Date: 10/29/2013

Type of class/Grade level:

A middle school beginning and/or intermediate brass ensemble. Students know how to
create proper sound on their instruments, but now need to refine skills.
Objectives:
Students will be able to demonstrate clear and proper tongue placement for single-tonguing
technique including hand motions on 1/4th and 1/8th note rhythms with 100% accuracy to aid in
rhythmic accuracy. Students will also be able to demonstrate the difference in the speed and
syllables used for single and double tonguing.
Materials:
Teacher: Computer/Speakers,
Student: Pencil and Paper (for note taking)
Opening activity (attention focusing): 1 to 2 minutes
Now that youve had a chance to play around with sounds on your instruments, we are
going to focus on how to properly articulate or begin notes. This will help with rhythmic
accuracy.
Speaking of fast rhythms: Play video
o Canadian Brass Flight of the Bumblebee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5YqXjsJAI0
o Ask students to take notes about how the performers make their notes very clear
o Talk about what the performer did to make his sound and his notes clear
Tonguing! Articulation!
Procedures: 6 to 7 minutes
1. Ask students to listen to the instructor say the word too once, ask students to repeat
2. Ask students to listen to the instructor say the word too 4 times while conducting a 4pattern, ask students to repeat
3. Ask students what we are mimicking by saying the word too (tonguing/articulation)
4. Repeat step 2, this time asking students to blow air as they would into their instrument
instead of vocalizing when saying too.
5. Ask students where the tongue placement hits in the roof of the mouth when saying too
6. Explain that in the mouth there is the teeth, a harder ridge of gums, and then the inverted
bowl or roof of the mouth. Show picture:
http://images.wisegeek.com/humanheadcrossection.jpg
7. Explain that the tongue should hit on the ridge of gums, near the teeth.
8. Ask students to imitate hand motions: left hand with create the roof of the mouth, with
fingers bent to create the teeth (ridge of gum will be the bottom bone or knuckle of the
fingers) right hand is placed underneath the left to represent the tongue. Each time the
tongue articulates, the tips of the right hands fingers will touch the ridge of gum with a
flicking motion. Make flick as fast as possible.
9. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with students also demonstrating hand motions
10. Ask students to keep repeating as the teacher adds 1/8th notes to the 4-pattern, using the

rhythm patterns of quarter quarter 1/8th 1/8th quarter, 1/8th 1/8th quarter 1/8th 1/8th quarter,
quarter quarter 1/8th 1/8th 1/8th 1/8th, and quarter 1/8th 1/8th quarter quarter.
11. Ask students to mentally assess their tongue placement on a scale of 1-4
12. If time permits, ask students to attempt to tongue as rapidly as possible
13. Ask students what they noticed about their tonguing as their speed increased. (it got
harder)
14. Explain that as rhythms get faster in music, a technique called double-tonguing becomes
necessary, and that instead of starting each note with too, the notes alternate between
too and koo
15. Ask students to experiment on their own using the syllables too and koo as they
practice tonight. Suggest playing their favorite major scale up and down, alternating
between the two syllables.
Total Time Allotted: 8 minutes

Grading Rubric:
4
Students demonstrate
proper singletonguing technique,
including tongue
placement during all
playing. Beginnings
of notes sound clear
and focused all of the
time.

3
Students demonstrate
proper singletonguing technique,
including tongue
placement during
most playing.
Beginnings of notes
sound clear and
focused most of the
time.

2
Students demonstrate
proper singletonguing technique,
including tongue
placement during
some playing.
Beginnings of notes
sound clear and
focused some of the
time.

1
Students demonstrate
proper singletonguing technique,
including tongue
placement rarely
while playing.
Beginnings of notes
sound clear and
focused rarely while
playing.