Studying Articulation

in Depth The Pedagogy

O
ver the past year we have dis-
cussed teaching articulation from
the earliest lessons, developing
a good attack, starting phrases with pre-
cision, clearing up the articulated sound,
and appreciating the value of the short
staccato . To delve into the subject a little
deeper, this column will emphasize per-
fecting the staccato, understanding the
value of the clipped note, phrasing through
short notes, and achieving a well-matched
articulation through the registers .
Acquiring Short Staccato – second), and keep air pressure at the front
Let’s Get Specific
Developing a short staccato is one of our
most important endeavors, because it al-
lows so much variety of articulated sound .
That is, if one can play a short staccato on
every note in the range at any dynamic,
one can easily choose to play longer notes
if the music demands it . This approach
gives the player many lengths of articula-
tion to choose from, which can only en-
hance musicality .
Corner
by Larry Guy
But as we all know, a good short stac-
cato takes some diligence to acquire . The
player learns to clip the end of notes by
returning the tongue to the reed while
continuing to blow behind the tongue, all
the while keeping the embouchure firmly
in place . Start by saying “toot” a number
of times at a slow tempo (about one per
of the mouth, right behind the tongue,
between repetitions . Now duplicate that
feeling with the clarinet in the mouth: start
with the tongue on the reed, build up some
air pressure behind the tongue, release the
tongue and play open G half-notes . Stop
the notes by putting the tongue back on
the reed, and continue to blow during the
rests between notes . While the tongue is
on the reed, the air pressure builds up be-
hind it, the embouchure stays firm, and
the back of the mouth stays free and open .
The result: notes that are “stopped” or
“clipped”, as in Example #1, below . When
half notes have been mastered, proceed to
quarter notes and eighth notes .
The late, great Kalmen Opperman de-
vised a warm-up of short notes that I give
to moderately advanced students to develop
the coordination required for a good short
staccato . Mr . Opperman called it “First
Notes,” because he advocated playing it at
the beginning of lessons and practice ses-
sions, and it is the perfect way to acquire
and maintain a good-sounding short stac-
cato . The coordination required is complex,
so playing it is a little like jumping into the
deep end of the pool—no time for putting
one toe into the water! I play it forte with
students to learn the technique, and later,
request that it be played softer, which is

Air~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Example #1. Open G half Notes, Quarter Notes, and Eighth Notes

Example #2. Kalmen Opperman’s First Notes

30 The Clarinet
 Example #3. Phrasing Through Short Notes

ample #4, one has played five meaningless

Example #4. Stopping the Air between Short Notes
phrases, each consisting of one note!
This understanding is crucial to the
successful execution of the passage from
Scheherazade in Example #5, just one of
countless passages from the standard rep-
ertoire that benefits from this approach.

more demanding. I’ve included three scales
in Example #2, bottom of page 30; for the
whole sequence, see The Daniel Bonade
Workbook, published by Rivernote Press.
Phrasing Through remains steady, including when the tongue
Short Notes
There are two advantages in keeping steady
air pressure as one plays short notes: first,
speed becomes possible, and second, one
is able to show a musical direction even
through the silences between notes. Giv-
ing a directional quality to the notes allows
us to make an effective phrase through a
group of short notes. To help students un-
derstand this concept, I have them play
five-note sequences like the ones in Exam-
ple #3, top. The slurred exercise is easy,
the articulated one less so, but should give
a similar musical effect. The air pressure
is on the reed, and the crescendo must be
quite audible into the sforzando.
This concept is in direct opposition to
the frequently encountered tendency stop
the air between short notes (also known as
“puffing”), which renders any sense of di-
rection to the phrase nearly impossible, as
in Example #4, above.
In fact, I tell my students that when
the air stops, the phrase stops! So in Ex-
Other Uses for the
Clipped Note
Once the student understands how to clip
a note, all sorts of rhythmic figures, espe-
cially rhythms off the beat, can be played
more accurately. For example, if one starts
a passage off the beat, I ask students to be-
gin by observing a four-part sequence dis-
cussed in earlier columns: 1) form the em-
bouchure, 2) put the tip of the tongue on
the reed, 3) feel the air behind the tongue,
and finally, release the sound. This helps
put the first note of a passage in exactly
the right spot, and takes the guesswork
out of executing the musical notation. The
student immediately has “better rhythm!”

