Edith Cowan University

Research Online
Theses : Honours Theses

2013

Utilizing classical saxophone articulation

techniques in jazz performance
Jeremy Trezona
Edith Cowan University

Recommended Citation
Trezona, J. (2013). Utilizing classical saxophone articulation techniques in jazz performance. Retrieved from http://ro.ecu.edu.au/
theses_hons/73

This Thesis is posted at Research Online.

http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/73
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! !
  
 
 
UTILISING  CLASSICAL  SAXOPHONE  ARTICULATION  TECHNIQUES  
IN  JAZZ  PERFORMANCE  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
by  
Jeremy  Trezona  
 
Student  No:  10042684  
 
 
 
Bachelor  of  Music  (Honours)  
 
Western  Australian  Academy  of  Performing  Arts  
Edith  Cowan  University  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
November  2012  
 
 
Supervised  by  Dr.  Matthew  Styles  
   ii  

Copyright  and  access  declaration  

 
 

I  certify  that  this  thesis  does  not,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge  and  belief:  

(i) incorporate  without  acknowledgment  any  material  previously  

submitted  for  a  degree  or  diploma  in  any  institution  of  higher  
education;  

(ii) contain  any  material  previously  published  or  written  by  another  
person  except  where  due  reference  is  made  in  the  text;  or  

(iii) contain  any  defamatory  material  

Signed...........................................................................................  

Dated.............................................................................................  

   
   iii  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  
 
 
 
Firstly,  I  wish  to  thank  Dr  Matthew  Styles  for  supervising  this  dissertation.  Dr  
Styles’  guidance  has  been  invaluable  throughout  the  entire  research  and  writing  
process,  and  assisted  me  greatly  in  shaping  the  project.  Secondly,  my  sincerest  
thanks  to  George  Garzone,  for  graciously  giving  up  his  time  for  the  interview  in  
this  paper.  George’s  insight  into  the  field  of  articulation  has  been  truly  
invaluable,  and  greatly  contributed  to  my  research.  Many  thanks  also  to  the  staff  
at  the  Western  Australian  Academy  of  Performing  Arts  for  their  expertise  and  
guidance  throughout  my  Bachelor  of  Music  (Honours)  course.  Finally,  thank  you  
to  my  parents,  Kevin  and  Bonny,  for  your  never-­‐ending  love  and  support.  
   
   iv  

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  

 
 
INTRODUCTION                                                                                                                                                                                                                            1  
 
 
CHAPTER  
 
I. Fundamental  Differences  Between  Jazz  and  
Classical  Articulation                                                                                                                                                  6  
   
 
II. Established  Approaches  to  Classical  Articulation                                      11  
 
 
III. Joe  Allard  –  Bridging  the  Gap  Between  Jazz  and    
Classical  Traditions                                                                                                                                                    18  
 
 
IV. Applications  of  Classical  Techniques  in  Jazz    
Performance                                                                                                                                                                              22  
 
 
V. George  Garzone  –  The  ‘No-­‐Tongue’  Approach  to    
Articulation                                                                                                                                                                                  27  
 
 
CONCLUSION                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  30  
 
 
APPENDIX  
       
Interview  with  George  Garzone                                                                                                        32    
 
 
 
REFERENCES                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  38  
 
 
 
 
 
   1  

INTRODUCTION  
 
 
In  speech,  articulation  is  key  to  delivering  a  clear  message.  Not  only  does  it  
provide  clarity  in  one’s  words,  articulation  is  vital  for  imparting  character  in  a  
conversation.  Conversation  itself  constitutes  a  form  of  improvisation,  and  as  
Charles  Edmund  writes:  
 
The  spontaneous  nature  of  spoken  conversation  is  analogous  to  that  of  jazz  
performance.1  
 
In  a  musical  context,  articulation  may  be  defined  as  the  art  of  note  grouping  by  
the  use  of  legato  and  staccato.2  When  investigating  the  practical  application  of  
saxophone  articulation,  two  indispensible  components  must  be  considered:      
 
1) The  physical  process  utilised  to  produce  the  articulation;  and  
 
2) The  stylistic  implementation  of  the  articulation.  
 
