Where to start, fixing articulation weakness

[DouglasJB]

I have noticed since graduating college that my articulation has gotten very heavy and is something I struggle with. Articulations are something I have always struggled with and felt like I was finally starting to grasp what needs to happen right before graduation. Well, since being out it has regressed. What kind of exercises do you guys do to try to develop a lighter (less fatiguing) articulation. I am just trying to find a different approach. I have tried several different approaches (many that can be found in the Arban Book) but the results seem to be the same with everything very heavy.

Any insight or different views on this are helpful. I have considered going back to take lessons again (the college i graduated from is local and on my daily drive), just have to find time. And getting back into daily (or every other day) practice will help. I do admit I am currently nervous to get back into daily practice. I do not want to try to work through this blindly and develop another bad habit.

[Dan Tuba]

I have struggled with this...

1) What are you thinking about when articulating/attacking/tonguing each note? The tongue should only briefly interrupt the air stream. The air is constant.
2) What syllable(s) do you use to articulate? For some people, the "T" syllable can inadvertently cause the air stream to become pressurised...which could be caused by the player stopping the air between notes. However, oftentimes it's a result of what's happening with the position of the tongue in your mouth when utilizing the 'T' syllable. If you suspect that this is happening, try the "D" syllable. hold your hand in front of your mouth, take a deep breath, blow some air, and then try tonguing. The air should remain constant, only slight interruptions in the air stream. There should not be a thuds, or an explosive air bursts.
3)Once you feel comfortable with step 2, try buzzing your mouthpiece while trying to do the same exercise with the tongue. Gradually progress from one pitch to a major scale two octaves. Use a metronome, start slow, gradually speed up...
4)Now try it out on your instrument. I use major/minor scales for this exercise. Start in a comfortable range/octave. Important to note that your tongue position might need to change, especially where the tip strikes in your mouth through different octaves. The two/three octave scales ensure that your articulation is consistent from top to bottom.

Multiple tonguing. I use this exercise. Da's, Ga's, and Da Ga's.
Da, da, da, da, dah......
Ga, ga, ga, ga, gah......
Daga, daga, dah.....


I definitely feel your pain. The struggle is real...even when you practice/perform several hours every day.

[happyroman]

When I studied with Jake, he had me start with the syncopation studies in Arban's, on the tuba and on the mouthpiece. Later on, he added No. 98-104 in the double tonguing section (but to be practiced single tongue and at a moderate tempo).

He said to think of articulation like diction in speech (except without any vocalization). The most important aspect for me was how to use the syllable "toe" (or too or tah) when single tonguing. He wanted me to think of using the syllable HO to make sure the air column was very thick, and then just put a very small t in front of it. This would help to avoid over pressurization of the air and an explosive attack.

He wrote it out on the page as tHO (but still with a hard T, as in "toe" not "though").

Then, as the passages get faster, he said to make sure that the short notes still sound great and think about notes as a loaf of bread. You can cut the slices as thin as you want, but they all have the same ingredients as the whole loaf.

Finally, a big problem with articulation, especially multiple tonguing, is that the tongue tends to rise in the mouth, cutting off the air flow to the lips. If/when this happens, play the passages in slur and focus on the tone quality. Then, go back to tonguing while maintaining the same quality of tone.

[MaryAnn]

On a soft initial entrance, I'll place the tongue gently right behind my upper teeth on the roof of my mouth and just blow it out of the way by letting it relax at the proper time. No explosive anything. On a louder entrance, same thing but there is more air pressure behind it so the entrance is more robust.
Although this is probably blasphemy, I also use tongue on lips quite a bit. Upper lip to be exact. But I still just blow it out of the way.

[Dan Tuba]

On a soft initial entrance, I'll place the tongue gently right behind my upper teeth on the roof of my mouth and just blow it out of the way by letting it relax at the proper time. No explosive anything. On a louder entrance, same thing but there is more air pressure behind it so the entrance is more robust.
Although this is probably blasphemy, I also use tongue on lips quite a bit. Upper lip to be exact. But I still just blow it out of the way.

Definitely not blasphemy! Whatever works for you.

[Dan Tuba]

When I studied with Jake, he had me start with the syncopation studies in Arban's, on the tuba and on the mouthpiece. Later on, he added No. 98-104 in the double tonguing section (but to be practiced single tongue and at a moderate tempo).

He said to think of articulation like diction in speech (except without any vocalization). The most important aspect for me was how to use the syllable "toe" (or too or tah) when single tonguing. He wanted me to think of using the syllable HO to make sure the air column was very thick, and then just put a very small t in front of it. This would help to avoid over pressurization of the air and an explosive attack.

He wrote it out on the page as tHO (but still with a hard T, as in "toe" not "though").

Then, as the passages get faster, he said to make sure that the short notes still sound great and think about notes as a loaf of bread. You can cut the slices as thin as you want, but they all have the same ingredients as the whole loaf.

Finally, a big problem with articulation, especially multiple tonguing, is that the tongue tends to rise in the mouth, cutting off the air flow to the lips. If/when this happens, play the passages in slur and focus on the tone quality. Then, go back to tonguing while maintaining the same quality of tone.

This was shared with me by one of my teachers. This advice/method really helped me.

[jperry1466]

After some study with a trombone teacher, I have long advocated using a "D" instead of "T" attack. With the "T" or Tah/Tu, the first sound is the explosion of air followed by the note. With "D" Dah/Du the note is the first thing heard. You can demonstrate this to yourself by saying a "T" and listening for the explosive beginning; then say "D" and you will notice that you have to use your voice to pronounce a "D", so the voice or note is the first thing you hear. You can use a soft D for legato and a hard "D" for a marcato-type articulation. This has served me well, since my tongue tends to go all over the place with a "T" attack, and my articulation is not clean.

[Doug Elliott]

I agree with D instead of T.

Articulation problems are usually not tongue problems at all. They're response problems.

[hbcrandy]

During one of my late-in-life lessons with Mr. Torchinsky, he told me, "Randy, don't attack the note. Release the note."

[patricklugo]

i struggled with that. what i did, i work on articulation every day. it is part of my daily routine. john manning told me once if don't do something well; you need to add it to your daily routine. it was the best advice. i still follow it. it is part of my DNA.

what i did was to play long tones. making sure the tone production technique is solid. the way to check is to grab a mirror and see what is going on your face. you cant have any movement in the embouchure at all.
once that works correctly, add articulation exercises on a single note. to improve the lightness of the tonguing. the best way to think of it in your mind is to play a whole note and the tongue is just separating the air stream lightly. the tongue is the only part of your face that needs to move.

you can experiment with da or ta. and see what works for you.

[hbcrandy]

i struggled with that. what i did, i work on articulation every day. it is part of my daily routine. john manning told me once if don't do something well; you need to add it to your daily routine. it was the best advice. i still follow it. it is part of my DNA.

what i did was to play long tones. making sure the tone production technique is solid. the way to check is to grab a mirror and see what is going on your face. you cant have any movement in the embouchure at all.
once that works correctly, add articulation exercises on a single note. to improve the lightness of the tonguing. the best way to think of it in your mind is to play a whole note and the tongue is just separating the air stream lightly. the tongue is the only part of your face that needs to move.

you can experiment with da or ta. and see what works for you.

Agreed!