Example #5. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade

Example #6. 16th Starting Notes Off the Beat

September 2011 31
 Example #7. Incorporating Clipped Notes in a Passage
Example #8. Exercise Adapted from Klosé
I sometimes remind the student of this se-
quence by marking a “T” (as in “tongue on
the reed”) over the rest before the notes be-
gin. See Example #6, bottom of page 31.
The next step is to incorporate this idea
within a passage already running. For ex-
ample, in the second bar of Example #7,
top, the tongue should be on the reed be-
fore the first 16th note off the beat – it will
have been placed there if the note before it
has been clipped! During the silence, the
embouchure stays firm and the air stays
behind the tongue, ready for action. This
exercise is similar to one found in the Ru-
bank Advanced Method, Book #1.
Transitioning from Short
Staccato to Longer Notes
Earlier I mentioned that if one can play
short notes, one can easily transition to
longer ones, but playing longer notes,
after having learned short staccato, takes
some mindfulness.
Example #9. Running Articulation: an Excerpt from Weber: Concertino
32 The Clarinet
For example, in the “First Notes” ex-
ercise (see Example #2), I ask students
to play it forte at first, to become familiar
with the technique. However, in music, one
rarely plays a succession of very short, loud
notes, and I think it is important to remind
students of this; otherwise, he or she might
“push the envelope” a little too often.
I also remind students that “staccato”
means “detached” or “separated;” not nec-
essarily “short” which brings to mind the
variety of note-lengths one can achieve. As
one transitions to longer notes, I emphasize
an awareness of the beginning of the note;
one can have a well-defined articulation
without clipping the ends of notes. This
longer type of staccato is of great value and
should be employed often. Example #8,
above, is an exercise (adapted from Klosé)
that I give my students. I call it “marcato
articulation,” because the beginnings of the
notes are well-marked, whereas the ends
are hardly thought of at all!
I recommend this kind of articulation
for scale passages, found so frequently in
the works of Weber, and when it moves
more quickly, I call it “running articula-
tion.” There should be no sense of clip-
ping the ends of the notes, since that usu-
ally gives a “sticky” quality to the sound.
Avoid the tendency to make a sound that
mimics the shape of the little “staccato”
dots under or over the notes! Everyone
will recognize this passage from Weber’s
Concertino, which should not employ
clipped notes, but rather an awareness of
the clarity of the beginning of the articu-
lated notes in Example #9, below.
Evenness and Reliability
Through the Registers
A well-matched articulation through the
registers is highly desirable, and its ac-
quisition is often overlooked. Too often I
have heard ambitious students with good-
sounding articulation in the chalumeau
and clarion registers whose quality dete-
riorates as they ascend into the altissimo.
I remember as a high school player
many years ago asking my band director,
Anton Peshek, how to improve my articu-
lation. His advice was simple and helpful:
“Practice articulating everything.” This
approach certainly got my tongue mov-
ing, but I was still dissatisfied with my
articulated sound and speed in the upper
register, so purchased a book, now long
out of print, called The Secret to Rapid
Tongue and Finger Technique. The title
was irresistible. As soon as I opened the
book, I was disappointed that the author,
Gerald Coward, did not divulge the se-
cret in so many words, but instead wrote
a very short explanation of how to play
the many brief exercises in all registers for
the development of this elusive goal. The
“secret” was to practice the exercises over
and over, to the point of [mild] fatigue! Al-
though I’m sure the book helped improve
my speed, its biggest contribution was to
help improve my evenness and reliability
through the registers, and so I give some of
the exercises, altered a bit, to my students.
Becoming aware of how the tongue
touches the reed, and the exact spot on
the reed it touches, is of great importance.
One works for a consistency in returning
to the same spot on the reed, and using the
same spot of the tongue, no matter where
the notes are located or how fast one
