Wider is better...

Greetings,

More today on articulation...

Quantz suggests restricted vowel sound use in flute playing. For tonguing, he suggests using an “LL” syllable alternating with “d.” Because of the width of the tongue in the mouth, “LL” feels like air in cheeks, but without any embouchure instability. A wider contact area results from using a wider tongue, also improving control of articulations.

The “LL” syllable passes air around the tongue rather than straight over it. In Linguistics, this sound is called an “velarized alveolar lateral approximant” (pictured).

This “Dark “L” sound --as said in the words "tell", "dull", "bold", "bell"--is great for flute playing. The tongue is shaped like the back side of a spoon, with the back of the tongue raised and curving downward in the front. This position helps keep air moving through (around) articulations and also makes it possible to maintain a stable tongue position.

According to Keith Underwood, “When using the double ‘L’, the tongue is less rigid and hinged in middle. It feels like the next tonguing is already in place.”

Also according to Jerome Callet (of Tongue Controlled Embouchure fame), it is best to not blow through a vowel sound because it creates too much tongue movement. Buzzing off the top of the tongue prevents this problem. Try buzzing wider in your mouth. Use a wider portion of the inside of your upper lip against a wider tongue. Some air will come sideways through the teeth, pressurizing the air. This results in more ringing in the sound without distorting the embouchure.

To sum up: the wider your tongue, the less it moves, the faster you can articulate, the less your airstream (tone) is affected by your articulations, and the more stable your embouchure will be. It’s a win, win, win, WIN!

Happy Fluting,
Catherine