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This week I played on a clear Kellyberg for an audience that was mostly flutists. They were very close and had about 30 minutes to observe. Afterwards, they were asking about tonguing, and it provoked some controversy among them about tonguing a flute. I was surprised by when I first used it myself; the facts did not agree with perception! Anyone else learn from doing the same thing?

goodgigs wrote:..... As to tonguing a flute, I was told that all wind instruments (other then bagpipe) tongue similarly (I wouldn't know).

Nope. Can't tongue a bagpipe since the player's mouth is nowhere near the reed!

I was instructed to touch the tip of the reed when I was taking oboe lessons. If you have something "in" your mouth you might have some difficulty reaching that place where you put your tongue to articulate on a brass instrument. But I would think flute would be more similar than the reeds.
MA

RIght, normal reed tonguing touches the reed, not the roof of the mouth. Single reeds as well as double reeds. (Who defines "normal"? I do!)

I had good teachers, good results with tonguing in particular. Clear Kellyberg revealed forbidden tongue between the teeth. I would have sworn it wasn't true, but it's hard to fight the facts. I wonder who else has done the same. This week I lit up a room of flutists on the very issue.

swillafew wrote:Clear Kellyberg revealed forbidden tongue between the teeth. I would have sworn it wasn't true, but it's hard to fight the facts.

It's easy to misinterpret facts, though.

Your tongue is a fairly big piece of meat there in your mouth, and only the top of it is really directly involved in playing. I'm not well versed in these matters, but I'm going to guess that someone looking at through the teeth could see tongue at times when you feel it's hitting the alveolar ridge etc. - and you'd be right.