JackD

Hi Manny, so since your last post giving advice about this, I've been working quite hard on it. I've got up to the stage where my "ka" sounds like my "ta" and have been working on chromatic scales - coordination with the fingers is coming along.

I do have some problems though: If I double tongue a chromatic scale from G below the staff to G on top of it, the low notes (~G-B) sound very "flabby", without a nice clean attack, and sometimes the upper notes get pinched on the "k" syllable. On the upper ones I sometimes feel tension in my throat, so I think that's the problem there. Any tips for getting those low F#s and Gs sounding as crisp as the ones in the middle register?


Cheers,

Jack.

Manny Laureano

Jack,

The problem is a conceptual one so I hope you can get on a slightly esoteric wavelength with me.

The staccato low register double tongue has to do with thinking about shaving length off of the end the note rather than changing the start of it. You have to think of the notes as puffs of air with clean break after each and every one.

Can you do a series of relaxed puffs outward like what a boxer would do on every blow he delivers?

I told you this was going to be esoteric.

If you can manage that, try the same thing but intoning a non-toned Too- Koo. There should a space between each too and koo. The trick is to bring that concept to the low register using the chromatic scales as you have done from middle to lower. You have to think blunt with spaces. If your stomach is tight at all this won't work. Let it float inward with each stroke.

Good luck, see if you can connect with what I'm saying here.

ML

JackD

I think I get what you're saying, I'll give it a shot.

Thanks!

Jack.