Tonguing

Lesson 4/65 | Study Time: 5 Min
Course: Trumpet Method
Tonguing

Tonguing

To control the beginning and end of a note, a technique known as tonguing is used. Without the trumpet, whisper the sound "taa". Notice that your tongue starts at the back of your top teeth, and you make the "taa" sound by quickly withdrawing it, and letting a stream of air begin from your outgoing breath.

Now place the mouthpiece against your lips. Let your tongue remain lightly between your lips, closing off the stream of air, as you build up pressure in your mouth. Quickly release your tongue, and the note will start, definitely and crisply. To stop the note, simply put your tongue back against your lips. The note will stop immediately, and your tongue will be in position to start the next note.

With the trumpet against your lips, try the "taa" sound on the note C. Practice until you can easily play C every time you try. This may take a while, so don’t get frustrated if you can’t do it consistently at first. Practice for short periods at a time and it will get easier as your lips and facial muscles develop.

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Peter Gelling

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Class Sessions

1- The Triplet 2- The Note C (Above Middle C) 3- The C Major Scale 4- The Note Low B 5- Sharp Signs 6- Harmony and Chords 7- Flat Signs 8- The Eighth Rest 9- The Note High E 10- The Natural Sign 11- How To Hold The Trumpet 12- The Note High F 13- Simple and Compound Time 14- The Sixteenth Note 15- The Note C Sharp (C<span class="symbolA">#</span>) 16- The Note High G 17- The Chromatic Scale 18- Playing in All Keys 19- Minor Keys and Scales 20- Index of Fingerings 21- INTRODUCTION 22- The Eighth Note 23- The Common Time Signature 24- Tuning Your Trumpet 25- The Note F 26- The Note D 27- The Lead-in 28- Riffs 29- Tone Development 30- The Blues Scale 31- Duets 32- Swing Rhythm 33- The F Major Scale 34- The D Major Scale 35- How To Read Music 36- More About Major Scales 37- How To Sound A Note 38- Learning Minor Scales in All Keys 39- Key Signatures 40- 12 Bar Blues 41- Key Of C Major 42- The Major Scale 43- The G Major Chord 44- Syncopation 45- The Slur 46- The D Blues Scale 47- Relative Keys 48- Tonguing 49- Key and Key Signatures 50- Keeping Time 51- The Key of F Major 52- The Tie 53- Enharmonic Notes 54- First And Second Endings 55- How Chords Relate To Scales 56- Where to Breathe 57- Transposing 58- Combining Scales 59- Sixteenth Note Figures 60- Breathing Technique 61- The Trumpet as a Transposing Instrument 62- Chord Progressions 63- Chord Symbols 64- Arpeggios 65- Posture

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