Tonguing on Woodwind Instruments: Basic Techniques

In the playing of woodwind instruments (such as the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon), tonguing is the use of the tongue for articulation. It is one of the most important of all woodwind techniques because it initiates virtually all woodwind musical passages.

Knowing the basics of woodwind tonguing is useful not only for music students to play accurately but also for music listeners to understand what is happening during musical performances.

Single-Tonguing
Tonguing starts with the tongue held forward to prevent air from passing through the lips (on a flute) or from striking the reed (on a single-reed instrument, such as a clarinet or a saxophone, or on a double-reed instrument, such as an oboe or a bassoon) till the player wants to produce a tone.

To start a tone, the player blows air and simultaneously quickly draws back the tongue. This sudden movement of the tongue overcomes the inertia of the sounding apparatus (the reed, the air column) and initiates the sound.

The action of the tongue in initiating a tone is called the attack. It is conventionally symbolized by the letter t or the syllable tu because the tongue behaves in the musical attack much as if it were pronouncing t or tu. However, players may utilize individual variations in the attack, such as du or htu.

The player ends the tone by returning the tongue to its original (i.e., forward) position.

In actual musical practice, some tones are articulated by a tongue attack and others are not, as in a legato passage, where, after an initial attack, consecutive tones are "slurred" together to make a smooth sound. The player can perform both types in close conjunction with the same breath: to play an articulated tone, the player uses the tongue to create a momentary interruption of the flow of air for initiating and, if necessary, ending the tone; to play slurred tones, the player continues the flow of air while fingering the tones without using the tongue.

The various kinds of attacks possible in woodwind music are achieved largely by the action of the tongue. The most familiar example is the staccato, a sharp attack performed by snapping the tongue quickly backward to start the tone and then quickly forward to cut off the tone. Woodwinds can perform a wide range of attacks, from soft and gentle to loud and explosive. The most versatile woodwind instrument in terms of variety of tongue attacks is the clarinet.

The above analysis describes single-tonguing, that is, the use of the tongue to produce a series of individually articulated tones. Single-tonguing can be used in slow to moderately fast music.

However, if the articulations demanded are too fast for the tongue to repeat the t or tu sound, a different pattern must be used.

Double-Tonguing
Double-tonguing is a way of articulating two consecutive tones quicker than is possible by using two single-tonguings. It is symbolized by t-k or tu-ku and is performed in fast passages as if pronouncing those two letters or syllables.

The flute can double-tongue easily. However, players on the oboe, clarinet, and bassoon have to work hard to double-tongue because the k is formed at the back to the mouth, away from the reed(s).

Triple-Tonguing
Triple-tonguing is a way of articulating three consecutive tones quicker than is possible by using three single-tonguings. It is symbolized by t-t-k or tu-tu-ku and is performed in fast triple-rhythm passages as if pronouncing those three letters or syllables. Some players prefer to use the form t-k-t, k-t-k or tu-ku-tu, ku-tu-ku, so that the t and the k alternately begin the group of three tones.

Triple-tonguing, like double-tonguing, is natural for the flute but awkward for the oboe, clarinet, and bassoon.

Flutter-Tonguing
Flutter-tonguing is a special effect, a fluttering or whirring sound produced by a vibratory action of the tongue while rolling or trilling an r, sometimes symbolized by d-r-r-r.

Flutter-tonguing is very successful on the flute. However, on reed instruments, the woody texture of the reed(s) makes the light fluttering effect difficult to achieve.
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The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 2nd ed. London: Macmillan, 2001.