View source for Tonguing

{{Short description|Articulatory musical technique using a wind instrument}}
{{for|the erotic act|Tongue kiss}}
{{redirect|Zunge|the album by Till Lindemann|Zunge (album)}}
{{refimprove|date=April 2010}}
[[File:Britannica Kettledrum Double cross-beat.png|right|thumb|[[Timpani|Kettledrum]] double cross-beat. So-called because kettledrums were associated with [[trumpet#Extended technique|trumpets]] and borrowed the terms for their rhythms from those for tonguing.<ref>''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 11th ed., Vol. 15, p. 764.</ref>]]

'''Tonguing''' is a technique used with [[wind instrument]]s to enunciate notes using the [[tongue]] on the [[palate]] or the [[reed (instrument)|reed]] or [[mouthpiece (woodwind)|mouthpiece]]. A silent "tee"<ref>Arban's Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet The Authentic Edition, p.7</ref>  is made when the tongue strikes the reed or roof of the mouth causing a slight breach in the air flow through the instrument. If a more soft tone is desired, the syllable "da" (as in ''dou''ble) is preferred. The technique also works for [[whistling]].  Tonguing also refers to [[articulation (music)|articulation]], which is how a musician begins the note (punchy, [[legato]], or a breath attack) and how the note is released (air release, tongued release, etc.) For wind players, articulation is commonly spoken of in terms of tonguing because the tongue is used to stop and allow air to flow in the mouth. Tonguing does not apply to non wind instruments, but articulation does apply to all instruments.

An alteration called "'''double-tonguing'''" or "double-articulation" is used when the music being performed has many rapid notes in succession too fast for regular articulation. In this case, the tongue makes a silent "tee-kee".<ref name="Arban153">Arban's Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet The Authentic Edition, p.153</ref> (The actual tongue positioning varies slightly by instrument. Clarinetists may go "too-koo" but a bassoonist may actually say "taco".) Double-articulation allows the tongue to stop the airflow twice as fast when mastered. If the music specifies a ''[[pizzicato]]'' sequence, the musician might perform this as a rapid sequence of the articulated note, thus: "tee-kee-tee-kee-tee-kee-..." etc., in ''[[staccato]]''. When beginning with "da", the second syllable is "ga". Double tonguing is easiest on brass instruments, and it is more difficult for some woodwind instruments, primarily the clarinet and saxophone.

There is also "'''triple-tonguing'''", used in passages of triplets: "tee-tee-kee-tee-tee-kee", or less commonly "tee-kee-tee-tee-kee-tee".<ref name="Arban153"/> '''Cross-beat tonguing''', used for dotted rhythms ([[Notes inégales]]: [[louré]] or [[pointé]]): tu-ru, with ''ru'' falling on the longer note on the beat. Another method was made by Earl D. Irons, this method was a tee-kee-tee kee-tee-kee. This triple tonguing method is most likely the fastest if done correctly. The reason for this is that the tee and kee never repeat itself. Earl D. Irons is the author of 27 Groups Of Exercises, a book full of lip-slurs, double tonguing, and triple tonguing.  <ref>Brown, Rachel (2003). ''The early flute: a practical guide'', p.23. {{ISBN|0-521-89080-2}}.</ref> Such as:
: {{music|eighth}} - {{music|quarter}} (={{music|dottedquarter}})
: tu-ru

There are different ways of tonguing for the flute. Some flutists tongue between the teeth; others do it between the lips as if spitting; others do it behind the teeth in the roof of the mouth as with [[trill consonant]]s. With this roof articulation the flutist thinks of the words dah-dah and for double tonguing it is dah-gah-dah-gah. 

Tonguing is indicated in the score by the use of accent marks. The absence of [[slur (music)|slur]]s is usually understood to imply that each note should be tongued separately. When a group of notes is slurred together, the player is expected to tongue the first note of the group and not tongue any of the other notes, unless those notes have accent marks.

Trombone players must lightly tongue many slurs by tonguing "da"; otherwise, the result would be a [[glissando]]. The bagpipes require finger articulations ("graces"), since direct tonguing is impossible.<ref>[[Jeffery T. Kite-Powell|Kite-Powell, Jeffery]] (2007). ''A Performer's Guide to Renaissance Music'', p.98. Indiana University. {{ISBN|9780253013774}}.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Flutter-tonguing]]
*[[articulation (music)|Articulation]]

==Sources==
{{reflist}}{{Musical techniques}}{{Musical notation}}

[[Category:Articulations (music)]]
[[Category:Tongue]]