TONGUING TECHNIQUE

Woodwind play and practice

WITH ONLY ONE DRUMSTICK

THE NEXT PART OF THE WARM UP TO A PRACTICE SESSION IS A DISCUSSION ON ARTICULATION, THE SINCLE MOST IMPORTANT FACET OF PLAYING TO GIVE A PLAYER HIS PERSONAL STYLE.  THE INFLECTIONS GIVEN BY THE TONGUE ON THE REED ARE AS NUMEROUS AS THOSE GIVEN BY A VIOLIN BOW ON THE STRING BOARD, OR THE DRUM STICK ON A DRUM HEAD, AND ALL THREE ARE SIMILAR IN EXECUTION.

I’LL FIRST DISCUSS SINGLE TONGUING AND THEN TELL HOW DOUBLE TONGUING CAN BE DEVELOPED ON CLARINET AND SAXOPHONE, AND HOW BY THIS PRACTICE THE EMBOCHURE AS WELL AS TONE AND SOUND WILL BE IMPROVED.

‘DAH’ IS THE BASIC TONGUING SYLLABLE I RECOMMEND, AND I SAY BASIC FOR AS ONE’S TONGUING BECOMES MORE ADVANCED, OTHER SYLLABLES WILL BE FOUND FOR VARIED INFLECTIONS.  WHEN ‘DAH’ IS USED THE THROAT IS OPEN AND RELAXED AND THE TONGUE VERY RELAXED, LYING AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR MOUTH.

THE TONGUING MOTION IS DONE BY PLACING THE REED ON THE TONGUE MAYBE ½ INCH BACK ON THE REED, AND WHEN THE ‘DAH’ MOTION IS DONE THE TONGUE FLICKS OFF THE REED, CAUSING THE REED TO START TO VIBRATE AND PRODUCE SOUND.  THE STRONGER THE TONGUE IS FLICKED OFF THE REED, THE STRONGER THE ACCENT OF THE NOTE PRODUCED.

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