, kaa taa kaa in the low notes
of the strings. D D G D D G D D G D
through tee kee tee kee in the upper.
Trumpet in F Keep this natural, without conscious
Allegro This exercise should be practiced effort. When a player has speed, clar-
m slowly in a comfortable range to de-
velop even rhythm and clear articula-
ity, and evenness on single tones, he
should try scales and interval pat-
tion. terns, at first somewhat slower than
the single pitch patterns to coordinate
J J IJ fingering and tonguing. After a rea-
By contrast in the slow third move- sonable time, increase the speed grad-
ment of Shostakovich's First Sym- ually.
Continue the pattern, ascending Having mastered the conventional
phony the trumpet plays a very soft, chromatically to a C or D and de-
sustained solo where the notes should form of double- and triple-tonguing
scending back to the starting note. As techniques, try placing the feoo syl-
be articulated legato, using a soft, dull with single-tonguing, concentrate on
doo articulation: lable on the second note of the triplet
supporting the air column without instead of on the third note.
Trumpet in flb
= 72
spaces between the notes. Distorting

m
p con sord
the pitch in articulating the koo is
common among careless players. The
same practice procedure is useful for
gT7 J J JE£
T T K T T T K T T

developing triple-tonguing with even This suits one triplet group at a time
articulation and rhythm. more than a series of consecutive trip-
T T K T T K T /T\
lets. This technique is relatively sim-
Between these extremes of articula- ple for players with good convention-
tion lie many gradations that fine al triple-tongue articulation, and can
musicians employ. p p *f- p p& p be used in the fourth movement of
Double- and triple-tonguing come Compare the evenness of multiple- Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade.
only after a trumpeter has absolute tongued groups and single-tongued Trumpet in A
command of the single-tongue tech- notes, by playing these notes single-
nique. The basic task is learning to ar- tongued as rapidly as possible,
ticulate clearly and sharply the koo
syllable. To acquire the feel of this
throat articulation, quietly pro-
nounce the word cough several times
I^ T T T
j J J J J I J:
then double-tonguing them at the
T T T T T T

T T K T
with emphasis on the first part of the same tempo.

N=—f-
word. It is important to form the koo It would not be practical in a series of
in the forward part of the throat. If
4—F~4--+ — f-—h 1-—j-~-E]
-4--4--4-—
-4--4--4 4-—HI
±-
-•Ml consecutive triplets because it is more
K 1 K T K T K T difficult to maintain an even and
the koo syllable is not exaggerated at
this stage, it often emerges as a goo, Differences in the rhythmic flow be- smooth flow of the notes with this ar-
which in time produces a doo goo doo tween the double-tongued and single- ticulation as in the triplet passage in
goo or doo doo goo doo doo goo articula- tongued groups become obvious. the third movement of the same
tion that is not the real thing. Per- The same test works to check the piece, where the conventional too too
formed correctly, double- or triple- evenness of triple-tonguing, first koo too too koo works better:
tonguing sounds as sharp, clear, and single-tonguing the following notes as Trumpet in B\i

rhythmical as very fast single-

tonguing.
rapidly as possible,
L\[ j j j j j j j j j j i
v f f f K T f K T f T
Rhythmic evenness of the duplet or
triplet comes with much care and T
J J J J 3 I J
T T T T T T
*> T T T K T T K T f f
practice. Often in what purports to be and then triple-tonguing them at the
a series of evenly double-tongued same tempo. Another form of triple-tonguing is
notes, a misguided player produces an articulating alternate too's and koo's
incorrect rhythm, with subtle accents on the first note of
i'i J J J J J J every three note group: too koo too
v f T K f f K
koo too koo too koo too, but most
Even the slightest discrepancy of players prefer using the conventional
T K T K T K T K
rhythm between the single and mul- articulation.
or incorrect rhythm and articulation tiple-tongued articulations should be
both, followed by further practice at slow
speeds before gradually increasing the
T K T K T K T K T K T K
CT speed of articulations. Avoid the ex-
«J D G D G D G D G D
aggerated koo sound, and make each The ability to use the koo syllable in
A series of evenly triple-tongued notes note equal in weight, be it the too or fast tonguing passages of unusual
emerges as koo syllable. rhythms, such as groups of five notes
AUGUST 1992 / THE INSTRUMENTALIST 65
 or seven notes, is valuable. For exam-
NBA IS INTERESTED IN YOU! ple, in Stravinsky's L'hMoirc du -.uldul,
the famous quintolet passage is easier
Join the National Band Association, using the koo syllable.
today's professional organization which speaks
nationally and internationally for men and
women from every facet of the band world.

For membership information contact:

I K I h I I h 1 K I
National Band Association
Post Office Box 121292 Either one is effective, and players
Nashville, Tennessee 37212 should experiment with each and
(615) 343-4775 choose one.
Some trumpeters interpret the
printed symbols over the qunuolets as
slurs rather than brackets, but on
NSOA - The National Voice for Stravinsky's recordings this passage is
School Orchestra Directors always tongued. Players who have-
mastered a variety of articulations
Successful orchestra directors work together to
promote the cause of string/orchestra education and multiple-tonguings will have the
throughout the United States. Involve yourself in satisfaction of playing whichever way
professional opportunities and your own program a director indicates. U
will reap ihe rewards.
Bravo Drumsets
Inquiries and requests for membership applications Remo, Inc. announced three new
should he directed to:
drumsets in the Bravo series. The five
Norman Mellin, Executive Secretary and six piece sets have list prices of
NSOA SERVICE OFFICE $1,147 and $1,523 and the six piece
Starkville High School double bass set is $1,789. All sets
801 Lewisviile Rd., Starkville, Miss. 39759
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Acousticon 220 shells, and are avail-
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Quadura coverings (Remo, Inc.,

Philip Farkas 12804 R a y r n e r S t r e e t , N o r t h

Hollywood, California).
School Music Program Evaluation
The Legacy of a Master M.E.N.C. announced the School
Music Program Evaluation developed
by a task force of music educators
with assistance from the Educational
As a performer, Philip Farkas de- Testing Service for a single school or
fined orchestral horn playing in this district. Principals, music admini-
century. His years of teaching and strators, music teachers, and students
may answer multiple choice questions
writing created an influence, not
on goals, leadership, scheduling, and
only on horn players but on the other areas, which M.E.N.C. will
entire musical world. score and return with comparisons to
This volume looks at the man other schools.
and his career through the eyes of
his students, fellow musicians, and
close friends. His reminiscences of
conductors and orchestras are in-
cluded along with excerpts from his
writings on horn playing and musi-
cianship. Compiled by M. Dee
Stewart, hardbound, approx. 160
pages , $18.

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66 I H h I N S I R L ' M h M A L L S I . AUGUST 1W2