Overall  mastery  in  articulation  therefore  cannot  be  achieved  without  proficiency  
in  these  two  very  unique  skill  sets,  presenting  a  significant  challenge  to  the  
aspiring  musician.    It  should  be  noted  however,  that  the  relationship  between  
these  components  is  not  entirely  mutually  exclusive.  In  short,  the  musician’s  
ability  to  physically  execute  the  desired  articulations  will  always  influence  their  
stylistic  performance.  On  the  saxophone,  the  physical  process  of  articulating  is  
achieved  primarily  through  a  technique  known  as  ‘tonguing’.  As  Kyle  Horch  
writes  in  The  Cambridge  Companion  to  the  Saxophone:  
 
The  technique  is  quite  simple:  a  spot  very  close  to,  but  not  absolutely  on,  
the  tip  of  the  tongue  (the  same  spot  used  when  pronouncing  the  syllable  
DAH  against  the  roof  of  the  mouth)  touches  the  tip  of  the  reed  just  at  the  

                                                                                                               
1  David  Charles  Edmund,  "The  effect  of  articulation  study  on  stylistic  expression  in  high  school  musicians'  jazz  

performance"  (2009),  12.  

2  Larry  Teal,  The  Art  of  Saxophone  Playing    (Summy-­‐Birchard  Inc.,  1963),  87.  
   2  

moment  the  airflow  begins,  and  comes  away  again,  allowing  the  reed  to  
vibrate  freely  during  the  sustain  period  of  the  note.3  
 
With  stylistic  expression  an  indispensible  component  of  jazz  performance,  one  
may  expect  to  find  a  multitude  of  resources  available  on  jazz  articulation.  As  
some  scholars  have  pointed  out,  there  are  in  fact  very  few  resources  on  the  
subject,  and  fewer  still  when  considering  those  related  to  the  saxophone.4  5  One  
telling  example  of  this  is  evidenced  by  David  Baker’s  widely  regarded  method  
text  ‘Jazz  Improvisation’,  in  which  (of  a  126  page  book)  Baker  dedicated  less  than  
half  a  page  to  articulation.6  Jazz  saxophonists  have  instead  traditionally  relied  on  
developing  articulation  skills  aurally,7  and  whilst  effective  in  understanding  
stylistic  intricacies,  this  method  cannot  directly  address  the  placement  of  the  
tongue  in  the  oral  cavity  that  can  affect  efficiency  of  articulation.  Many  jazz  
educators  agree  that  saxophonists  require  more  concrete  direction  in  
articulation.8  9  10  
 
Perhaps  the  most  daunting  task  of  the  jazz  saxophonist  studying  articulation  is  to  
understand  the  tonguing  action  itself.  Saxophone  students  seem  to  have  to  
approximate  the  articulations  as  heard  on  jazz  records  and  therefore  may  find  it  
problematic  to  accurately  replicate  the  sounds  being  produced.  The  problem  is  
further  compounded  by  the  fact  that  the  tonguing  action  itself  is  hard  to  explain.  
It  can  be  difficult  for  teachers  to  point  to  their  oral  cavity  to  explain  the  physical  
processes  involved  in  varying  articulations.11  
 
For  the  jazz  saxophonist,  seemingly  the  next  reasonable  step  in  developing  
articulation  technique  is  to  investigate  the  instrument’s  classical  tradition.  
During  the  1930’s,  40’s,  and  50’s  a  small  but  prominent  group  of  classical  

                                                                                                               
3  Kyle  Horch,  The  Cambridge  Campanion  to  the  Saxophone,  ed.  Richard  Ingham  (Cambridge:  Cambridge  University  Press,  
1998),  82.  
4  Edmund,  "The  effect  of  articulation  study  on  stylistic  expression  in  high  school  musicians'  jazz  performance,"  17.  
5  Jill  Sullivan,  "The  Effects  of  Syllabic  Articulation  Instruction  on  Woodwind  Articulation  Accuracy,"  Contributions  to  Music  

Education  33,  no.  1  (2006):  2.  

