Double Tonguing on Flute
Dear Flutists,
Nina Perlove has produced some good quality double-tonguing videos for learning the skills of multiple articulations on the flute.
See Nina Perlove's double tonguing flute videos:
Part 1 Introduction to double tonguing exercises
Part 2 double tonguing using both Ta-Ka, Tu-Ku, and Duh-Guh
Part 3: Articulation requires AIR!
Part 4: Articulation using Taff-Gaubert Scales No. 4 exercises
Part 5: Double Tonguing on Bach Sonata C Major Allegro
Happy triple and double tonguing!
Best,
Jen :>)
Nina Perlove has produced some good quality double-tonguing videos for learning the skills of multiple articulations on the flute.
See Nina Perlove's double tonguing flute videos:
Part 1 Introduction to double tonguing exercises
Part 2 double tonguing using both Ta-Ka, Tu-Ku, and Duh-Guh
Part 3: Articulation requires AIR!
Part 4: Articulation using Taff-Gaubert Scales No. 4 exercises
Part 5: Double Tonguing on Bach Sonata C Major Allegro
Happy triple and double tonguing!
Best,
Jen :>)
posted by jen at 2:55 PM
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Comments (7)
Jen,
Thanks for very much for the links. I've just looked at Nina's 'sound production' video and at the end she describes a headjoint alignment which seems to be at odds with the advice you give in your Rocstro article. I'm just a beginner and have been faithfully rotating my headjoint in as you suggested - now I wonder if I'm doing the right thing! What do you think?
Dear Chris,
Headjoint alignment is reliant on how the flute fits the concave shape of your chin area.
Everyone has a completely different set of teeth, chin, lips, etc.
Your alignment should allow you to play with great tone, feel that your fingers are free to move lightly and freely without the flute bobbling at the lip, and your elbows are relaxed and downward in angle.
There's no way for anyone to figure this out except by experimentation, and the use of the flute-coach to see from various angles which alignment results in the greater ease and balance.
Which video does Nina talk about alignment of the headjoint, please?
Jen
Jen,
Wow, that was a quick reply!
Nina's video is 'on flute sound production' and the comments about alignment are just before the end. She says to line the embouchure hole up with the keys, or even a bit further OUT, 'but never in'.
I realise everyone's physiology is different so everyone's technique will differ too - but I was a bit surprised by what she said, unless of course I misunderstood!
Chris.
Dear Chris,
I would say that about 80% of any "how to" flute books or articles or masterclasses state that you should line up the center of the embouchure hole with the center of the keys.
It was standard practice all through the 1950s-1990s, especially in the U.S.
Like many other fashions, this standard has now come and gone; it was discovered that the old flute manuals (Quantz, Tromlitz, Altes etc.) and antique wooden flutes that were marked for alignment suggested the opposite: turn the headjoint inward so that the splitting edge is aligned with the center of the keys.
However, the flutes being used back then had even less weight to make the flute roll in the hands than do our modern flutes with all their metal rods and levers weighted toward the back.
It surely has to be up to the individual.
Many flute professionals (including Galway) line up the center-to-center way, but the question is, do they have to either tilt their head forward (as does Perlove) or do they have their key tops tilting backward?
If so, are they fully comfortable?
If it works for them, fine.
But for many many many flute students it does not work well.
So I take Roger Mather's advice from his books: 3 out of 4 players will line up the far edge of the blow hole with the center of the keys.
And yes, it entirely depends on experimentation.
Best,
Jen
P.S.
If a flute teacher says "never turn the headjoint inward" perhaps they are not aware that once you align the headjoint inward, you then have to roll the flute body outward when you are playing.
Common oversight.
Jen
Jen,
Thanks for the explanation - I'll keep my headjoint turned in, as I'm used to it there now, and the flute isn't spinning around or anything. Maybe I should practise more longtones and watch fewer videos, eh?
Chris.
Longtones PLUS videos of professional players. Both. :>)
(read "Inner Game of Tennis" if you want to know why watching videos saves practise time.)
Jen :>)