Few students begin
their musical studies with a bassoon in hand, but almost invariably have had
experience on another instrument first. The approach to bassoon articulation
is different than the that used to play other
woodwinds. This is especially important
to emphasize with students switching to bassoon from another woodwind. Tongue and jaw positions are key to good articulation.
Every note (unless
it is being slurred to) must be started with the tongue on the reed. You cannot begin with just air because,
unlike the response of the saxophone, you will have no control over the initial
sound or volume if you do this. Starting
notes with consistency is one of the more difficult things to learn on bassoon.
Do
not tongue the tip opening of the reed with the very tip of the tongue. Tongue contact with the reed is made 1/4 inch
back from the tip of the muscle. The
bassoonists should not aim for the opening of the reed, but for the lower
blade, just behind the tip. This contact
point is actually a basic concept typical to all the reeded woodwind
instruments. Do not tongue into the
opening of any mouthpiece or reed, but always approach tonguing from the
bottom. The tongue comes in contact with
the bottom blade of the double reed, or simply the reed, for single reeds,
slightly back from the tip.
Think of
articulation as bringing the tongue away
from the reed, not as striking the reed or initiation of the sound by putting
the tongue onto the reed. It should already be on the reed before you
initiate the attack. This concept also
carries over to most of the other woodwind instruments, though clarinet and
saxophone can, and often encourage notes in the mid-register to be started not
with the tongue, but with air alone.
The most difficult
skill for new bassoonists (and many experienced ones, as well!) to learn to do,
with consistency, is maintain a low tongue position. The natural position for any muscle is a
curved one. Let your hands hang freely
at your side. You will see that the
natural shape they take on is slightly curved (which is the natural and correct hand position to maintain for all
woodwinds, but that is another topic, for another day). Now, allow your tongue to rest freely in your
mouth. This is more difficult to
see/feel, but its natural resting position is also slightly arched, matching
the contour of the roof of your mouth.
This curved, “high tongue position” is normal for flute, clarinet,
saxophone and oboe. Bassoonists must
resist this natural tendency and consciously drop the tongue, keeping the oral
cavity as open and round as possible. A
naturally high tongue position on bassoon will decrease the consistency of
responsiveness, especially in the low register, and will contribute to a more
nasal, sharp tone (a warm, round tone being the desired result).
Along with low
tongue position is the need for an unnaturally low jaw. Players of other wind instruments work to
maintain a relaxed, naturally open jaw position. Bassoonists must go one step further and make
a specific effort to drop the jaw, generally as much as possible, while still
maintaining embouchure contact with the reed.
To simulate the sensation of correct jaw and tongue position, I will
begin to yawn. This is infectious, and soon they are yawning too. I ask them to
remember those times they have been sitting in class and have had that urge to
yawn but try to suppress it by keeping the mouth closed. Even with the mouth
closed, the back of the tongue is forced down while the jaw drops open. Presto:
perfect oral cavity position! Bassoon
jaw position is not “natural” but is consciously as dropped and open as
possible. Students of the instrument
will have to be reminded of this often.
When articulating,
the tendency is to bring the jaw and back of the tongue up, along with the tip
of the tongue (which should be the only thing moving to articulate a
note). By involving only the tip of the
tongue—meaning the target area one-quarter of an inch back from the true
tip—articulation is more efficient (allowing for much faster tonguing) and the oral cavity needed for in-tune, attractive
playing is maintained. The tip of the
tongue must be trained to function separately from the rest of the embouchure.
My doctoral
studies on bassoon were with professor Michael Burns, who uses a visualization
exercise that he calls “training the puppy.”
When a new puppy is brought home, it will follow its new master
everywhere. Devotion is good, but we
want to end up with an obedient dog.
During training of the puppy, the master will tell it to “stay” and then
walk away. Puppies don’t understand, and
get right up and follow. Only after much
repetition does the puppy learn to sit and to stay. The bassoon student’s jaw and back of the
tongue are much like the untrained puppy.
When initiating an articulation, they will want to follow the tip of the
tongue. It takes diligent practice to
learn to maintain the open oral cavity while tonguing. This is not easy or natural, but is worth the
time and effort for consistency of attack and beauty of tone and pitch. Allowing the jaw to rise will make the pitch
sharp at the attack, and will make it more difficult for the low range to
speak.
The next issue
that presents itself in bassoon articulation is the coordination of air
pressure with the release of the tongue from the reed. When preparing to articulate a note, air
pressure should always be going; even when no note is sounding and the tongue
is on the reed stopping the air. Having
enough air pressure behind the tongue is necessary for any note to speak with
consistency. Though the process will eventually
become almost instantaneous, here are the steps to good bassoon articulation,
given in the order they should occur:
1) breathe
in.
2) place
the tongue on the reed.
3) ”blow” with the lungs and
create air pressure behind the closed-off reed
4) be
sure your jaw is dropped, and mouth cavity open.
5) release
the tongue (air pressure is already going).
Lastly, a
responsive reed is a must. Insisting on
comfortable, responsive reeds can save much frustration and wasted practice
time. It is often difficult for younger
students to afford and/or create decent reeds, yet this is the time they need
them most. Try to provide your bassoon
students with good quality reeds and, eventually, the instruction they need to
alter their reeds to their preferences.
When students play on poor quality reeds and instruments, it not only
becomes frustrating to them, but frustrating to the teacher, it being difficult
to determine whether some problems are equipment or student related. Students will learn to compensate for their poor
equipment, which gives rise to poor habits that must be unlearned later.
Learning to play
the bassoon well requires a considerable investment of time and energy, but is
absolutely worth the effort. Armed with
curiosity, a good work ethic, and the knowledge of how the bassoon should be
approached, any music student has the potential to be a happy and successful
bassoonist.
