jdshankles

Hey team,

Ok, so the New Year's resolution....to begin to rock on multiple tonguing. Currently, not so rockin'. It's getting better, but not where i would like it.

I have chosen "Maid of the Mist" as the piece for this adventure. And what I am noticing is that I will start out strong and consistent to the point where I am thinking "Woo hoo! I got it!" The notes just seem to roll. And then as I continue, my consistency and accuracy start to fail and it sounds like I have a tongue made of lead.

Does one need to build an endurance for mulitple tonguing? Or is maybe my mind getting in the way?

Chew on it.

--JD
P.S. Just got the Buzzzing book and I think I am going to like it....

camelbrass

Like you I'm also trying to work on my multiple tonguing..Fantasie Brilliante is my goal at the moment.

It's definitely something you need to practice..it helped me by starting slowly and then working up to speed (using a metronome) and the Arbans book is full of great excercises...I personally use 'da ga' and 'da da ga' rather than the harder 'tu' sound. However once I 'got' it, long passages became challenging because my tongue would get in the way..like a tongue twister. I now find myself walking at say one beat equals 120 and vocalising the part...I remembered reading that H.L. Clarke did something similar. I wonder whether he got the strange looks I do walking down the street?

Hope this helps.

Regards,


Trevor

tpter1

Allow it to permeate all aspects of your practice.

Work on the "k" syllable...go to the Arban syncopation studies and play them (slowly), using a "k" for each note. When doing your Clarke studies, use a "k" articulation. It should have a pop type sound, just like your "t". When doing lip flexibilities, why not try to "k" toungue those as well?

When working the double toungue section, do the first excercise as follows: kkkkk ttttt kkkkk ttttt; then kkttk kkttk; then ttkkt ttkkt; then SLOWLY tktkt. Try harder keys, too, like Ab minor. Gets the brain flowing! All of those excercises can be transposed to different keys. Just pay attention to range. Charlier: Etudes No. 1, 5 and 33 are good multiple tongue excercises. Again, try for a solid K syllable (even though 1 & 5 were written for single tongue, slurring and interval work, you can alter them for your purpose). Look also in Longinotti...there are some good articulation etudes in there, as there are also in the Sabarich Dix Etudes book (I think it's No. 6...)

This is the most important part: be sure to rest when you feel stiffness set in.

Get busy! (So must I!)

__________________
-Glenn
"Roses have thorns; shining waters mud. Clouds and eclipses stain the moon and the sun; and history reeks of the wrongs we have done. After today, after today, consider me gone."- Sting

trumpetpat

the best way to approach this is SLOW!! practice it embaressingly slow so you never make a mistake and nail the double tongue. if you can play it 5 times perfectly then bump the metronome up a click. if you keep making mistakes, bring it down. if you practice fast and make mistakes, the mistakes will stick and you may never fully get to where you want to be. so when i say practice slow i mean PRACTICE WITH NO MISTAKES!! you will be amazed at the results.

poppes

Remember to blow relaxed. Your tongue will only work if you blow "warm" air correctly through the instrument. The rest is only up to your practice.

It is the air that moves the tongue. NOT the tongue moving the air. The second way is sadly the most common way...

Without air it will never come out...

mrfabulous963

good point with slow, My Maching Band Section leader had us use the Arban excersice i mentioned at a tempo he called "Stupid Slow" its so slow wyou have to think about playing slow. then move up to the next setting on that metronome until you hit the tempo you need, the go a few clicks faster to build a endurance

dizforprez

Make sure you practice it at different volumes as well as speeds. As you get more efficient and proficient at it endurance will come.