double-tongue
C1/C2Specialist (Music), Literary
Definition
Meaning
To play a wind instrument (like a trumpet or flute) using a technique of rapid alternating articulation.
The technique itself; figuratively, to speak evasively or deceptively.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
In music, it's a specific, learned skill. In figurative use, it's an archaic or literary synonym for deceitful speech.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: typically hyphenated in both varieties. The musical term is standard internationally.
Connotations
Figurative use ('to speak with a double tongue') is slightly more common in British literary contexts.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general language; moderately common within brass/woodwind pedagogy.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject: musician] + double-tongue + [Object: passage/note]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to speak with a double tongue (to be deceitful)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rare, only in musicology or performance studies.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Standard term in wind instrument pedagogy and performance.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The cornet player had to double-tongue the semiquaver runs in the Elgar piece.
- He's practising to double-tongue more cleanly at high speed.
American English
- To play the 'Carnival of Venice' variations, you'll need to double-tongue effectively.
- She double-tongued the difficult passage flawlessly.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard – 'using double-tonguing' is used instead.)
American English
- (Not standard – 'using double-tonguing' is used instead.)
adjective
British English
- The double-tongue exercise is on page 24 of the Arban method book.
- He has excellent double-tongue articulation.
American English
- Master the double-tongue technique to increase your speed.
- A clear double-tongue sound is essential for brass players.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Playing the trumpet fast is hard. You must learn a special way called double-tonguing.
- The music teacher showed the student how to double-tongue.
- To achieve the required speed in the solo, the flautist had to employ double-tonguing throughout the rapid section.
- His double-tonguing was impeccable, allowing for crystal-clear articulation at a metronome marking of 144.
- The virtuoso's facility with double-tonguing and triple-tonguing allowed him to execute passages that left other trumpeters in awe.
- In the political debate, he was accused of speaking with a double tongue, promising one thing to his base and another to the moderates.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a trumpeter's tongue moving like a snake's forked tongue—quickly splitting the air stream twice.
Conceptual Metaphor
ARTICULATION IS SPEECH (tonguing); DECEPTION IS FORKED/DIVIDED SPEECH.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation as 'двойной язык'. For music, use 'дабл-танг' (transliteration) or 'техника двойного языка'. For figurative use, 'говорить двусмысленно/лживо'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a general term for playing fast (it's a specific technique), or misspelling as 'double tongue' without hyphen in technical contexts.
Practice
Quiz
In a literary context, what does it mean if someone 'speaks with a double tongue'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is also a standard technique for flautists and players of other woodwind instruments like the saxophone.
Double-tonguing uses a two-syllable pattern (e.g., 'tu-ku, tu-ku'), while triple-tonguing uses a three-syllable pattern (e.g., 'tu-tu-ku, tu-tu-ku') for different rhythmic groupings.
Yes, though 'double-tonguing' is more common as the gerund/noun form (e.g., 'His double-tonguing is excellent'). 'A double-tongue' as a discrete noun is less frequent.
No, it is now archaic or literary. Modern equivalents would be 'to be two-faced', 'to speak out of both sides of one's mouth', or simply 'to lie'.