- There are two types of saxophone staccato: one where each note is articulated with a separate breath, and another where the airstream remains continuous while only the tongue movement cuts the sound
- The tongue technique follows the same approach as tonguing—keep the contact area on the reed as small as possible, imagining a pinpoint articulation
- The embouchure during staccato should not differ significantly from tonguing or long tones; it is important to prevent tension from disrupting it
- The oral cavity tends to narrow suddenly during staccato, so maintain an appropriately spacious opening just as you would during long tones or tonguing
When performing staccato on the saxophone, the tongue technique fundamentally follows the same approach as tonguing. It is important to keep the contact area where the tongue meets the reed as small as possible, imagining a pinpoint articulation for each staccato note. During staccato, tension tends to build in the mouth, which in turn causes the tongue to tense up as well. The key is to consciously move the tongue as efficiently and compactly as possible.
Two Types of Staccato
Saxophone staccato can be broadly divided into two types. The first is staccato where each note is articulated with a separate breath, and the second is staccato where the airstream remains continuous while only the tongue movement cuts the sound. For both types, the tongue technique is the same as described earlier—the same method applies to both. Staccato with separate breaths for each note allows for clearly defined articulation, making crisp and distinct expression possible. On the other hand, staccato with a continuous airstream and only tongue movement to separate the notes enables smoother, more flowing expression.
Steps for Refining Your Tone
One of the most important aspects of playing staccato on the saxophone is abdominal support. Abdominal support is absolutely essential. Another crucial element is the space inside the mouth. Many players tend to let their oral cavity narrow suddenly when playing staccato. When the mouth is too narrow, the tone tends to become crushed and extraneous noise is more likely to occur. Even when playing staccato, it is important to maintain an appropriately spacious opening—just as you would during long tones or tonguing—to create a resonant space for the sound. If you actually play staccato with a narrow oral cavity, the tone tends to become crushed. Since a narrow mouth also makes extraneous noise more likely, I recommend keeping the inside of the mouth spacious.
- Be mindful of your tongue technique. Follow the same approach as tonguing—keep the contact area on the reed as small as possible, imagining a pinpoint articulation
- Keep the tongue movement compact. Since tension tends to build in the mouth, focus on moving the tongue efficiently and compactly
- Stabilize your embouchure. Maintain the same embouchure as when tonguing or playing long tones, and prevent tension from disrupting it
- Keep the oral cavity spacious. Maintain an appropriately open space—just as during long tones or tonguing—to create a resonant chamber for the sound
- Be mindful of abdominal support. Abdominal support is extremely important in staccato performance
- Balance all the elements. When you achieve the right balance among oral cavity space, tongue movement, tongue attack strength, abdominal support, and embouchure pressure, you will be able to produce excellent staccato
In saxophone staccato performance, when you achieve a good balance among roughly four to five elements—oral cavity space, tongue movement, tongue attack strength, abdominal support, and embouchure pressure—you can play with attention to all of them in a well-balanced manner, which should lead to excellent staccato. In particular, the key to beautiful staccato performance lies in maintaining a spacious oral cavity, staying mindful of abdominal support, and achieving compact, efficient tongue movement.
