 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sarah
Date: 2001-11-28 22:49
I know this has been talked about before, but those methods don't seem to work for me. I understand the whole tuttle-uttle-uttle concept, but I can't seem to do it. Does anyone have different ideas on how to do double tongue or any practical advice?
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Author: William
Date: 2001-11-29 02:16
On an open G, try: taka taka ta, taka taka ta, taka taka ta, taka taka ta until you can hear a group of four fast notes (like 16ths) followed by a long (like quarter note) Once you can do this on G, extend on single notes down as far as you can get, hopefully to low E. The long tube notes become more difficult and require more breat support-you may also have to switch to taga ta, taga ta, taga ta etc for the ga note to sound. When you can do this to low E, you are ready to try a simple scale like F Lowest space down to low F playing a quarter followed by 8ths--ta, taka taka taka ta. Then, try it up from low F same rhythm--ta, taka taka taka ta. This should get you going so that you can experiment into the second register as high as you can go. Coordination of tongue and finger is most important, or neither single, double, or triple tonguing will be successful. Triple: tataka tatak etc. Be patient and persistant--it will take some time before you are ready to use multiple tonguing skills in your "real life" performances. I have been experimenting with these tricks for nearly ten years and have finally reached the point where no one is aware that I am not just single tonguing super fast. Then, again, I had no mentors or special help--I did it on my own from what I had learned to on trumpet for fun--and I double tongue on the clarinet, sax and flute using about the same method. Good taka'ng!!!!!
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Author: sarah
Date: 2001-11-29 03:18
Isn't the piont to touch the reed again? taka works with trumpet, but on clarinet if you tongue once and do a kind of breath articulate the next note they will sound different. Are you sure you are using taka where the back of your tongue hits the roof of your mouth on ka?
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Author: Gretchen
Date: 2001-11-29 09:46
Reed instruments can be successfully double tongue using the Tu-ku method. You can not win a bassoon audition today without it. Just listen to some recordings of Bernie Garfield or Milan Turkovic to hear how well they have mastered it. Several years ago I was absolutely blown away by the playing of Donald Sinta, the sax teacher at University of Michigan. The closest we have to those guys on the clarinet right now is Robert Spring. His "Dragon's Tongue" CD has quite a bit of double tonguing of the tuku variety. Perhaps you should listen to it and decide for yourself if his way of playing is acceptable to you.
There's a lot of classical literature out there that requires the clarinets to tongue extremely fast. Just a short list includes Beethoven 4, Schumann 4, Brahms Hungarian Dance #1, Bizet Symphony in C, Hungarian Rhapsody #2, Cappriccio Italian, Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Galanta Dances. Most of the tonguing in these pieces is tutti and covered by strings, but Galanta Dances, for example, has a couple of passages where it's just clarinet and oboe. I have yet to hear a recording of that piece where the clarinets aren't faking it. Some day we will have to have those prepared for auditions at their marked speeds just as bassoonists now have to have Beethoven 4 and Marriage of Figaro ready to go.
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Author: Brent
Date: 2001-11-29 13:27
Ta-ka is the method used by Robert Spring, whose CDs are showcases of his mastery of double tonguing. You haven't heard "Flight of the bumblebee" until you've heard his version!
Actually, when you get going really fast (and especially high) the tongue doesn't actually touch the roof of the mouth on the back stroke. It's more a palatalized "Ta-Ga"sound.
It certainly doesn't even come close to the reed, however!
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Author: William
Date: 2001-11-29 14:35
Sarah: On the ka part, my tongue does hit the roof of my mouth, just like with the trumpet. You need a concentrated steam of air for this ka articulate to speak, so you should arch your tongue in the back of your mouth, kind of like a cats hiss, to focus and "speed up" the air flow to the reed. Then, you may be actually tonguing teke teke rather than taka, taka, especially in the upper registers. It should also be said, that double tonguing should only be used if you can not single tongue fast enough, so you should always keep trying to strengthen your tongue muscle for endurance and efficiency. Double tonguing should only be used and works best at faster speeds.
When I asked John Bruce-Yeh (brilliant assistant principal clarinetist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra) about double tonguing, he said that he uses the over-the-tip of the mouth piece method where your tongue flicks up and down over the tip of the reed, articulating on the up stroke and then again on the down stroke. I am currently working on learning to control this "flick" method, as it seems to articulate much more clearly than the taka method and, surprizingly, does not damage the reed. John said he used this method in his recording of the Nielsen Concerto, which is brilliantly done, IMHO. Now that I have "muddyed" the multiple tonguing waters a bit more, Good Clarineting and Good Luck.
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Author: sarah
Date: 2001-11-29 16:40
i have hear Spring play that in person!! it is fantasic. it was at an all state festival and he gave a sectional to the clarinet section.
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Author: Mark Charette, Webmaster
Date: 2001-11-29 17:17
If you want to hear double tonguing with a tone that doesn't sound like an accordion playing, listen to some of Cjharlie Neiditch's playing. Can't rememebr which ones specifically, but it was actually enjoyable music, not just fun pyrotechnics ...
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-12-01 02:04
One technique that worked for me was "laughing" while I played. That is, I let my stomach vibrate as if I had a very fast giggle coming out of my system. Then I would try tonguing, and for some odd reason it helped me a little bit more, perhaps because as I tongued my stomach would slightly choke the air flow, creating a slightly cleaner easier articulation.
(Another name for this would be cheating.)
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