Double Tonguing on the Cornet By Trevor Halliwell

Double tonguing is a technique which when mastered will allow you to play twice as fast as with the standard single tonguing method. To be fully in control with your playing, double tonguing should start as slow as your fastest single tongue and be in control as you speed up.

To double-tongue really fast the tongue needs to be relaxed to do its job efficiently. So I find that saying softer syllables helps to achieve this. The first note is produced with the tip of the tongue behind the top teeth - "Da", the second with the back of the tongue - "Ga" So each two notes will be produced saying - "Da Ga"

Whenever you practice the double tonguing exercises make sure you always go to the next beat. This helps to even out the groups of semiquavers without gaps between each group.

You will find this quite difficult at first, but will ease as time progresses. In every session you do try to keep the syllables soft in their production. As saying harder syllables (Ta Ka) would only contribute to a more aggressive and disjointed style.

Further problems start to occur when you start to play in the upper register. Obviously support from the diaphragm is essential but also a slight arching of the tongue will also help to keep the pitch of the notes as the doubling continues. Try "Du Gu" instead of "Da Ga" as shown below to get the higher notes. You should experiment as to which method works for you.