6  David  Baker,  Jazz  Improvisation,  2nd  ed.  (Van  Nuys:  Alfred  Publishing  Co.  Inc.,  1983).  
7  Edmund,  "The  effect  of  articulation  study  on  stylistic  expression  in  high  school  musicians'  jazz  performance,"  8.  
8  Sullivan,  "The  Effects  of  Syllabic  Articulation  Instruction  on  Woodwind  Articulation  Accuracy,"  2.  
9  Edmund,  "The  effect  of  articulation  study  on  stylistic  expression  in  high  school  musicians'  jazz  performance,"  17.  
10  George  Garzone,  "Interview  by  Jeremy  Trezona,"  (2012).  
11  Sullivan,  "The  Effects  of  Syllabic  Articulation  Instruction  on  Woodwind  Articulation  Accuracy,"  2.  
   3  

saxophonists  established  themselves  as  pedagogues  on  the  instrument.12  These  

included  Marcel  Mule,  Larry  Teal,  Sigard  Rascher,  Jean-­‐Marie  Londeix  and  Joseph  
Allard.13  Far  from  advocating  a  single  approach  to  articulation,  many  classical  
practitioners  recommend  experimenting  with  differing  articulation  techniques  
to  find  which  is  most  suited  to  the  performer  both  physiologically  and  
stylistically.14  15  16  17  18    
 
Unlike  in  the  jazz  tradition,  however,  these  techniques  tend  to  be  specific  and  
well  documented.    
 
As  Jean-­‐Marie  Londeix  writes:  
 
It  must  not  be  thought  that  the  restrictive  choice  of  types  of  attacks  is  the  
sole  prerogative  of  that  which  we  call  ‘classical’  music.  This  is  not  the  case.  
Indeed,   we   may   note   that   in   jazz,   for   example,   the   choice   of   attacks  
inherent  to  a  particular  type  of  articulation  characterizing  ‘the  style’  is  just  
as  crucial  and  decisive.  
 
Nevertheless,  the  ‘classical’  diction  seems  more  rigorous.  Perhaps  because  
it   is   more   meticulously   polished,   and   of   an   older   and   stricter   tradition,   it  
demands   not   only   a   similarity   of   attacks   in   all   registers   of   each   instrument,  
but   calls   for   a   severely   limited   choice   of   attacks,   codified   and   parsimonious  
(by  comparison  with  the  large  number  of  possible  attacks  available  to  all  of  
the  instruments  together).19  
 
 
In  consideration  of  Londeix’s  comments,  an  important  question  arises  for  the  
jazz  saxophonist:  Can  the  articulation  techniques  advocated  by  classical  
pedagogues  be  appropriately  and  effectively  utilised  in  a  jazz  context?  Many  jazz  
saxophonists  may  contend  on  grounds  of  stylistic  differences  that  the  
articulation  techniques  of  the  classical  diction  are  simply  unsuitable  for  jazz  
performance,  particularly  when  relating  to  improvisation.  Yet,  as  mentioned  

                                                                                                               
12  Debra  Jean  McKim,  "Joseph  Allard:  His  contributions  to  saxophone  pedagogy  and  performance"  (Dissertation,  

University  of  Northern  Colorado,  2000),  1.  

13  Ibid.  
14  Kenneth  Douse,  "The  Saxophone,"  The  Instrumentalist,  no.  September  -­‐  October  (1949).  
15  Glen  Gillis,  "Spotlight  on  Woodwinds:  Sound  Concepts  for  the  Saxophonist  (Part  2),"  Canadian  Winds:  The  Journal  of  the  

Canadian  Band  Association  7,  no.  1  (2008).  