plays. Start this awareness of the tongue’s
position on the reed before the first note,
and then be sure the tongue returns to this
exact spot each time thereafter.
This watchfulness is especially helpful
as one ascends from the top of the clarion
register into the altissimo, and as one be-
gins to tire – be sure the tongue does not
move differently, and does not change its
“arrival spot” on the reed. Play each ex-
ercise over a number of times, until one
begins to tire, then rest for a few seconds
and go to the next exercise. Do not play to
the point of exhaustion! For our purposes,
we will omit the slurs and accents. See Ex-
ample #10, below.
The Tone of the All Over
Articulation: and will fit snugly in just a few minutes.
Troubleshooting
As the student learns to clip notes, some-
times the tone quality will not be as good
Example #10. From The Secret to Rapid Tongue and Finger Technique
as when the notes are slurred. We have
touched upon this in earlier articles, but it
is worth reiterating that perhaps the three
most common trouble areas are the tip of
the tongue, the back of the mouth, and ten-
sion in the shoulders. We remember that
the goals are a small amount of tongue
touching the reed and a free, open back of
the mouth, but some may ask how tension
in the shoulders affects the quality of the
articulation. Remember Robert Marcellus’
comment: “We talk on the reed.” With this
in mind, read a sentence with the shoul-
ders down and relaxed, and while continu-
ing to read, raise and tense up the shoul-
ders. Note the resulting difference in your
speaking voice. This is similar to the effect
of tight shoulders to articulated sound.
Lower Lip Relief
Some students complain about a sore
lower lip due to insufficient lip firmness,
sharp lower teeth, or the result of many
hours of daily practice. (Bless them!).
During the time students need to build up
their lip muscles, I have a solution that of-
fers the lower lip some protection from
the onslaught of teeth pressure: florist’s
tape. A roll of it costs about $3 and lasts
for years. Made of thin paper covered with
wax, it comes in white, red and green vari-
eties. I use white but some of my students
are particularly fond of green. Unwrap
about ½ inch of it and fold over four times,
making a five-ply piece. Cut with scissors
to a size that will cover the front two lower
teeth. Although cumbersome in the mouth
at first, it adheres to itself and to the teeth,
Make three or four pieces and use each for
only 5-10 minutes for the first few days;
otherwise they can shred. After a week or
September 2011 33
so, one piece can be used for hours daily
and if properly broken in, will last for a
few months. If the tape is small enough,
it won’t get in the way of tongue action.
Alternative Terms
Department
We have all heard teachers exhorting their
students to “use more air!” and I daresay
most of us have used that expression a
few times, but is it always what we mean?
Surely we are not always asking for more
quantity of air – usually we want to hear
a more intense, focused tone. But we find
ourselves requesting “more air” because
the student’s sound may be undernour-
ished, the response foggy, the intervals
pale, or the dynamics limited. Students, on
the other hand, often have difficulty sens-
ing exactly how much air they are using:
after all, it is tasteless, invisible, and odor-
less! Not so easy to get a grip on! But the
lower lip can sense the vibrancy of the reed
with accuracy and can tell whether, in the
course of a phrase, the vibrancy lets up or
gets weak at some moments. Of course,
vibrancy is caused by air, coupled with
an embouchure that is firm enough to en-
gage the reed. That “engagement spot” is
specific: the lower lip’s touch-spot on the
reed. Staying aware of the reed’s ongoing
vibrancy at that spot, especially between
notes, will ensure that the air keeps moving
and the embouchure pressure is consistent.
The result is usually a rich, healthy sound.
Correspondence from
Melanie Wong, currently studying with
Dr. Robert Spring at Arizona State Uni-
versity, tells us of a method of ensuring
that one stays aware of the use of the ab-
dominal, side, and back muscles in the
quest for perfect air support . A technique
she learned at a master class hosted by
Dan Gilbert involves tying a flexible cord
or elastic band around the waist, feeling
the expansion of the band while inhaling,
