Learn to Play Recorder

Lesson 41: Advanced Articulation — Double Tonguing

  • Alternate t and k syllables evenly at moderate speed.
  • Apply double tonguing to a fast Baroque passage and play it cleanly at tempo.

Past a certain tempo, single tonguing is biology.

Above roughly quarter = 130 in sixteenths, single tonguing cannot keep up. Double tonguing alternates two tongue positions — t at the teeth, k at the back of the palate — halving the workload on each. The trick is making the k sound as clean as the t.

The basic alternation

Say te-ke te-ke te-ke without the recorder, slowly then faster. The k tends to be weaker; drill it until the two match.

Single-tongue first, then double-tongue, and compare the evenness.

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te on the strong sixteenths, ke on the weak.

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Play: a fast Baroque passage

Single tonguing is on the edge here; double tonguing makes it sit comfortably.

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Now play these

Vivaldi: Concerto RV 443
Allegro movements that want double tonguing.
Handel: Sonata in D minor, HWV 367a (Vivace)
Essentially requires double tonguing at tempo.
Telemann: Sonata TWV 40:101 (complete)
Running passages built for te-ke.

When sixteen even sixteenth notes at quarter = 120 sound metronomic with double tonguing, move on to Lesson 42.