16  Horch,  The  Cambridge  Campanion  to  the  Saxophone:  82.  
17  Teal,  The  Art  of  Saxophone  Playing:  80.  
18  George  E.  Waln,  "Saxophone  Playing,"  The  Instrumentalist,  no.  March  (1965).  
19  Jean-­‐Marie  Londeix,  Hello!  Mr.  Sax,  ou,  Paramètres  du  saxophone    (Paris:  Alphonse  Leduc  &  Cie,  1989),  88.  
   4  

earlier,  jazz  educators  continue  to  note  a  general  deficiency  in  the  articulation  of  
jazz  saxophone  students,  even  in  tertiary  levels.20  21  22  As  prominent  jazz  
saxophonist  and  educator  George  Garzone  explained  in  an  interview  conducted  
for  this  paper:  
 
I   think   most   of   my   career   was   based   off   of   articulation   –   teaching   these  
guys  [jazz  saxophone  students]  how  to  use  it  because  no  one  really  knows  
how   to   do   it   –   just   like   what   you   were   saying   [earlier]   and   why   you’re  
writing  your  thesis  –  no  one  really  talked  about  the  fine  line  in  articulation.  
The   proof   is   in   listening   to   these   people   play.   Over-­‐using   articulation,   or  
using   it   in   the   wrong   places   –   it   upsets   the   rhythm   of   what   they’re  
playing.23  
 
 
Widely  known  for  both  his  unique  ‘no-­‐tongue’  approach  to  articulation  and  the  
long  list  of  saxophone  luminaries  that  have  sought  his  tutelage  (including  
Seamus  Blake,  Joshua  Redman,  Donny  McCaslin  and  Mark  Turner)24,  Garzone  
also  espouses  the  importance  of  classical  study  for  the  jazz  saxophonist.  When  
asked  about  his  view  on  a  jazz  saxophonist  studying  classical  technique,  Garzone  
replied:  
 
Absolutely.   I   think   the   likelihood   of   a   saxophone   player   understanding   jazz  
is  going  to  be  much  greater  coming  from  his  background  in  classical,  rather  
than  someone  who  just  goes  straight  into  jazz.  It’s  fine,  you  can  do  that  [go  
straight   into   jazz],   but   if   you’ve   had   that   discipline   of   studying   classical   you  
know  how  intense  it  is    -­‐  and  that’s  me.25  
 
 
Given  that  such  prominent  jazz  saxophonists  as  Michael  Brecker,  Kenny  Garrett,  
Branford  Marsalis,  Eddie  Daniels  and  David  Liebman  have  all  sought  classical  
instruction  in  their  careers,  there  is  a  clear  precedent  for  the  jazz  saxophonist  to  
investigate  the  classical  tradition  as  a  means  of  enhancing  technical  ability.    This  
paper  therefore,  seeks  to  investigate  the  articulation  techniques  advocated  by  
                                                                                                               
20  Scott  James  Zimmer,  "A  fiber  optic  investigation  of  articulation  differences  between  selected  saxophonists  proficient  in  

both  jazz  and  orchestral  performance  styles"  (2002),  24-­‐25.  

21  Joel  Patrick  Vanderheyden,  "Approaching  the  classical  style:  a  resource  for  jazz  saxophonists"  (Dissertation,  The  

University  of  Iowa,  2010),  43.  

22  Garzone,  "Interview  by  Jeremy  Trezona."  
23  Ibid.  
24  ———,  "George  Garzone  on  Articulating  with  8th  Notes,"  in  An  In-­‐Studio  Interview  with  George  Garzone  (USA:  Rico  

Reeds,  2010).  
25  ———,  "Interview  by  Jeremy  Trezona."  
   5  

the  most  prominent  classical  pedagogues  in  the  field,  and  assess  their  potential  
utilisation  in  jazz  performance.    
 
