- Rather than focusing on precise tongue placement, it is more effective to think of articulation in terms of onomatopoeic syllables like TA/DA/PA and the contour of the sound
- When you want a robust bass line, allow the shape of the sound to expand slightly; for slurred staccato, switch to an airstream that does not bounce too aggressively
- Rather than fixating on the articulation itself, planning backward from the endpoint (the landing) tends to produce a naturally fitting articulation
- When you look at the score and sing it aloud in a speech-like manner, project that same vocal quality directly onto the bassoon
- Listening carefully to your own sound and gradually closing the gap between your mental image and reality is the fastest path to greater precision
If you try to lock in bassoon articulation by finding the "correct tongue position," it can actually become less stable. In this lesson, the idea of treating articulation as onomatopoeic syllables (TA/DA/PA, etc.) and the contour of the sound is discussed, along with the approach of reverse-engineering from that image. This article assumes accompaniment scenarios involving bass lines and slurred staccato, and organizes the switching of tone shapes into a clear set of steps.
Especially in the common accompaniment pattern of "bass line followed by slurred staccato," the stronger your urge to project the first note with a thick sound, the more likely the subsequent notes will bounce with the same intensity. The solution is to allow the bass line a slightly expanded contour while deciding in advance to switch to an airstream that does not bounce aggressively for what follows. Rather than trying to increase the number of articulation types, the idea of organizing your tone shapes into two categories ends up naturally leading to effective use of TA/DA/PA.
Steps for Refining Your Tone
- Step 1: Sing the score aloud and identify a natural, speech-like articulation (not "la la la..." but something like "pa-ppa...")
- Step 2: Translate that articulation into onomatopoeic syllables (TA/DA/PA, etc.) and visualize them as the contour of the sound
- Step 3: For bass lines, play with the intention of letting the tone shape expand slightly, creating a solid foundation
- Step 4: For slurred staccato, switch to an airstream that does not bounce too much, avoiding an aggressive release
- Step 5: Decide the endpoint (landing) first and reverse-engineer from there. Record yourself and fine-tune the gap between your image and reality
"TA/DA/PA" is most effective not as a description of tongue position, but as a label representing the hardness or softness of the attack and the thickness of the contour. For example, allow the bass line a slightly "round, expanded" shape, and for slurred staccato, suppress the bounce of the air in the release. When this kind of tone shape design is decided first, the tongue movement naturally falls into place afterward.
To take it a step further, consider what purpose that particular passage serves in the score. Is it creating forward momentum in the accompaniment, or supporting the melody? Once the purpose is clear, the articulation you use when singing aloud naturally changes as well, making your articulation choices on the bassoon much less ambiguous.
Bassoon articulation can sometimes be more consistently reproduced by creating the sound's contour through imagery and reverse-engineering from there rather than locking in the fine details of tongue position. Capture it through onomatopoeic syllables, switch your tone shape between bass lines and slurred staccato, and finally listen to your own sound to close the gap. Use this workflow to refine both your articulation and your tone quality. When in doubt, make a short recording and check whether the landing hits where you intended.
