To most brass players, the use of Tah and Dah is enough to comprehend but when you have nothing to do at this time of the morning, you need something more than coffee to keep you going and this next material may be beneficial to you.
The many syllables based on the basic Tah and Dah articulation.
How many variations of Tah and Dah can we come up with?
- Tah, Dah
- Ta, Da (long A sound)
- Tee, Dee
- Tie, Die
- Toe, Doe
- Too, Doo
Notice that we have included all of the vowels including a long A and a soft A. Each of these variations is produced in different location in our mouth. I will list them from the rear to the front- Tah (most open), Toe , Tie, Ta (long A sound), Too, Tee (most restricted).
Each of these syllables is used as we ascend in our playing range. At this point, I will have some grumbling going on for there are many who will disagree with me on this assumption. Many knowledgeable teachers and performers believe that the tongue does not and should not change positions as we play higher. I respect their opinion but from my experience and from the teachings of my trumpet teachers, I believe that the tongue does arch as we ascend and because of my belief in this matter, I will continue.
In the low register, we utilize the open oral cavity, for more air at a slower speed is required. In the upper register, we need less air and additional speed. This is why the syllable Tah is effective in the low register and the high arch of the tongue is helpful in the upper register through the use of the syllable Tee. It all boils down to air velocity through the use of tongue position. I have purposely omitted the issue of more air support in the upper register for this will be covered at a later date in another posting. We do not consciously reposition our tongue on every note for it is a smooth transition through the range of the instrument.
At this point, in our journey through the wondrous world of brass articulation, we have explained which letters are best to use and which syllables can be used to more easily play in the different registers. My next posting will cover these choices when applied to multiple tonguing.