   
   6  

CHAPTER  I:  FUNDAMENTAL  DIFFERENCES  BETWEEN  JAZZ  AND  

CLASSICAL  ARTICULATION  
 
 
When  compared  with  other  orchestral  instruments,  the  saxophone  is  a  
remarkably  recent  invention.  Patented  in  1846  by  Adolphe  Sax,  the  saxophone  
had  been  initially  designed  to  combine  the  agility  of  a  woodwind  instrument  
with  the  power  and  projection  of  brass.  26  27  Despite  strong  interest  from  
composers  such  as  Berlioz  and  Rossini  shortly  after  it’s  invention,28  the  
saxophone  would  not  become  a  permanent  fixture  in  the  orchestra,  instead  
finding  it’s  place  in  the  classical  tradition  through  works  specifically  
commissioned  for  the  instrument,  along  with  enthusiastic  adoption  by  a  growing  
tide  of  military  and  wind  bands.29  It  would  take  until  the  early  20th  century  until  
the  saxophone  became  popularised  amongst  the  wider  public,  however  early  
adoptions  in  the  United  States  by  vaudeville  acts  did  little  to  promote  the  true  
capabilities  of  the  instrument.  For  many  in  the  early  20th  century,  both  in  
professional  and  public  spheres,  the  saxophone  was  viewed  as  somewhat  of  a  
novelty  instrument.30  As  Larry  Teal  explains:  
 
From   1915-­‐1919,   it   was   possible   that   a   typical   saxophonist   might   have  
purchased   an   instrument   on   Thursday   and   by   Saturday   that   same   week  
made  35  cents  on  a  vaudeville  stage.  The  requirements  for  securing  work  
as   a   saxophonist   were   low   because   there   were   almost   no   examples   of   what  
the  instrument  was  capable  of.31  
 
Although  vaudeville  was  seen  by  most  as  simply  a  source  of  entertainment,  
ragtime’s  early  associations  with  both  jazz  and  vaudeville  may  have  contributed  
to  those  in  classical  circles  considering  jazz  as  an  extension  of  this  performance  
style.  Perhaps  for  a  similar  reason,  many  classical  pedagogues  such  as  Marcel  
Mule  viewed  the  popularisation  of  the  saxophone  in  jazz  music  with  a  hint  of  
regret:  
 
                                                                                                               
26  Claus  &  Ventzke  Raumburger,  Karl,  "Saxophone,"  in  The  Grove  Dictionary  of  Music  and  Musicians,  ed.  Stanley  Sadie  
(London:  Macmillan  Publishers  Limited,  2001),  352.  
27  Vanderheyden,  "Approaching  the  classical  style:  a  resource  for  jazz  saxophonists,"  3.  
28  Michael  Segell,  The  Devil's  Horn    (Farrar,  Straus  and  Giroux,  2005),  15.  
29  Vanderheyden,  "Approaching  the  classical  style:  a  resource  for  jazz  saxophonists,"  3.  
30  Ibid.,  4.  
31  Michael  Eric  Hester,  "A  study  of  the  saxophone  soloists  performing  with  the  John  Philip  Sousa  Band,  1893-­‐1930"  

(9620397,  The  University  of  Arizona,  1995),  57.  

   7  

As   you   undoubtedly   know,   I   have   tried   to   prove   that   the   saxophone,   just  
like   the   other   instruments,   could   have   its   place   in   the   classical   symphony  
orchestra   and   that   it   possessed   all   the   qualities   needed   for   it   to   be   taken  
seriously,  that  it  could  play  as  soloist  with  the  piano  or  orchestra,  just  like  a  
violin  or  ‘cello.  
 
In  this,  it  seems  to  me,  I  have  remained  completely  in  agreement  with  the  
ideas  of  the  inventor,  Adolphe  Sax,  who  at  the  time  when  he  introduced  the  
saxophone,  around  1840,  certainly  had  not  foreseen  the  coming  of  jazz.  
 
