[eidollon]

Maybe this is merely a theoretical question but I am curious.

Single tonguing is based on ta-ta / da-da. I personnaly notice that my tonguing on saxophone is slightly lower in speed than the ta-ta I can pronounce without the sax. Now the fastest tonguing seems to be at around 150-160 bpm / 16th notes (not mine: I can barely go up to 120)

Does it imply that one can pronounce the ta-ta at such a speed ?. Or does it happen that at high speed there is some "click" somewhere that makes it articulate faster with the sax than without ? Or am I missing something here ?

 

[A.Smith]

I can single tongue rather quickly, and for me personally its the same speed with the sax as it is without. What made it go that speed? Perhaps the fact that I spent my entire first year at uni doing tonguing exercises. Also, people quite often forget to support when trying to tongue quickly, a facet of playing I believe is essential in helping improve clarity and speed. Just my two cents

 

[eidollon]

Also, people quite often forget to support when trying to tongue quickly

hmmm ... not quite sure to understand this. To what point it helps increasing tongue speed ?

 

[stevesklar]

practice without your horn. and you have to work on being as light as possible on the reed, after all you are only stopping it from vibrating. the lighter you get the faster you can play.

You can also practice faster tonguing at any time ... in the shower, driving, reading the newspaper and of course playing the horn

 

[selmer]

hmmm ... not quite sure to understand this. To what point it helps increasing tongue speed ?

my wife thinks it helps

 

[jamiejazz]

The reason you need support is that the note should 'want to speak' easily anyway and the tongue just gives it a nudge. Without support, your tongue will work too hard and slow down.

Jamie

 

[eidollon]

Without support, your tongue will work too hard and slow down.

Yep ... I got more aware of that meanwhile. Thanks for that. That was basically the way I was approaching it more or less consciously but indeed focusing more on air support combined with slighter reed touch definitely helps when practising higher tempo. And by the way I figure out it gives the flexibilty required for double-tounguing. I am not good at DT but my few attempts are now more comfortable and more stable in tempo than before. Feel I am on a better starting point now.

 

[Pgraves]

Flick the tip if the reed with just the tip of your tongue, don't stop the reed entirely. Contact the reed only with the tip. You get finer and faster control than any other method. You can also flick the reed tip with an upstroke followed by a downstroke if you want to develop even more speed. For me no other method is be faster than that. Single upwards flick is fast enough all by itself for pretty much everything.