Double tonguing is a double edged sword. It can sound fantastic or it can sound like a bunch of hens came out to peck for bugs. But there is hope for your double tonguing. There are ways to get your double tonguing in top form, and they don’t take forever to learn!
I find that there are three major problems with double tonguing that give my students problems whether they are high school students, college students or professionals. These double tonguing problems are universal and the fix can be applied to any solo. All you have to do is determine which problem is yours, then get to work fixing it.
Problem #1 The Hen Peck
Problem #2 Uneven “ta ka”
Problem #3 Fingers Move Faster Than the Tongue
#1 The Hen Peck Problem
Now, the first problem that I see with students is the Hen Peck. Most often this is the biggest problem with a student’s double tonguing. I have seen it more often than not, when the person comes to me for lessons and they have a piece with double tonguing. This problem is when the air doesn’t flow through the “ta ka”. The result is that the tongue stops the sound, and each tongue is short and clip. The musical line becomes interrupted. Thus the Hen Peck sound.
The Fix
The first thing to do when trying to fix this problem is play through the passage slurring all the way. This gives your ear the sound of the musical line. You hear all the notes connected and beautiful. It’s important to understand that what you hear when slurring is the way it needs to sound when you double tongue. You can’t break up the musical line just because you are double tonguing. Recognize that when you slur, your air is moving through the passage, and your support is steady. Transfer this to the double tongue. Push your air pressure through the “tktk” so that the sound isn’t clip. Copy the musical line sound that you heard when you slurred. Now it makes musical sense. A benefit is that it is so much easier and more comfortable to play this way.
#2 The Uneven “Ta Ka” Problem
The second problem I hear is the uneven tongue. This occurs when the t is fine but the k is uneven. Usually it’s not the ta because you’ve used the “ta” your whole flute life, and now you have to add the Ks onto it. When you speak tktk it can be very even. But when you put the flute up, it miraculously becomes uneven. How does that even work?!!! You would think that if you can say it evenly, then you should be able to do the same on the flute. But alas, sometimes this is just not the case.
The Fix
The first thing to do is to speak the tktk in the same tempo as the passage. Make sure the tongue is very light. The t is very forward, making the k more forward. Keep it light and forward on the flute as well. The key to getting this even is to switch the t and k around. While you usually play tktk you will now play ktkt. Trust me it works. Make this way of double tonguing just as good as the original way. In other words, pretend that this is the method you must use from now on. You need to believe that this is your method. You have to be all in, because only then will your k muscle become just as strong and coordinated as the t. This really works! FYI it is absolutely the best way to fix triple tonguing issues as well. Backwards to go forwards!
#3 Fingers Move Faster Than the Tongue Problem
Whenever you’re having trouble with your double tongue, and you feel “I’ve got it, I should know it. I’ve worked on it!” But it still doesn’t come out smoothly. It’s always because the fingers are faster than the tonguing. The tongue and fingers have come out of sync with each other, and you need to get them so that they’re traveling the same path again.
The Fix
It’s never because the TK is rushing. It’s the fingers that are the problem. This means that you need to go back and woodshed slowly. Go back to the methods that you used to learn it in the first place. Use every articulation in your Taffanel and Gaubert book making sure that when using any articulations with tonguing that you always use double tonguing, even when slow. Use your metronome each and every time you practice this passage. That’s all you need to do to fix this problem. It seems a simple solution, but it takes time. Remember it’s not going to be fixed all of a sudden. It will take time.
Those are the three problems that will fix 99% of double tonguing issues. Now, analyze which one is your problem (or is it all 3?) and go about fixing it.
Have fun!
DoctorFlute
Watch me demonstrate this Fixing 3 Double Tonguing Problems – FluteTips 92
FluteTips 82 Getting Better Low Notes with Taffanel & Gaubert Number 8
FluteTips 86 Bending Your Pitch UP
