If you’ve been playing flute for more than a couple of years, or if there’s a budding flautist in your life, chances are you’re starting to come across passages in your practicing with a lot of notes that need to be played quickly. Perhaps you’ve attempted them at tempo, only to realize your tongue just isn’t going to move that quickly! What’s the solution? Double tonguing! Double tonguing is an essential skill for intermediate flute players to learn, and although it can feel awkward and challenging at first, it really does make playing fast passages so much easier once you’ve mastered it. Dr. Cate lists three essential components to make double-tonguing successful: air, embouchure, and the tonguing itself. Air: “how you use your air is probably the most important part of effective double and triple tonguing. If you don’t blow sufficient or fast moving enough air, all the tricky tonguing in the world will be worth nothing if not supported by a fast, controlled airstream.” Often, as students are learning this skill, they become very tense in body and sound, which restricts their air flow. Improper technique or tightness in the throat will further cut off the air flow, resulting