I’m not looking to adopt TCE and I appreciate that you aren’t tying to convince everyone to. I simply enjoy your honest comments and constant search for a better trumpet result. That in itself is inspiring, and sharing your journey across these videos provides your fellow trumpeters (me) useful insight and perspective. Thanks Donovan.
I love the way you're presenting these thoughts! Your open mindedness and ability to be critical without putting anyone down is inspiring, and refreshing. It makes me more curious about how the tongue can be used in trumpet playing.
Love your commentary Thank you. For me, I hybrid the TCE. Only mid to upper register I’ll focus the tongue tip. The lower I allow the tongue tip to move with my expression of play. It’s still pretty close to the suggested. Also what really helped was practicing the technique on a lead pipe I picked up on EBay. Because the lead pipe is light and there are only for me 4-5ish registers I can slot. Then all the focus is on this Hybrid technique and getting smooth airflow with a gentle touch. It works for me, maybe someone else but the technique is very effective. Thanks again!
If I play a note or a short passage, and then while sustaining the note, push the tongue against and slightly above the bottom lip I can immediately hear the sound get brighter. So if a bright sound is what you want, TCE helps achieve that. Another benefit of TCE is that the tongue provides support to the bottom lip and keeping the bottom lip as involved in the playing as possible gives more strength to the embouchure. Too many players give the top lip too much of the playing burden which is not good.
Great video. I thought that I had discovered an easier way to play in the upper register by placing the tip of my tongue against the back of my lower lip. Then I saw a video about TCE. So I purchased the Trumpet Secrets book by Bahb Civiletti. After experimenting with this system (which works) I abandoned that effort due to the harshness of the articulation. You can’t “Doodle Tongue or articulate a smooth jazz solo with that method. What do you think about smooth articulation with TCE?
This is a common question - and a fair one to ask. The answer is a two-parter: 1. Once you have the spit buzz down, then you can work on softer articulations. 2. If you need to doodle tongue, flutter tongue, etc you do that. Those are effects - you aren't doing them the entire time you play... Hope that helps!
I personally use what I call a MODIFIED version of TCE. My tongue doesn't go past my teeth. I definitely anchor my tongue on my bottom teeth, but i shape my tongue more like a "channel" versus a raised arch. I've tried to go down the TCE/Claude Gordon method, but for me personally, it just doesn't work. All that being said, you HAVE to add resistance in some way. Some players add it in the equipment, some add it in the oral cavity, or some combination of the two in various ways. All teaching methods are basically something that needs to be looked at as a guideline, and then modified to your own physiology.
I think what turned a lot of people off about Jerry Callet was that he would make up crazy stories, such as, him sitting in on the scream chair with Kenton, showing Maynard up, "destroying" Jon Faddis, and subbing with the Tonight Show band. None of those things are true. He had just as many stories as he did customers. And if he was trying to sell you a trumpet, according to him, his equipment was the greatest and everyone else's is junk in comparison. If it didn't work for you, YOU were the problem and you needed to change your embouchure. Then every couple of years, he'd come out with a new horn or mouthpiece and from that point on the newer model would be the greatest thing, the previous one paled in comparison and you had to buy the new one. Callet was a very shrewd and persuasive salesman and he sold a lot of gear to mediocre players. But if you look among the top professional ranks, his horns occupy a very, very small piece of that market. None of the top LA studio players play his horns or his mouthpieces. He's viewed as a guru by some, but as an outlier, or a pariah by the top pros.
I understand (and agree) with what you are saying. I think he made good horns and mouthpieces - but he was always a small shop in a huge sea of competition - he did what he felt like he had to do to stand out, I guess.
@@trumpetthoughts Yeah, but when he tells such grandiose fantastical lies with his crazy stories, it completely destroys his credibility on anything else he says or anything that he's trying to sell. I've tried several of his trumpets and didn't like a single one of them.
@@trumpetthoughts I gained some things from him too. But it pissed me off that he was kind of cult-ish in the way he kept trying to push his horns on me and when I didn't buy one or praise his horns, he started giving me the cold shoulder.
I’m not looking to adopt TCE and I appreciate that you aren’t tying to convince everyone to. I simply enjoy your honest comments and constant search for a better trumpet result. That in itself is inspiring, and sharing your journey across these videos provides your fellow trumpeters (me) useful insight and perspective. Thanks Donovan.
You are right - I'm definitely not trying to convert anyone - just sharing my journey and thoughts. Thanks for the kind words, Matt!
I love the way you're presenting these thoughts! Your open mindedness and ability to be critical without putting anyone down is inspiring, and refreshing. It makes me more curious about how the tongue can be used in trumpet playing.
Thank you! It's not an easy journey for most of us. We should all have respect for those that are trying to figure it out as well.
