Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2005-03-26 16:51
As I have been learning the oboe, I have enjoyed and benefitted from reading (and re-reading) a book by Jay Light called "Essays for Oboists" (1994, Alborada Publications).
He has several of things to say about articulation. Most concisely, he writes (p. 54), "The most efficient way is to use the very tip of your tongue against the very tip of the reed and release from there. After all, the tip is where the hole is that lets the air through the reed. Tonguing under the bottom blade of the reed with the fat part of the tongue is pretty ineffective, but I still see people do it."
He further makes the point that, in tonguing, one must learn to tongue on the wind -- or, as he puts it, "Keep the air moving through the articulation."
"Obviously, at the instant you are touching the note, the air must be being interrupted. It is. Your job is to get your tongue in and out of there quickly enough so that the interruption doesn't appear to be stopping the sound. What helps is to be sure you are saying TAAATAAATAAATAAA, not TAAT-TAAT-TAAT-TAAT. When there is only one "T" between each note, the sound will appear to be continuous. If you put a "T" at the end of each note as well as at the beginning, as in the second example, you are stopping the airflow through the reed, and the continuity of sound will be shot." (p. 62)
He also mentions that there is a school of thought which suggests tonguing on the side of the reed. His advice: don't.
In my opinion, success with articulation depends on a prior success with embouchure and air support. I find that I can make a much more consistent (and attractive) tone when I really do keep those abs tight. As for embouchure, I will write a note over on the thread about reed consistency, because those two issues were really interlinked for me.
Susan
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