Triple Tonguing

[megga]

I'm amazed at how many people seem to be unable to triple tongue. Just going round my band it would appear that around less than a third of players could honestly say that they have mastered the technique, with another third admitting to being only able to manage in short bursts, and the remainder still working at it as it were. I have to admit to being one of the ones who has never quite managed to master it, and I doubt that I'll ever be able to crack it now at my age. No matter how much I practice, I just can't seem to perfect it.
I know all the theory inside out but to no avail. I've almost arrived at the conclusion that it's a talent that you've either got or you haven't, and yet I know that's not logical really.
I find that I can almost get by using tu ku tu rather than the conventional tu tu ku, but I know that's not really correct and you can come unstuck using that method depending on what you're playing.
It's so limiting not having this skill under the fingertips. When I think of all the solos I could be playing but am stuck with the stuff that doesn't call for triple tonguing.
Anyone got any quick fixes? I'd love to hear that there's some magic formula out there but I doubt it.

[eckyboy]

I'm a tu ku tu man Craig and its always limited me with the solos I can master. I could have wrote the same as you did as it seems we have the same problems. Lee keeps trying to get me to get the ku as strong as the the tu but I'm no good at it. I get by like most of us but would love to master it.

[megga]

I've had some advice from Lee as well. I really think it's a difficult technique to teach, regardless of how profficient the teacher might be himself. The most gauling thing about it is he makes it sound sooo effortless.

[eckyboy]

I take it we will have to go back to basics Craig and get the Arban out. As a matter of interest, were you taught by Jimmy Blair (great guy)

[megga]

Yes I was, and I don't recall him devoting much time to triple tonguing. I remember him describing the technique and then you were kind of left up to your own devices after that. Not much follow up if any on it. Maybe he couldn't triple tongue himself, which would explain a lot.
Funnily enough Alan Herriot always maintained he couldn't triple either, but if not, he must have the fastest single tongue in the world!

[cornetcheese]

I always had bother with sustaining triple tonguing too - despite studying a great deal on the technique of doing it! I can triple toungue easily for a long time with tu ku tu, but it never sounds as even as with tu tu ku... Strange, as my double tounguing has been fine since I was a kid!

Also, flutter tonguing has been tricky for me too - on some notes it`s a right bastard!

Perhaps I should stick to conducting... ;D

[James McFadyen]

I think it's lazyness - at least that's what it is with me!!

practicing triple-tonguing takes a lot of practice and patience - I'm a Soprano player, I'm more interested in loud and high notes

[Naomi McFadyen]

cornetcheese said:

Perhaps I should stick to conducting... ;D

lol - nice pun................................



I can triple tongue better than double tongue.... and my conducting is also better than my brass playing lol but I'm a percussionist really, just play brass for fun

[dafyddapiago]

How to learn to triple tongue!
Arban page 155; begin by playing it as it is written, and very slowly, keeping the rhythm perfectly even so that the attack from the back of the throat ( Ku or Gu) is as clean as the Tu or Du. When you have mastered this make an accel. through the exercise; again keeping the rhythm even. When this is beginning to work fill in the first three bars leaving the fourth bar as written in order to breathe; Making them four bar phrases.
The problems you will encounter is firstly the tongue tells the brain that it is going to swell up and choke you, impossible in this case; it is a form of body rejection to get you to stop the exercise; ignore and keep going. It now becomes a question of building up the stamina in the tongue to keep going and keep the rhythm perfectly even. My personal preference is to use the syllables Du, Du Gu.
One should be able to triple tongue both ways. You are never too old to learn; I once taught a bass player Tam Findlay in Kirkintilloch age 71 to triple in 20 minutes; he had been trying for 50 years; from then on you couldn't keep him out of the band room, he became fanatical. A great character, and I had a job understand what he said. It use to sound like "lemon meringue"; translated for me by Peter Fraser into "am I right or am I wrong"!

Dafydd ap Iago