My Thoughts on Anchor Tonguing on Trumpet

[@freeLM90]

When I was student my teacher, a very great player, forced us to play with this Gordon approach as the "only right method" to play the trumpet. I always had problems with my tonguing because it was difficult to have a clear attack of the note. After conservatory I switched to Superchops/TCE approach and I use this system as a professional player. There are lot of "haters" about this technique and about Callet. As a teacher, I have students that can't anchor tongue and some of them can do it very easy; when they have problems with attacks I tell them to use tongue trough the teeth...and they fix their attacks! I totally agree with you when you say that everyone is different

[@Dave-nt3kz]

I learned the "traditional" tonguing method (the method you use) when I was a kid, in 1967. I only played a few years, and then quit for some 45 years. I started playing again a few years ago, and tried the anchor tonguing method. I like it, and find it works better for me (faster and cleaner sounding), than the original way I learned so many years ago. A little research on the subject shows there are many supporters of the anchor tonguing method. But clearly, other trumpet players excel using the traditional method. So in the end, I think that the only correct answer, is "it depends on the individual". Thanks for posting all of these videos.

[@genoafire1]

I absolutely love your video presentations Bobby. Perfect combination of educational information, getting right to the point, visual aids, in-depth analysis, and comedic relief. You are an excellent teacher in my humble opinion. Which you should highly value, 🤔 since I am a pretty old guy that’s been in a lot of different professions and seen a lot of different instructors in those professions.

[@RidgewoodSchoolofMusic]

Thank you!

[@amydaniel1235]

I’ve started volunteering with the local high school band and teaching a bass clarinet player how to play the trumpet for marching band. This is when I discovered that the way I tongue was COMPLETELY different from everyone else’s. Now I know that I have always used the Anchor Tonguing technique. I’ve tried to play with my tongue hitting my top teeth and it’s just not going to happen for me. 😂 Thanks to your video, I can now explain to these students that we may do it differently, but it doesn’t mean any of us are incorrect. (I’m not weird because I tongue differently. I’m just weird in other ways. 😁)

[@anthonymiller3392]

I think your comments at the end about the player’s anatomy are very important and often lost on brass players. I am a physician as well as a trumpet player, and the variability in people’s oral cavities is amazing. There is no way that one physical technique is going to work the same way for everyone. When I first investigated K-tongue modified (as Gordon called it), I was surprised to learn that Jens Lindemann is one of its biggest proponents. Thanks for an interesting presentation!

[@RidgewoodSchoolofMusic]

Agreed! Thanks for the medical insight!

[@AJ_MD]

Great video. I always had trouble tonguing until I came across some videos from early KZbin Trumpet Legend Eric Bolvin (RIP). This was a game changer as it got my tongue further forward (getting it out of the throat) and encouraged a tongue arch for range. As someone has mentioned, I feel anatomy is a factor. A longer tongue will have trouble 'T' tonguing behind the top teeth. Mine definitely moves and changes a little depending on range and style of music and many Anchor Tonguing players say this, it's not "glued" to the bottom teeth. For example, I often tongue off to the side during Jazz Articulation. If you are having trouble with articulation and range, definitely try it. In fact for Big Band and Commercial playing Anchor Tonguing technique works very well in the upper register. Just cause someone who is basically a 'natural' says it doesn't work for them, then doesn't mean it can work for you. Everyone's face is different as you say. Thanks.

[@ChrisDavisTrumpet]

Hi Bobby! I find myself talking about this subject often. I first started practicing K-modified (also known as Anchor Tonguing)tonguing almost 10 years ago when I was asked to perform the Carnival of Venice. Before that I used the classic tonguing method exclusively. My teacher recommended that I abandon it so I did. the process was really slow. It took me a year before I began to see some real progress, but what I noticed is an easier time in the upper register, a crisper articulation, especially in pop sections, and multiple tonguing speed has significantly increased, and things are a lot easier with a K-modified method. After talking to a lot of people around town about it, what I have discovered is most people use it if they are playing lead trumpet or if they are in pop sections. when I asked classical players about it, they seem to be split 50-50 however, I can tell you that for me I do not use K modified tonguing when I am playing small group jazz music because it doesn’t seem to line up. things seem too stiff, but I have come to love it for everything else. that’s all. I just wanted to share my experience with you and the readers of this comment section. Thanks for posting this great video.

[@AJ_MD]

Great comments Chris. KTM is very handy in lead, big band and commercial situations imho. A local Trad trumpeter has played for years with just K-Tongue, as the front of his tongue was removed due to a cancerous issue. Plays great Trad, nice big 'Louie-esk' sound. Just goes to show - whatever works. No hard and fast rules with trumpet except; don't play in the red , 3C is the best, and Bach Strad has the best sound. 🤣

[@svenlarsson1584]

Hi I like your videos a lot. About anchor tonguing, I am Swedish, I and many other Swedes prounance T and D with the dorsel part of the tongue, so the anchor tonguing feel natural for me. For me and many of my students its partly a question of dialekt.

[@spartacusjonesmusic]

Cool. I'll try anything once.

[@NDNdivergent]

I have studied trumpet intensely for 4 years and today was the first day that I have ever heard of anchor tonguing. I find it is easier to do double and triple tonguing this way but better articulation using the standard "Arban" tonguing.it may assist in higher register but I think that either way its not easy to double or triple tongue in higher registers. I am sticking to the Arban approach. however I think I will learn both to have a choice. edit: thanks for posting this! You clarified my confusion immediately. I though I may have been practicing tonguing wrong the entire time. 😂😂

[@kevinhateswriting]

Literally 3 days ago I was looking for a video on this from you. You read my mind! I've been experimenting with anchor tonguing/KTM for the past 10 days and I really feel it's just not for me. Something that makes this topic difficult, even contentious, is that most of us don't actually use the tip of our tongue to say the "t" sound in natural, rapid speech; it's more likely we use strike the alveolum with the part of our tongue a bit further back from the tip, with the tip behind the bottom teeth.

[@d.m.723]

It's not too easy to use "anchor tongue" in lower register. For example I can play G major scale for 3 octaves. I can start with tongue in the roof of my mouth, but I have to switch to anchor tongue to play in higher register. Check Arturo Sandoval youtube channel, interview with Chuck Findley, from 1:29:30. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHu4gWuKoLKZaKc

[@jjocarbonevt]

Will give it a try but “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”?

[@RidgewoodSchoolofMusic]

Exactly! That should be the subtitle of this video.

[@tomrees4812]

Didn’t Fats Navarro and Lee Morgan puff their cheeks out? And originally Dizzy didn’t but something broke (a bit like his trumpet) and he was stuck with it? I think more of the trumpet instruction videos that have proliferated on KZbin should be a bit less dogmatic - like this one. In fact after watching far, far too many I have virtually given up on them. Yours must be a stray subscription I hadn’t got round to cancelling. Regards to Yorick, your co-host, by the way.

[@RidgewoodSchoolofMusic]

I don't know about Fats, but in most of the videos of seen of Lee Morgan, his technique is on point. I think Dizzy always puffed his cheeks out, and I think it made things difficult for him later in life. Moral of the story is there are some techniques that are helpful for most people, but there are exceptions to every rule, and we should embrace what works as long as it doesn't have long term negative consequences. I do think it's funny how many trumpet teachers through the ages have declared their method the only correct method in opposition to another great trumpet teacher claiming the same of a completely contradictory method! Stay with me, Tom, I won't get too dogmatic!