try placing the tip of the tongue right behind your top teeth (the ones in the middle please ), blowing air (you should feel pressure on your tongue) and then releasing...that`s not a very good explanation is it? you should probably get a private teacher...they`d do a better job of explaining...
good luck
Katherine

I figured out how to do that, but It is hard because if the fact I am so use to just stopping my air, it always sounds a bit fuzz when I tongue, but normally it does help a little, but I cna`t do it fast and I need to get better soon, becuase I am marching flute this year. Plus even our section leader isn`t good at tongueing she can do it, but shes not up to the level they want us, and she is awesome at flute. *sigh* it just going to take lots of time I guess

About the third or fourth week of the flute I was told to tounge. Now I get bored f normal tongueing and double, triple, and flutter tongue. It`s just takes some getting used to.

What are some of the pieces that you double, triple, and flutter tongue on?

Double Tonguing:
It has been suggested that it is used on tongued 16th notes that have the beat quarter note = faster than 120 bpm. Used at descretion of performer to play fast notes eith clean articulation.

Example: Francis Poulenc: Sonata Mvt-1
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Triple tonguing:
It has been suggested that it may be used where speed of tongued triplets exceed 160 bpm.
Henri Dutilleux: Sonatine....Also has double tonguing in spots.
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Flutter tonguing:
Should only be used when called for in the score.
Jacques Ibert Concerto: in the final cadenza. ...also has double tonguing in first mvt.
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Another schoole of technique is to use the tongue against the back of the lips (or just below the bottom lip). It gives one a more precise control over the articulation (if mastered) and it increases the pallette of articulation possibilities from the back of the mouth (as in saying the sound Koh) all the way to the back of lips (as in spitting a crumb from them) and anywhere in between.

~Bilbo

how do you flutter tounge?

Some people have a problem doing it but it`s like rolling your "Rs" The tip of the tongue touches and lightly pushes up against the roof of the mouth while light-moderate breath pressure causes it to rapidly flex away from the roof and back.

~Bilbo

Thanks Bilbo for the list, but I was asking Manda what she was double tounging on. My fault, I should have directed the question to her. I was just interested to know at the stage of her playing what she was doing.

None of my students have even started double tounging till in there third year of playing. Manda, you sound very talented.

try this, play a scale at moderate tempo slurred , then with an easy double tongue, very relaxed, not too fast, then gradually increase the speed. Try not to emphasize the du gu or tu ku etc, but think of 5 or 6 notes at a time, think horizontally or circular. hope that helps a bit

Trevor Wye states in his articulation book that double tonguing should be a reflex and should not be practiced slow but should be practiced fast all the time. If you`re working on a section that requires double tonguing but you`re having trouble with the fingerings then just work on the fingerings slowly, using single tonguing then move up the tempo until you are eventually using double tonguing.

While I greatly respect Trevor Wye and I think his books are wonderful, I don`t think that it is a great idea to practice double tonguing super fast all the time.

The reason for this is because when you need to vary the tempo and double tongue at a different speed, it can be rather hard if your toung is only used to the super fast speed.

Hope that makes sense. I am afraid that I am not the best with my words.

So I lean towards the method that Patrick uses.

Yeah I understand what you`re saying but you only use double tonguing for fast passages, for slow peices there`s no need for double tonguing. Double tonguing is not hard by itself after you get used to it, the hard thing is getting your tongue and your fingers in sync. That`s usually due to technique problems.

Yes, true you don`t use it on slow pieces, but you also don`t play it at turbo speed all the time either.

One needs to be able to play it comfortably, evenly and consistent at every speed.

"Yes, true you don`t use it on slow pieces, but you also don`t play it at turbo speed all the time either.

One needs to be able to play it comfortably, evenly and consistent at every speed."

I agree KaraK. You can`t develop the coordination for double/triple tonguing if you only go fast. At first, the slower the better if you are doing it correctly. If you are going fast and doing it wrong, you are wasting your time.

~Bilbo