Before thinking of staccato as "making notes short," understand that it is the act of stopping the airstream. You stop the air, release it, then stop it again. Performing this alternation quickly produces crisp staccato. Because the bass clarinet has a large mouthpiece area and tends to respond slowly, it is essential to maintain air pressure while the tongue is on the reed so that vibration resumes the instant the tongue releases. If you cut off the air pressure at the same moment you stop the reed, the next note will be late and the evenness of your notes will suffer. Clarinet staccato is built through air management. Start by making "maintaining pressure while stopped" your top priority. The more solid your foundation, the less your note evenness will break down at faster tempos.
- Staccato is the alternation between stopping and releasing the airstream; over-stopping and slow motion are the main causes of failure.
- Maintaining air pressure while stopped produces a faster response and more even notes.
- If your articulation sounds like slap tonguing, the tongue may be positioned too far back and sticking to the reed.
- Stop the reed's vibration near the tip of the tongue. Find a position where the tongue does not press flat against the reed.
Clarinet Staccato Depends on What Happens 'While Stopped'
If the air stops while the tongue is on the reed, the response of the next note will be delayed. This is especially noticeable on the bass clarinet, so keep the air pressure high while stopped and create a state where the note sounds the instant you release the tongue. When staccato is not working well, you may be over-stopping the air, causing sluggish motion. Keep the stopping action compact -- just enough to "touch the reed immediately" -- so that the clarinet's response is not delayed. When notes are uneven, check the "pressure while stopped" before worrying about tempo. If notes remain uneven even at a slow tempo, it is most effective to reassess the stopping point and tongue position from the ground up.
Practice Steps
- 1. Practice maintaining air pressure while stopped on low notes (the air never rests).
- 2. Keep the stopping action compact. Build the sensation of stopping near the reed and releasing immediately.
- 3. If you get a slap-like sound, move the tongue position shallower and find the point where the tongue does not press flat against the reed.
- 4. Check whether notes remain even as you increase the tempo. If they lag, reassess whether the air pressure is dropping while stopped.
Summary
Clarinet staccato is determined by whether you can maintain air pressure while stopped. Alternate quickly between stopping and releasing while keeping the air pressure constant without letting it drop. Keep the tongue position shallow so it does not suction onto the reed. Once these elements are in place, even a slow-responding bass clarinet can achieve even staccato. Start by producing even notes at a slow tempo, then gradually increase the speed. The more even your notes, the more clearly the character of your phrases will come through. Finally, try applying this to short passages to connect it with real performance. Practicing within scales will naturally integrate this with your finger technique. Avoid pushing the volume too high and prioritize evenness of notes. It is safest to increase tempo only after achieving consistency.
Video Info
- Title: Clarinet Staccato: The Technique of Stopping While Maintaining Air Pressure
- Instrument: clarinet
- Level: Beginner