and then, during the exhale, staying aware
of the muscles’ firmness against it . This
ensures that the player keeps the breath-
ing low in the torso and continues to sup-
port the sound through the entire exhale .
A laptop power cord would seem to be the
perfect tool, and it is always at hand . paul less, I persevere, certain that one of these
Chang demonstrates, below .
Example #11.
Another Use for the Power Cord
Stephen poppel, a talented amateur
player from New York, relates that the
air should be so strong and steady be-
hind the tongue, and the tongue pressure
so light, that at the moment of attack, the
air “blows the tongue off the reed .” The
air pressure is built up behind the tongue
until one can sense a “tipping point,” the
34 The Clarinet
precise moment the tongue gives way to
the pressure of the air . I find these to be
helpful descriptions, and use them with
my students .
Analogies unlimited
Among pupils past and present, my analo-
gies seem to have acquired some notoriety
– I have become accustomed to seeing stu-
dents gaze heavenward while strange little
smiles creep onto their faces as I start a
sentence with, “It’s like a…“ Neverthe-
references will eventually result in a flash
of enlightenment . A current analogy con-
cerns the relative jobs of the air stream,
tongue, and embouchure as they work
together to produce good articulation . I
start with a demonstration of repeated
articulations on one note, which gives us
a situation to analyze: we will look into
the use of the tongue, air, and embouchure
in this example . I liken it to three friends
who have embarked on a long trip by car .
One person is driving, one person is sit-
ting next to the driver with a map in hand,
giving directions, and one friend is lolling
in the back seat smoking . His only job is
to see that the ashes of his cigarette land
in the ash tray, which he does with a small
flick of his finger . Who is the driver? Who
is in the passenger seat holding the map?
And who is that lazy person in the back
seat with only one tiny job to do? The an-
swer, of course, is the air stream (primary
job), embouchure (directing the air), and
tongue (tiny, repetitive job) . And although
they are doing very different activities,
they are all in the car together, driving to
their destination (the arrival point of the
phrase) . I caution students to keep this
analogy in the back of the mind, not up
front, while playing!
Recommended Reading
The Inner Voice, by Renee Fleming . Pub-
lished by Viking Press . 222 pages . Sub-ti-
tled The Making of a Singer, this book by
the great American soprano offers aspir-
ing clarinetists valuable lessons in at least
two areas . First, she describes the kind of
work ethic and resourcefulness needed to
achieve success in our highly competitive
field, and second, she discusses techni-
cal issues essential to good wind playing:
detailed descriptions of support, voicing,
resonance, and tonal clarity, all of which
shed light onto our own inquiries .
Due to the success she has achieved,
Ms . Fleming’s fans would indulge her if
this book simply chronicled one triumph
after another, leavened with a few amus-
ing stories . Instead, she has given us
something very different: a focus on the
arduous task of overcoming obstacles,
many of which seem daunting to young
musicians . Educators will find Ms . Flem-
ing’s description of her relationship to her
main teacher, Beverley Johnson, as well as
comments about the contributions made
by other teachers, mentors, and colleagues
to be of interest and value . Generously-
detailed, well-written, and down-to-earth,
this book is of lasting value to all ambitious
musicians . Highly recommended .
About the Writer…
Larry Guy is professor of clarinet at New
York University and Vassar College, and
teaches at the MAP Program at the Juilliard
School and the Precollege Division of the
Manhattan School of Music in New York .
He is the author of six textbooks for clari-
netists, and has produced three educational
CDs for Boston Records showcasing the
artistry of Daniel Bonade, Ralph McLane
and Mitchell Lurie . He welcomes your
input on any pedagogic concept you may
be willing to share . If your idea is chosen
to be included in an upcoming “Pedagogy
Corner” article, you will be given credit .
E-mail him at Lguy551856@aol .com .
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