- The reason staccato sounds monotonous on saxophone is that players interpret staccato only as meaning "short." You need to vary your approach depending on the mood of the piece — using staccato with lingering resonance, upward-launched staccato, sharply stopped staccato, and more
- Being conscious of the degree of emphasis and weight in tenuto and accent can dramatically improve your saxophone expressiveness. It is important to develop a range of nuances, such as a heavy tenuto using block-like airflow and an emphasized tenuto that stops just short of becoming an accent
- By understanding the different types of staccato, tenuto, and accent, and learning to sense the mood of the music and choose accordingly, your saxophone performance will become dramatically more expressive and musically convincing
In saxophone performance, articulation is a vital element at the core of musical expression. Symbols such as staccato, tenuto, and accent may appear simple on the score, but each actually contains a wide range of nuances that must be adapted to suit the mood of the piece and the context of the phrase. Many players fall into the trap of oversimplifying — thinking "staccato just means short" or "tenuto just means sustained" — resulting in monotonous playing that lacks musical conviction. However, even staccato alone encompasses many varieties, including those with lingering resonance, those launched upward, and those sharply stopped, each carrying a different musical meaning. This article provides a detailed guide to the types of articulation used in saxophone playing, how to execute each one, and how to adapt your expression to match the character of the music.
The Problem: Monotonous Articulation
When playing saxophone, you may encounter the problem of your performance becoming monotonous because you cannot effectively differentiate between staccato, tenuto, and accent. Common issues include interpreting staccato only as "short" and cutting every note the same way, interpreting tenuto only as "sustained" and holding every note identically, and interpreting accent only as "emphasized" and accenting every note uniformly. While these interpretations may seem correct on the surface, the root cause is often that you are mechanically processing the symbols without considering the mood of the piece or the context of the phrase. Even with staccato alone, the approach should differ between a slow piece and an energetic piece, yet cutting every note short in the same way causes the performance to lose its musical conviction.
The reason articulation becomes monotonous is that you are interpreting the symbols too simplistically without considering the mood of the piece or the context of the phrase. In saxophone performance, staccato, tenuto, and accent each come in many varieties that must be adapted to the mood of the music. Staccato includes types with lingering resonance, upward-launched staccato, and sharply stopped staccato, each carrying a different musical meaning. Tenuto also has various nuances, such as playing delicately, playing with accent-like emphasis, or stretching the note slightly by easing the tempo. Accent must also be varied by degree of emphasis — strong emphasis, light emphasis, or emphasis with awareness of weight differences. By understanding these types and sensing the mood of the music to choose accordingly, your saxophone expressiveness will improve dramatically.
What is particularly important is being conscious of the speed and quality of your airflow when differentiating articulations. For staccato, a staccato with lingering resonance requires soft air, an upward-launched staccato requires fast and sharp air input, and a sharply stopped staccato requires the sensation of instantly halting the air. For tenuto, a heavy tenuto calls for awareness of block-like airflow, while an emphasized tenuto requires playing just short of an accent. For accent, a strong accent calls for an image of a sudden swell, while a lighter accent requires adjusting the degree of that swell. By being aware of these differences, your saxophone articulation will become musically convincing.
How to Differentiate Staccato
Differentiating staccato on saxophone requires selecting the appropriate type based on the mood of the piece and the context of the phrase. Staccato with lingering resonance is used in slow pieces or when the music has a soft atmosphere. With this staccato, you focus on soft airflow and play with a sense of letting the note ring rather than cutting it short. Upward-launched staccato is used in energetic pieces or when staccato appears at the end of a phrase. With this staccato, you play by driving the air in fast and sharp, imagining the sound flying upward. Sharply stopped staccato is used when a clear cutoff is needed. With this staccato, you cut the note sharply with the sensation of instantly stopping the air. By sensing the mood of the music and choosing among these types accordingly, your saxophone staccato will become musically convincing.
How to Differentiate Tenuto and Accent
Differentiating tenuto on saxophone requires awareness of weight and degree of emphasis. For a heavy tenuto, it helps to imagine blowing with block-like airflow. With this tenuto, you create a sense of sending the air as a solid mass, giving the note weight. For an emphasized tenuto, you play just short of an accent. With this tenuto, you add slight emphasis while adjusting so it does not become as strong as a full accent. Differentiating accent requires awareness of the degree of emphasis and differences in weight. For a strong accent, it helps to imagine a sudden, rapid swell. For a lighter accent, you adjust the degree and size of the swell. There are also cases where tenuto and accent are written together, in which you need to be conscious of both elements while differentiating your playing. By being aware of these differences, your saxophone tenuto and accent will become musically convincing.
- Step 1: Understand the types of staccato. Learn that there are many varieties, including staccato with lingering resonance, upward-launched staccato, and sharply stopped staccato
- Step 2: Sense the mood of the music. Feel whether the piece is slow, energetic, or soft in atmosphere, and select the appropriate staccato accordingly
- Step 3: Be conscious of air speed and quality. Develop the ability to use soft air for staccato with lingering resonance, fast and sharp air input for upward-launched staccato, and the sensation of instantly stopping the air for sharply stopped staccato
- Step 4: Be conscious of weight and degree of emphasis in tenuto. Use awareness of block-like airflow for heavy tenuto, and play just short of an accent for emphasized tenuto
- Step 5: Adjust the degree of swell in accent. Use an image of a sudden swell for strong accents, and adjust the degree of swell for lighter accents
- Step 6: Listen to your own sound and find the right balance. It is important to listen to your own playing and find the appropriate balance, such as the boundary between tenuto and accent
- Step 7: Practice consistently. Practice differentiating articulations across various pieces and phrases, and develop the habit of sensing the mood of the music and choosing accordingly
Conclusion
In saxophone performance, the ability to differentiate articulations is an essential technique for expanding your expressive range. Staccato, tenuto, and accent each come in many varieties that must be adapted to the mood of the piece and the context of the phrase. Staccato includes types with lingering resonance, those launched upward, and those sharply stopped, each carrying a different musical meaning. By being conscious of weight and degree of emphasis in tenuto, and adjusting the degree of swell in accent, your saxophone expressiveness will improve. What is particularly important is being conscious of the speed and quality of your airflow when differentiating articulations. By developing the habit of sensing the mood of the music and choosing accordingly, your saxophone performance will become dramatically more expressive and musically convincing.
