 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: JonTheReeds
Date: 2019-10-08 00:21
Finally, after almost 8 years I've given up on trying to improve my single tonguing speed, which hasn't appreciably increased since I started focusing on it 6 years ago. What settled my mind was playing recently with a great player who had phenomenal tonguing. I asked him for any tips and he said that he could never single tongue quick enough, wasn't worried about it, and just learnt double tonguing. Unfortunately I didn't ask him at the time to give me some tips!
I've been looking on Youtube and think I understand the basic technique, using D-G, but when I vocalise the G sound I get a nasty guttural sound and it stops the air flow, which doesn't sound nice, and doesn't contribute to good playing
Does anyone have some advice on this? I appreciate that some will say I should concentrate on single tonguing, but I'd rather move on. My teacher spent a lot of time working on it with me, I've spent lots of time practising it, and I haven't made any progress (I started 6 years ago at 4 notes at about 80bpm, and I'm pretty much still at that level, perhaps 88 or 92bpm on a good day but I've never, ever, managed 100bpm). If I'd even had some progress over the years I'd persevere, but nada!
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The older I get, the better I was
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2019-10-08 01:12
Just try one more single tongue thing-- Start on low C. Go CCCDEEEFG and hold the G. Go as fast as you can without "slop". Then try a faster speed. When you can do it at the faster speed every time, try faster. Then up & down the scale, then 2 octaves, then vary the key. It is a drill I learned from Russianoff in 1973. My tonguing went from very so-so to very fast in maybe a month. Details are in my book.
I have yet to play next to someone who could double tongue, and have sat next to maybe 35 outstanding players over the years. One fellow could somewhat do it, but it sounded like he had a sock in his mouth.
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Post Edited (2019-10-08 08:02)
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Author: fernie121
Date: 2019-10-08 01:18
you are using the back part of your tongue which is what’s stopping the air flow. You have to use the more forward part of your tongue. Think Goo more than Guh. Or even Gee, depending on where your natural tongue position is.
Though I can double tongue, my single tongue is fast enough for almost anything I’d ever need to play. Something to consider about rapid single tonguing is its much more of a fluid experience than most people realize. The air should really, really flow. You need lots of air. And it’s better to think Thee Thee rather than tah tah. With lots of air and at high speeds you barely need to contact the reed to articulate.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-10-08 07:19
I agree with your great player friend. There are those of us who are stuck with slow twitch muscles in our tongues and will never be fast enough to be competitive.
The "KEE" sound is really more of a "disturbance" of the air flow with a spot further back on your tongue rather than a full stop (at least that's how it turns out when you're moving at a good speed anyway). Part of the stumbling block for me in my first few years of double tonguing was having learned a very correct, Bonade/Marcellus single tonguing technique. That is, you treat the tongue on the reed as if it where the damper on the strings of a piano....in single tonguing. When you double tongue using a light almost "brushing" sort of approach to the "TEE" sound allows the "KEE" to be more fluid (responsive). In fact I have more success particularly in the clarion executing both "TEE" and "KEE" upon the roof of my mouth, leaving the reed out of it altogether !!!!!
Also, here is a GREAT 20 minute tutorial by one of the double tonguing gurus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoInFr4b8kQ
............Paul Aviles
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Author: JonTheReeds
Date: 2019-10-09 23:24
Thanks Paul, the video is great!
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The older I get, the better I was
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Author: JonTheReeds
Date: 2019-10-09 23:25
Thanks for the advice everyone, the road is long and winding, but I haven't driven off the edge yet!
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The older I get, the better I was
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Author: Burt
Date: 2019-10-13 17:32
I find the "Lone Ranger" theme from William Tell a good double tonguing exercise.
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2019-10-13 20:32
Whether it’s of value or not here’s my exercise. Verbalize the dugu dugu articulation away from the clarinet. Do this with your hand held in front of your mouth. It’s interesting how little airflow there is. Practice increasing the airflow while doing dudugu until it approximates the normal airflow while playing the clarinet.
Freelance woodwind performer
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