Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • April 2014
19
Unlocking the Secrets of
Saxophone Articulation
Andrew J. Al len, DMA
Saxophone and clarinet
articulation are very often viewed
as being identical. While they are
quite similar, both instruments
utilize slightly different parts of the
tongue when coming in contact
with the reed. While the clarinet
articulation is often called a “tip to
tip” method of tonguing (the tip of
the tongue touches the tip of the
reed), the saxophone articulation
is caused by an area of the tongue
slightly behind the tip touching the
reed. This is necessitated by the
different angle of the saxophone
mouthpiece, the amount of
mouthpiece in the oral cavity, and
the larger amount of reed in the
mouth.
Another common misconception
in regard to saxophone articulation
is tongue-motion.While somemight
equate the tongue’s movement with
a vertical “swinging,” this can cause
several problems. When thinking
in this way, a young saxophonist is
much more prone to tongue on the
flat part of the reed, perhaps even
creating the dreaded, accidental
“slap-tongue” so often associated
with beginning players. Instead,
a more appropriate method of
articulation is to think of the tongue
as moving more horizontally in the
mouth, so that the performer will
be much more likely to just strike
the tip of the reed with the tongue.
One extremely common
articulation problem stems from
another source, entirely: The
performer’s breath support. Very
often, a young saxophonist will
attempt to “puff” streams of air in
time with their articulation, creating
lack of tonal support, out-of-sync
articulations, “thud” tonguing, and
many other undesirable side-effects.
The performer must be given to
understand that the air-stream
should be a constant, no matter the
articulation marking: The tongue,
alone, should be responsible for
the job of articulating (except
in the case of marcato accents,
or other musical markings that
are traditionally viewed as being
combined efforts of both breath
and tongue).
An associated problem with the
above is the common mistake of
many saxophonists to neglect to
have proper breath support at the
beginnings of phrases. Most harsh
or improper initial articulations are
due to the performer not having
the necessary air-pressure in place
before the tongue touches the reed.
Students should be reminded that,
before each phrase, they are to
breathe in, set the breath, and only
then should they articulate.
Sometimes, so-called articulation
problems can actually be reed
problems. A reed that is too hard,
too soft, or poorly made can make
the job of the performer far more
difficult than it should be. High-
quality reeds, such as D’Addario
Reserve Classic reeds, should
always be used, with medium
strengths (3, 3+, or 3½) working
well for nearly all saxophonists.
If this advice is followed, many
common problems of young
saxophonists can be alleviated
from the start. Many supposed
deficiencies in the performances
of beginning players can be traced
back to the cause of improper
articulation technique. It is hoped
that, with this information, many
young saxophonists will be able to
play with more confidence, much
less prone to “pops,” “thuds,” and
other, unfortunate sound-effects.
Dr. Andrew J. Allen will be joining the faculty of Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls this August as assistant professor of
woodwinds. He has previously served on the faculties of Valley City State University and Clafin University. Dr. Allen’s performances as a
solo, chamber, and orchestral musician have taken him throughout the United States and Europe, and he has commissioned and premiered
more than a dozen new works for the saxophone. He holds degrees in music education and saxophone performance from Tennessee Tech
University, Central Michigan University, and the University of South Carolina. His teachers include Phil Barham, John Nichol, Joseph Lulloff,
and Clifford Leaman.