Triple tonguing?

[Bobby G]

What is it? When would you use it? What does it sound like?

Cheers, Bob

 

[Linky Lee]

to tongue a note you pronounce 'Tah' or something similar.

Triple tonguing is pronouncing 'Tah Kah Dah' or something similar.
It uses the tongue to accent three times before moving back to accent with the tip of the mouth. The 'Kah' and 'Dah' are normally weaker as you spend all your time playing 'Tah' You can get around this by practicing your scales for a few weeks on 'Kah' and 'Dah' articulations.

You would use it when playing quavers very fast in something like 6/8, 9/8 or 12/8 music. Triplets in 2/4 4/4 etc.

Triple tonguing is only really to be used after having learnt a strong double tongue.

Also I don't think this is really beginners stuff. It's pretty darn hard and takes time as you have to build up the muscles in your tongue gradually, and your tongue has to learn how to move in this way.

 

[Bobby G]

Thanks Lee, I'll give that a try. Maybe not for a couple of years though, eh 😉

Cheers, Bob

 

[Linky Lee]

As I always say.

Give everything a go once (obviously apart from stupid things like jumping off a cliff).

It's a useful thing to of tried a few of these things so that when you do need them, you've had some experience with them.

great for some quick bop runs when you want to bring out you super amazing hyper quick articulation skills! 😉

 

[Bobby G]

I talk like I post, so no trouble with tongue muscle weakness.

Tah kah dah sounds like a move my grandson Tom does at his Saturday karate classes.

I could do with varying my articulation, I'll give this a go, though like everything else I guess it's best to take it slowly at first.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Linky Lee]

Slowly and accurately. Then once that's nailed you can think about speed.

Just like karate! You learn the motions slowly then put them into action.

Maybe if you got rid of the 'h's' at the ends it would sound quite so Eastern. It's just the articulation seems a bit heavy without the h.