- The fundamental approach to bassoon tonguing is not "pressing" the tongue against the reed, but rather gently "releasing" it from a diagonal angle below.
- To resolve the choked sound caused by "over-tonguing," incorporate "non-tonguing practice" into your daily routine, where you produce sound using only the power of your air without using the tongue at all.
- Close your eyes to feel the movement of your tongue and the relaxed state of your embouchure, eliminating unnecessary motion to improve tone attack.
Bassoon tonguing is considered relatively easy to learn compared to other woodwind instruments, but this very simplicity can lead to the problem of "over-relying on the tongue." Through teaching numerous students, I have found that in most cases where the sound feels choked or the attack is unnaturally harsh, the root cause is "over-tonguing." Proper tonguing involves gently placing the tongue against the reed from a slight diagonal angle below, then "releasing" it to free the reed and initiate its vibration. If you press the tongue too firmly against the reed, it blocks the airflow and disrupts the tone attack. Start by grasping the sensation of "non-tonguing"—producing sound purely through the force of your air without using the tongue—and reaffirm that the tongue plays only a supplementary role.
Mastering Ideal Bassoon Articulation: A 5-Step Daily Training Menu
- Non-Tonguing Articulation Practice: Produce sound on the instrument using only the sharp force of air from your abdominal muscles, without using the tongue at all. Focus on feeling the air flow smoothly through the bore of the instrument.
- Learning the Sensation of Tongue Placement: While playing with non-tonguing, gently bring the tongue close to the tip of the reed at a distance where it barely touches, and develop the sensation of lightly resting it there.
- Gentle Release: Practice "releasing" the placed tongue diagonally downward, following the contour of the reed. Be conscious that the sound begins through this release motion.
- Checking Embouchure Relaxation: Use a mirror to check whether the corners of your mouth or jaw move excessively at the moment of tonguing. Unnecessary muscle movement creates noise in your articulation, so eliminate all tension thoroughly.
- Vertical Reed-Only Practice: Without the instrument, hold the reed vertically and practice producing sound using only the force of your air. Develop the sensation of controlling the sound through air alone, without relying on the tongue.
When improving tonguing, blocking your visual sense to "feel with your body" is an extremely effective approach. By practicing with your eyes closed, you can concentrate on the subtle information of where on the reed your tongue is touching and with how much pressure. Many players move their mouth too dramatically in a "bang" motion when tonguing, which makes the attack unnecessarily loud and leads to rhythmic instability. If you can maintain relaxation around the mouth and switch between notes with minimal tongue movement, the bassoon tone becomes more refined, and the range of control expands dramatically. If non-tonguing feels difficult, try practicing by blowing the reed held vertically. This physically creates a situation where relying on the tongue is impossible, making it ideal for honing the sensation of producing sound through pure air power alone.
Cultivating Your Ideal Tone: A Daily Training Menu for Bassoon Players
Once you have mastered ideal tonguing, it directly opens the door to achieving your "ideal tone." Clean articulation produces a tone attack rich in overtones, elevating the quality of your entire performance. Here, I propose a comprehensive daily training menu designed to connect tonguing improvement with tonal enhancement. By dedicating the first 10 minutes of your daily fundamentals practice to this menu, you will not only improve finger technique but also cultivate a lustrous resonance that captivates audiences. At each stage of the training, ask yourself, "Is my current sound close to the ideal?" and pursue uncompromising tone production. Through this menu, build the foundation for understanding the depth of the bassoon as an instrument and for making your entire body resonate as a single sounding chamber.
Tonguing is not merely a means of separating notes—it is the very "language" that breathes life into musical phrases. As a bassoon player, acquiring clear yet warm articulation is equivalent to telling an eloquent story. The steady, dedicated training you do each day becomes the wings that allow you to express music freely on the concert stage. Devote meticulous attention to every tongue movement and every breath, and continue to refine your own unique "voice." Experience again and again the joy of the instrument responding naturally when you achieve perfect articulation, and let that become your conviction. I hope that your efforts will one day blossom into wonderful music that reaches the hearts of many.
