- Trombone tonguing is 50% tongue and 50% air. Rather than a clipped "tu," it is important to sustain the airflow with "too"
- If the embouchure moves during tonguing, it causes notes to swell after the attack. Keep the mouth as still as possible and play with a stable embouchure
- Tonguing practice should focus on the quality of each individual note and achieving clean, clear articulation rather than speed
- Double tonguing is necessary for fast passages. Alternate "tu" and "ku" — tu, ku, tu, ku — and work to make the "tu" and "ku" articulations uniform
- When practicing double tonguing, placing the accent on the "ku" helps make the "tu" and "ku" more even
Trombone Tonguing: The Technique Behind Creating Resonance
When it comes to tonguing on the trombone, you may recall first encountering the concept in elementary school music class when playing the recorder. With the recorder, you learned to articulate notes by pronouncing "tu" to separate each sound. Wind instruments work the same way — you use "tu" to separate notes. However, on instruments like the trombone that require a great deal of air, simply articulating with "tu" alone often fails to produce well-resonant tongued notes. The key to good tonguing involves, first, the tongue itself. Second, the air — it is essential that the air is flowing steadily. And finally, the embouchure — maintaining a proper embouchure is also crucial for clean tonguing. This article provides a detailed Q&A-format explanation of how to achieve beautiful trombone tonguing through the balance of air and tongue, a stable embouchure, and double tonguing for fast passages.
Q&A: The Basics of Trombone Tonguing
Q1: How can I produce well-resonant tonguing on the trombone?
A: When we talk about tonguing on the trombone, the word itself comes from "tongue" — and many players practice with the idea of firmly striking with the tongue to separate notes. But this approach actually chips away at the trombone's good resonance and gradually degrades the sound. So think of tonguing as 50% tongue and 50% air. When you produce a note, you naturally articulate with the tongue, but there must also be a steady flow of air behind it. You typically learn to articulate with "T-U," but think of it as having an "F" sound sustained after it. Not a clipped "tu," but a sustained "too, too" with the air flowing steadily. This is extremely important.
Q&A: Tonguing Practice Methods and Embouchure
Q2: What should I be careful about when practicing tonguing?
A: When I watch middle school students practicing tonguing, I often see them gradually speeding up, turning tonguing practice into a race to see how fast they can play. While speed is certainly important for fast passages, what matters more is the quality of each individual note — aiming for clean, clear articulation. I encourage you to practice with this goal in mind.
Q3: Is it a problem if the embouchure moves during tonguing?
A: I find that many beginners tend to move their embouchure when tonguing. When the embouchure moves during tonguing, it often causes what is described as notes that "swell after the attack." The main cause of this is almost always movement of the mouth or the inside of the mouth when articulating. When tonguing, try to keep the mouth as still as possible and focus on playing with a stable embouchure. However, this becomes much more difficult in the low register. There are some notes that require a certain amount of movement to play. In those cases, aim to perform with the minimum necessary movement as you practice.
Practice Menu
- Step 1: Tonguing practice focused on the balance of air and tongue. Rather than a clipped "tu," practice blowing each note carefully while being conscious of sustaining the airflow with "too, too." Develop the feeling that tonguing is 50% tongue and 50% air.
- Step 2: Practice prioritizing the quality of each note. Rather than pursuing speed, aim for clean, clear articulation. Start at a slow tempo using a metronome and practice tonguing each note carefully.
- Step 3: Tonguing practice with a fixed embouchure. To prevent the mouth from moving during tonguing, focus on keeping the mouth as still as possible and playing with a stable embouchure. Practicing in front of a mirror allows you to check for unnecessary mouth movement.
- Step 4: Tonguing practice in the low register. In the low register, some notes require a certain amount of movement, but aim to perform with the minimum necessary movement. Practice tonguing while maintaining a stable embouchure even in the low register.
- Step 5: Basic double tonguing practice. Instead of playing "tu, tu, tu," insert a "ku" — "tu, ku, tu, ku." If you are trying double tonguing for the first time, the "tu" tends to be stronger and the "ku" weaker, so practice by placing the accent on the "ku."
- Step 6: Double tonguing uniformity practice. Practice until the "tu" and "ku" articulations sound even. Start at a slow tempo using a metronome and practice until both "tu" and "ku" sound equally balanced.
- Step 7: Double tonguing practice for fast passages. Once your double tonguing is even, gradually increase the tempo and practice so that you can handle fast passages using double tonguing.
When we think of tonguing on the trombone, it is often seen as simply using the tongue to articulate a "tu" to separate notes. However, on brass instruments that require a great deal of air, articulating with "tu" alone is not enough to produce well-resonant tongued notes. Tonguing is 50% tongue and 50% air. It is crucial to sustain the airflow with "too, too" rather than a clipped "tu." Additionally, if the embouchure moves during tonguing, it causes what is often described as notes that "swell after the attack." When tonguing, focus on keeping the mouth as still as possible and playing with a stable embouchure. Tonguing practice should prioritize not speed but the quality of each individual note — achieving clean, clear articulation. Double tonguing is necessary for fast passages. By inserting a "ku" — tu, ku, tu, ku — and practicing until the "tu" and "ku" articulations are even, you can achieve beautiful tonguing on the trombone.