Love your commentary Thank you. For me, I hybrid the TCE. Only mid to upper register I’ll focus the tongue tip. The lower I allow the tongue tip to move with my expression of play. It’s still pretty close to the suggested. Also what really helped was practicing the technique on a lead pipe I picked up on EBay. Because the lead pipe is light and there are only for me 4-5ish registers I can slot. Then all the focus is on this Hybrid technique and getting smooth airflow with a gentle touch. It works for me, maybe someone else but the technique is very effective.
Thanks again!
There are lots of people that use TCE "part time" - only for upper register, forte playing. You are not alone in this!
kurt Thompson LOL
He who shall not be named. :D
He s not an advocate of TCE
Rich Colqahoun in England...take a talk with him. He is very rounded in both tone and person😃
Yup - had a lesson and conversations with Rich - great resource!
If I play a note or a short passage, and then while sustaining the note, push the tongue against and slightly above the bottom lip I can immediately hear the sound get brighter. So if a bright sound is what you want, TCE helps achieve that. Another benefit of TCE is that the tongue provides support to the bottom lip and keeping the bottom lip as involved in the playing as possible gives more strength to the embouchure. Too many players give the top lip too much of the playing burden which is not good.
It is brighter and more focused. But you can change the cup depth to diminish the brightness, if desired.
@@trumpetthoughts But then you won't get the added range and flexibility of the shallower mouthpiece.
@@artvandelay8090 Correct.
Great video.
I thought that I had discovered an easier way to play in the upper register by placing the tip of my tongue against the back of my lower lip.
Then I saw a video about TCE. So I purchased the Trumpet Secrets book by Bahb Civiletti.
After experimenting with this system (which works) I abandoned that effort due to the harshness of the articulation.
You can’t “Doodle Tongue or articulate a smooth jazz solo with that method.
What do you think about smooth articulation with TCE?
This is a common question - and a fair one to ask. The answer is a two-parter:
1. Once you have the spit buzz down, then you can work on softer articulations.
2. If you need to doodle tongue, flutter tongue, etc you do that. Those are effects - you aren't doing them the entire time you play...
Hope that helps!
I personally use what I call a MODIFIED version of TCE.
My tongue doesn't go past my teeth.
I definitely anchor my tongue on my bottom teeth, but i shape my tongue more like a "channel" versus a raised arch.
I've tried to go down the TCE/Claude Gordon method, but for me personally, it just doesn't work.
All that being said, you HAVE to add resistance in some way.
Some players add it in the equipment, some add it in the oral cavity, or some combination of the two in various ways.
All teaching methods are basically something that needs to be looked at as a guideline, and then modified to your own physiology.
My experiences lines up with yours. Well said!
I think what turned a lot of people off about Jerry Callet was that he would make up crazy stories, such as, him sitting in on the scream chair with Kenton, showing Maynard up, "destroying" Jon Faddis, and subbing with the Tonight Show band. None of those things are true. He had just as many stories as he did customers. And if he was trying to sell you a trumpet, according to him, his equipment was the greatest and everyone else's is junk in comparison. If it didn't work for you, YOU were the problem and you needed to change your embouchure. Then every couple of years, he'd come out with a new horn or mouthpiece and from that point on the newer model would be the greatest thing, the previous one paled in comparison and you had to buy the new one. Callet was a very shrewd and persuasive salesman and he sold a lot of gear to mediocre players. But if you look among the top professional ranks, his horns occupy a very, very small piece of that market. None of the top LA studio players play his horns or his mouthpieces. He's viewed as a guru by some, but as an outlier, or a pariah by the top pros.
I understand (and agree) with what you are saying. I think he made good horns and mouthpieces - but he was always a small shop in a huge sea of competition - he did what he felt like he had to do to stand out, I guess.
@@trumpetthoughts Yeah, but when he tells such grandiose fantastical lies with his crazy stories, it completely destroys his credibility on anything else he says or anything that he's trying to sell. I've tried several of his trumpets and didn't like a single one of them.
@@artvandelay8090 I understand what you are saying. However, I've found his teachings to be very useful for me.
@@trumpetthoughts I gained some things from him too. But it pissed me off that he was kind of cult-ish in the way he kept trying to push his horns on me and when I didn't buy one or praise his horns, he started giving me the cold shoulder.
@@artvandelay8090 I get it. He's dead though, so let it go. 🤣 Take the good and leave the rest.
Sorry I don’t have your messenger or email I would have sent them there
Didn’t mean to hijack your comments 😊🎺🎺
What’s TCE?
Tongue Controlled Embouchure - taught by Jerome Callet and Bob Civiletti.
Absolute Range, Control & Endurance.pdf
Unknown Author
Here’s another guy who is a great player
Alan Sommer
PDF didn’t work I’ll have to share it another way