How much tonguing/coughing do you use?

[Rhadge]

From what I've gathered, it's popular to just blow the whistle like a pipe, and only tongue/cough when you've taken a breath or is starting on a new melody.

I can understand that the flow then gets a bit better, which may fit in with some songs.
Personally though, I use coughing a lot to pronounce different notes and get a gentle rhythm parallell to the melody. Not at every note of course, but where I think it fits in.

What's your habit, and what do you prefer in this matter?

[ubizmo]

As a recovering recorder player, I struggle to get the tonguing out of my playing. But I still use it, as opposed to coughing or puffing, when I need the phrasing (and when I don't). As I listen to recordings of experienced whistle players, I notice a very wide range in tonguing/articulation practices, so I think you can do whatever the music will tolerate.

But if you want to see recorder tonguing on steroids, check out this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJTq3wJDJcQ You have to wait a minute or so for him to get into it. I know the video is off-topic but....holy crap I don't think I've ever heard anything like that. I guess it's about as far from anything you'd hear in ITM as can be imagined.

[Guinness]

I salt and pepper my food just the right amount. Tonguing is really no different.

[MTGuru]

I use a lot of coughing, but not for playing the whistle ...

[jim stone]

Also far from ITM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av7S2FQr ... re=related

[MTGuru]

But if you want to see recorder tonguing on steroids, check out this guy

Yep ... Jacob van Eyck, Der Fluiten-Lusthof. Typical recorder technique, including double tonguing. Franz Brüggen, Michaela Petri, et al. all have it.

I guess the clips in my signature are my best answer to the OP question. I tend to use a fair amount of whistle articulation to outline phrases, but find myself moving to somewhat less articulation as my playing evolves.

[straycat82]

I never use coughing. I think it's much more worth the time to learn to tongue effectively.
I don't use tonguing to separate notes but I use it to accentuate rhythm (cutting notes short, etc.) and in combination with cuts sometimes to punch a note. I hope that made sense.

[Tia]

I tounge sometimes, but not for every note

...whats coughing?? Is that when you make a tounging sound only with your throat?

[ubizmo]

I tounge sometimes, but not for every note

...whats coughing?? Is that when you make a tounging sound only with your throat?

Yep, it's using the epiglottis to start and stop the air flow. I don't know if it's an "approved" technique, but I don't use it at all.

And of course there's "puffing," which is just using the diaphragm to start and stop the air flow.

Tonguing and, I guess, coughing, start and stop the air flow more abruptly, and therefore produce more of an "attack" on the note, whereas puffing is more gradual. I think there are places where puffing is just what you want, but I don't think it should be the default.

[Rhadge]

Thanks for the answers.
It seems that no one is fond of "coughing". But I guess it's just a matter of individual preferences. I don't really see the negative sides of it, maybe someone would enlighten me?

[TheSpoonMan]

Thanks for the answers.
It seems that no one is fond of "coughing". But I guess it's just a matter of individual preferences. I don't really see the negative sides of it, maybe someone would enlighten me?

I don't "cough" on whistle (do on harmonica tho, because I vamp with tongueblocking and so can't always tongue when i need to). In my experience it doesn't produce as good a tone (this is truer on flute), and is harder to time than tongue, or to do quickly and accurately. It can also result in annoying "grunting" sounds deep in your throat; whether other people can head that I don't know, but it sure annoys me. It can also be painful if you use it for a long time at once.

It depends on the tune, but I generally use quite a bit of tonguing on the whistle (tho hardly any on flute). I (almost) never tongue two notes at once, but I will sometimes the first or second note in a phrase for emphasis. I'm very fond- probably too fond- of tonguing the second note of rolls played starting on the upbeat in reels.

[Guinness]

It seems that no one is fond of "coughing". But I guess it's just a matter of individual preferences. I don't really see the negative sides of it, maybe someone would enlighten me?

I wouldn't obsess over the validity of a particular technique ("the art of playing") but rather focus on whether the music sounds right. I don't "cough" (glottal stop) my notes but then maybe I'm missing something.

[straycat82]

I don't really see the negative sides of it, maybe someone would enlighten me?

Firstly, I've heard (though I can't confirm the validity) that the glottal stop is not good for your throat.

However, my personal reasons for not using it (and this is only my opinion so take it for what it's worth to you) is that tonguing is much more effective and fitting for traditional playing. Not that I claim to have arrived on the traditional scene but that is the music I like and what I aspire for in my playing. Tonguing is faster, can be controlled just as well (if not more) and is closer to where the "action" is. A glottal stop closes your throat and stops the air flow so it takes a bit longer to get it going again. Tonguing stops the air flow but allows your throat and diaphram to still do their thing uninterupted.
I can't imagine trying to use repeated glottal stops to accentuate a reel or jig rhythm at full speed. I think it would get tiring pretty quickly. That is why I'd rather put my practice into tonguing rather than glottal stops. I've heard some argue that glottal is the better road to take for playing airs but I would argue that those individuals have not learned to control tonguing properly if they cannot produce a spectrum of soft and harsh articulations with the tongue.

[whistleman922]

I use quite a lot of tongueing in my playing. Mostly for phrasing but a lot of rolls and cuts as well. I know that it's prolly been brought up before but i'd say that Brian Finnegan is the master of tonguing not just rolls but in articulation as well...his phrasing is immaculate. you don't even really notice he's doing it most the time. (this example actually uses more tonguing that he usually does but it's great to illustrate http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu ... =243582053 it turns to a reel halfway through.)

[MTGuru]

Firstly, I've heard (though I can't confirm the validity) that the glottal stop is not good for your throat.

Interesting. But considering the number of the world's languages in which glottal stops and pharyngeal stops are a normal part of their phonetic inventory, I doubt that that's an issue.