Triple Tonguing: My Achilles Heal

Do Mariachi trumpetistas really need to perfect their triple tonguing technique? To be honest, in my twenty-years of playing this instrument--15 of those years performing in a Mariachi ensemble--I have thoroughly neglected this study. This may be, in large part, because of a misguided assumption; I thought that a Mariachero only needed to master double-tonguing; which I spent countless hours trying to even my tone and striking ability. Also, trying to really over think my own mariachi technique, I would doubly practice double-tonguing with an emphasis on staccato; in later years, I would get into trouble with my University Jazz and Concert ensembles because I was attacking, very aggressively, even the most subtle phrasing. My professors later told that I had to tone down my 'mariachi sound.' What can I say, I was extremely naive and always followed a dicho, or saying, of the Mariachieros: "Aye que tocar fuerte y desafinado, al estilo de un piano del rancho." However, I was playing louder than I was playing out of tune. 

Now, as I am trying to fill in the gaps of my technique, I am returning to the triple tonguing exercises illustrated in the trumpet bible: Arbans: Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet. Although for the last couple of weeks I have been extensively--currently, with limited results--practicing triple tonguing. At this moment, while I am writing this post, I am going over exercises 1 through 5 today; really trying to get the even tone out of my horn. 

Also, every since I started working on this technique, I really started to listen to some Mariachi standards to see if I can best utilize triple tonguing. The first song that comes to mind is "La Boda de Luis Alonzo;" the introduction, to be more specific. In the intro, the cluster of five notes--in concert pitch, it would be successive E's--is easier to perform when utilizing triple tonguing. If done correctly, the trumpet intro should sound clearer, with each note evenly spaced, as apposed to attacking it with one's double tonguing technique. 

I am still looking into more standards that would benefit triple tonguing. Any suggestions?