Tongue Arch and Trumpet Playing
First off, as I see it, there are three main pillars of a trumpet player’s system to achieve any note on the trumpet. All of these three elements are terminating. The closer we get to that termination point, the more the tone and sound are compromised. If a player is close to the terminal point on any of these elements, one of the other systems needs to be engaged further to achieve a healthier balance and improve sound quality. For example, if the tongue is maxed out to the roof of the mouth and forward in the oral cavity, it can produce a thin sound that is often sharp in intonation and can also compromise articulation. Increasing the involvement of the air or lips can subsequently allow the player to lower their tongue engagement.
The Air: The air is our fuel that is needed to play the trumpet. High notes require fast air of small volumetric quantities. Low notes, conversely, require the opposite. We use methods like the “Wedge breath” to compress and increase air speed and volocity. This has a terminal point.
The Lips: The lips are our reed, which is fixed to our face. One lip will serve as the anchor point; the other will be the reed and vibrating surface. The lip that vibrates will depend on whether you are an upstream or downstream player. We use the orbicularis muscles around our lips/embochure to contract and “pucker” the lips, creating a smaller opening. This functions much like a hose nozzle or a focusing camera lens. This has a terminal point.
The Tongue: The tongue holds many roles and can move in an infinite number of ways. It is a highly mobile and sophisticated muscle that directs the air in our mouth in specific ways and is also responsible for all articulations that are not breath attacks. Because the tongue’s main role is articulation, the more that we engage it for range, the more it compromises our ability to articulate freely. The tongue has a terminal point like the other three systems.
Multiple Tonguing engages the tongue in its role of articulation the most out of any of its articulation capacities. If you cannot multiple-tongue a higher note, it is likely because the tongue is engaged too much with the production of said note and is not free to move in the way it needs. Use high register multiple tonguing as a test to see if your tongue arch is too high.
How do the mouthpiece and trumpet influence the usage of these three systems? The larger the mouthpiece or trumpet, or both in volumetric capacity, the more that the body will have to compensate to achieve higher notes, especially with a brilliant, sparkly, commercial lead trumpet style. This is why commercial lead trumpet players typically use smaller mouthpieces to help produce high notes with the correct sound. This means that the smaller the mouthpiece or horn in internal volume, the more essential it is to play with a lower tongue position to achieve a big sound. This is also another reason why the internal coordination and technique needed to play on a smaller mouthpiece differ from those for a larger one. Practicing a range of exercises and music on your smaller equipment is necessary to find the physical balance needed to achieve a desirable sound.
In conclusion, the tongue's role in our trumpet playing is essential; however, it is possible to overuse this system, compromising our tone/sound, intonation, and ability to articulate freely. Activating other means to achieve higher tones on the trumpet, in combination with the tongue, will yield the best results. The trumpet is an internal balancing act that requires micro-coordination between our three main systems: the air, the lips, and the tongue.
