- The single most important factor for stable articulation is having your breath filled to the point where it is ready to burst out, with sufficient volume and pressure
- Rather than releasing and then blowing, create a state where the air has already reached the exit and your lips are simply acting as a stopper
- Check that your lips are covering the reed opening from edge to edge (if placed too far toward the tip, one side may not make full contact)
- Pressing too hard causes excess lip tissue to block the sides and creates tension, making a popping, explosive sound more likely
- Using mostly air without much lip involvement for high notes tends to be unstable and should be avoided except in special situations
What to Address First When Bassoon Articulation Feels Intimidating
Bassoon articulation is a topic that often feels "scary" or "difficult" even for experienced players. The key is simple: rather than focusing on small tricks at the moment of attack, it is having your breath sufficiently filled up that creates stability. This article uses a Q&A format to organize breath filling, lip placement, and release technique, working toward a practice menu that helps you achieve reliable, repeatable articulation.
Q&A: Key Concepts for Stabilizing Your Articulation
Q1. What is the most important tip for articulation?
A. First and foremost, your breath must be completely filled up. Rather than thinking of using just your tongue or throat to "push out a little air" at the moment of attack, aim for a state where the air, driven from deep in your abdomen, has already reached the exit, and your lips are simply sealing the reed like a stopper.
Q2. What is commonly overlooked about lip placement?
A. Check that your lips are covering the reed opening from edge to edge. If you place your lips too far toward the tip, one side may not make full contact. Conversely, pressing too hard causes excess lip tissue to block the sides and creates tension, leading to an explosive, popping sound.
Q3. How should I think about the release?
A. Rather than releasing and then blowing in, think of it as the air is ready to burst out and your lips are holding it back, so the sound is produced the instant you release. This reframing helps organize the movement. Angle your lips slightly downward toward the lower teeth, with a sense of laying them a bit flat, creating a state where the opening is "sealed edge to edge" before you release.
Practice Menu
- Step 1: Fill up on breath. Fill your body with air at a volume and pressure where it feels ready to burst out
- Step 2: Prepare the air exit first. Create a state where the air has already reached the exit point and your lips are simply holding it back
- Step 3: Check that your lips cover the reed edge to edge. Use a mirror to verify that the reed opening is fully sealed from side to side
- Step 4: Avoid pressing too hard. Back off to a pressure where excess lip tissue does not block the sides, and release the tension
- Step 5: Angle slightly flat and release. Tilt your lips slightly toward the lower teeth, and release from this well-organized position to produce the sound
- Step 6: Use special techniques only in limited situations. Articulation that relies solely on air in the high register tends to be unstable, so reserve it for specific contexts
When your articulation is unstable, the more you try to fix it through lip or throat "manipulation," the more movements you add and the less repeatable it becomes. What matters is the mindset that if your breath is sufficiently filled, the sound will come out even if your release is somewhat rough. That is why it is most effective to first ensure your breath volume and the "sensation of air reaching the exit" are in order, then confirm your placement (sealing edge to edge), and finally return to a release that avoids pressing too hard.
Articulation that relies solely on air in the high register may work in isolated moments but tends to be unstable overall. The safest approach is to first achieve stability with your normal articulation, then use the air-only method only in situations that specifically call for it.
Summary
The keys to stabilizing bassoon articulation are having your breath filled up first, ensuring your lips cover the reed edge to edge, and not pressing too hard. Rather than releasing and then blowing in, create a state where the air has already reached the exit and your lips are simply holding it back. This reframing will help you work through the anxiety of articulation. Start with the practice menu and build repeatability one step at a time, in the order of breath, placement, and release.
