Amie's Flute Studio

It was such a lovely day of fabulous music today at NSW State Band Championships! I love being there, playing with friends and making great music.
I played today with HMA, in the Open B grade section. We enter the stage at 2:52.

2026 NSW Band Championships - Hall 1 Saturday All the action from the 2026 Victorian Band Championships. For a fu...

Music learning shapes how students think, listen, adapt, and grow. 🎶🧠

When parents ask “Why music?”, the answer goes far beyond performance, music learning strengthens the skills students use in every part of learning.

How do you share the impact of music learning with your community? 👇

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Great article on developing flute vibrato

https://kraftgeek.com/en-au/blogs/musician-guide/how-to-develop-natural-flute-vibrato-a-complete-guide-for-intermediate-players?fbclid=IwdGRjcASNiqljbGNrBI2ISWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHuXr_SpHi_bA9BsTPXD2r2yTZJgfNQ189Pxjt9jDNaku7g9eXLrYp2Oec46B_aem_8rLJuxvdP0PL3TP9o3f5hQ&utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e233_tv4_tp1_a1dennhbb00hjx

How To Develop Natural Flute Vibrato: A Complete Guide For Intermediat Your tone lacks warmth. Notes fall flat against the silence. Every sustained phrase feels lifeless. You hear professionals shimmer and sing. Their sound moves. Yours sits. This gap frustrates intermediate players. You want that professional resonance. The sound that breathes. Vibrato transforms dead...

Ensemble rehearsals do so much more than prepare a performance.

Every time your students play together, they’re building the cognitive and social skills they’ll use for life, coordinating with others, regulating emotions, synchronising rhythms, and learning how to truly listen. 🎶🧠

It’s not “just band practice”… it’s brain and social development in action.

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Flute lessons for Term 1 2026 will begin on Monday 9th February!
Limited lesson places are available for new students 😃

Escape the world and recharge.

Ahh...the tongue-tied attempts at triple tonguing!

Dearest Flutist, Flautist, and Flute Player,

It is with the utmost admiration for your bravery and sheer determination that I write to you about the high-wire act of triple tonguing - that dizzying tuh-kuh-tuh, tuh-kuh-tuh (or is it dah-gah-dah?) conundrum that, when executed correctly, launches you into the stratosphere of flute-playing legends. Or, at the very least, leaves your tongue in a knot and your confidence somewhere near the floor.

Triple tonguing is, without question, an enigma, a riddle wrapped in a syllabic mystery. Brass players may chuckle smugly as they ta-ta-ka their way to glory, and clarinet players?… well, they don’t even bother (probably for the best). Meanwhile, we flute players are left grappling with not one but two competing systems. Are we tuh-kuh-tuh-ing? Dah-gah-dah-ing? Or simply praying for mercy?

So, let us address not only the personalities of triple tonguers but also the existential crisis of choosing how to articulate. Onwards and upwards, my brave sideways blowing tube friends!

The Tuh-Kuh-Tuh Loyalist
This flute player swears by the classic tuh-kuh-tuh as if it were the Holy Grail of articulation. To them, dah-gah-dah is heresy - a syllabic impostor not worthy of their embouchure. Their articulation is crisp and rhythmic, though occasionally so rigid it resembles a typewriter desperately trying to keep up with Flight of the Bumblebee. They believe in their tuhs and kuhs with the fervour of a piccolo player defending their right to be heard in a symphony orchestra.

The Dah-Gah-Dah Devotee
Ah, the smooth operators. These flute players choose dah-gah-dah for its gentler, more flowing quality. Their articulation glides effortlessly, like butter on a hot croissant, leaving you wondering if their tongue is somehow more evolved. However, they can occasionally sound so velvety that you’re not entirely sure whether you’re hearing notes or a distant breeze. They’re convinced their way is superior and will defend dah-gah-dah at length during rehearsal breaks, usually while the conductor sighs loudly.

The Confused Switcher
These poor souls spend their lives bouncing between tuh-kuh-tuh and dah-gah-dah like a tennis ball at Wimbledon. In moments of panic, they default to a hybrid tuh-gah-kuh-dah, which sounds more like a startled parrot than a deliberate technique. They’ll often ask their teacher, “Which one is right?” - only to be met with the dreaded response: “It depends.” Their life is a cycle of existential doubt and syllabic chaos.

The Tuh-Tuh-Gah Innovator
Why follow the rules when you can make your own? These rebels refuse to adhere to traditional patterns and instead craft their own unique combinations. Tuh-tuh-gah, dah-dah-gah, kuh-kuh-tuh or even gah-tuh-dah becomes their mantra. The result is… creative, if a little unorthodox, leaving orchestral colleagues wondering if they’re hearing avant-garde articulation or the flute player is choking on a biscuit ('cookie' for my American friends).

The Speed-Obsessed
To these flute players, it doesn’t matter if it’s tuh-kuh-tuh or dah-gah-dah, what matters is how fast they can do it. Their triple tonguing is so quick it becomes a blur of syllables, indistinguishable to the human ear. Are they actually tonguing? Or just faking it with panicked breaths and finger acrobatics? Who can say? But speed is king, and clarity is merely an afterthought.

The Triple Tonguing Philosopher
These are the players who sit quietly in the practice room, pondering the deep existential questions of articulation. “Is a ‘tuh’ inherently superior to a ‘dah’? What is the true essence of a ‘kuh’? And does it even matter, as long as the notes come out in time?” Their articulation is thoughtful, deliberate, and occasionally interrupted by their own overthinking. They’ve probably written an essay on the metaphysics of tonguing.

So when is it “tuh-kuh-tuh,” and when is it “dah-gah-dah”?
Ah, my dearest flute playing friend, the answer lies in your own musical instincts. Tuh-kuh-tuh provides the sharp, percussive clarity needed for passages that demand precision, while dah-gah-dah lends a flowing, lyrical quality perfect for more expressive lines. But beware - choose the wrong one, and you might end up sounding like a woodpecker in a wind tunnel or a distant cousin of the oboe.

Remember, the beauty of triple tonguing lies not in perfection, but in perseverance. Whether you’re tuh-kuh-tuh-ing, dah-gah-dah-ing, or just vaguely flailing at your flute, know that every attempt is a step closer to mastery - and, quite possibly, a sore tongue.

Keep practising, and may your articulations be ever clear and your syllables always in sync.

Yours in triple-tongued chaos,
Your Eternally Tongue-Twisted Guide,
Jean-Paul (Flute Geezer at TJ Flutes)