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Step 1
Use the tip of your tongue in the center of the mouthpiece to get a crisp, clean sound when you play the trumpet. The more you become acquainted with using just the tip of your tongue to produce sound, the easier it will be to produce a consistently clean sound.
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Step 2
Place your tongue behind your teeth with your teeth closed. Feel the position of the tongue by pushing against the back of your teeth. This position is where your tongue should be whenever you play the trumpet.
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Step 3
Make a consonant sound. The sound of the letter, "T" is the perfect sound to produce a crisp note through the trumpet. With your tongue still behind your teeth practice saying a syllable beginning with this letter such as "ta" or "toe." Repeat this syllable several times until you become used to producing the sound while keeping your tongue behind your teeth and making it sound the same every time.
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Step 4
Keep your tongue where it belongs. It's easy for your jaw and mouth to shift while you play and for your tongue to move between your teeth. You'll notice a change in the sound you make if this happens. Correct the positioning of your tongue and start again.
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Step 5
Practice you tonguing technique often. Begin each playing session with a few repetitions of the "ta" syllable, continue the tonguing with the trumpet mouthpiece held to your lips, then play the same note several times in the row using the tonguing technique so you can hear the consistency of the sound proper tonguing produces. The more you practice your tonguing technique the easier it will become.