I   think   that   my   conception   of   the   saxophone   is   in   no   wise   original   or  
unusual,   for   it   seems   to   me   quite   normal   to   wish   to   serve   the   cause   of  
music,  whatever  the  instrument  may  be.  Isn’t  this  the  case  for  the  clarinet,  
or   the   trumpet,   or   the   trombone,   or   the   guitar,   all   of   which,   however,   are  
much  used  in  jazz?32  
 
Unsurprisingly,  these  two  traditions  of  saxophone  performance  developed  
somewhat  independently  of  each  other  for  the  majority  of  the  early  to  mid  20th  
century.  Whilst  figures  such  as  Mule  strived  to  promote  the  saxophone  as  an  
orchestral  instrument  worthy  of  inclusion  in  conservatories  across  Europe,33  
jazz  saxophone  developed  almost  entirely  as  an  aural  tradition  with  very  little  
formalisation  by  comparison.34  For  jazz  saxophonists,  stylistic  intricacies  forged  
on  the  bandstand  soon  influenced  instrumental  technique,  and  as  Stephen  Duke  
explains,  the  performance  space  itself  may  have  played  a  key  role  in  developing  
articulation  style:  
 
The   conceptual   difference   between   classical   and   jazz   is   that   silent  
ambience   that   does   not   exist   in   jazz.   So   when   you’re   playing   jazz,   you’re  
often  playing  into  a  microphone,  there  is  a  drummer  playing,  a  bass  player  
playing,   and   there   is   always   some   other   sound   happening.   People   are  
drinking,  ordering  food,  and  there  is  always  noise  going  on.  As  I  tell  people,  
one   sound   you   will   never   hear   at   Symphony   Center   in   Chicago   is   ‘Excuse  
me,  may  I  have  another  drink  here?’  You  never  hear  that  sound,  and  if  you  
do   you’re   probably   getting   kicked   out   of   there!   The   reason   for   that   is  
because   of   the   silent   ambience.   There   is   an   incredible   amount   of   time,  
money  and  research  spent  on  the  acoustics  for  halls  that  orchestras  play  in.  
Compare  that  with  your  typical  jazz  club  where  they  have  to  add  the  reverb  
into   the   amplification.   So,   we’re   not   even   talking   about   the   same  
environment   that   they’re   playing   in,   which   is   another   big   part   of   how   the  
two   styles   had   to   have   been   shaped.   Look   at   the   difference   in   concept  
between   an   orchestra   hall   and   a   jazz   club.   Now   you   have   some   idea   of   why  
the  attacks  and  releases  are  so  different  in  each  style.35  
 
                                                                                                               
32  Marcel  Mule,  "The  Saxophone,"  The  Instrumentalist,  no.  March  (1959).  
33  Ibid.  
34  Edmund,  "The  effect  of  articulation  study  on  stylistic  expression  in  high  school  musicians'  jazz  performance,"  8.  
35  Vanderheyden,  "Approaching  the  classical  style:  a  resource  for  jazz  saxophonists,"  42.  
   8  

As  Duke  makes  clear  in  his  comments,  the  ambient  silence  of  the  concert  hall  
lends  itself  to  a  kind  of  technical  precision  that  may  never  be  fully  realised  if  
performed  in  a  typical  jazz  club.  By  comparison,  in  the  same  article  that  he  
expresses  regret  for  the  public’s  single-­‐mindedness  in  failing  to  associate  the  
saxophone  with  music  other  than  jazz,  Marcel  Mule  expresses  his  own  desire  for  
the  manner  in  which  the  instrument  should  be  performed:  
 
Particularly,   one   has   to   avoid   anything   which   might   make   it   seem   vulgar,  
one   must   strive   for   a   noble,   moving   sound   quality,   and   observe   the   most  
scrupulous  exactitude  in  pitch.  In  the  matter  of  expression,  nothing  must  be  
left  to  chance.  
 
The   saxophonist   must   always   seek   to   take   his   inspiration   from   the   string  
instruments,   and   thereby   justify   what   a   certain   Paris   music   critic   once  
wrote  about  it:  “the  saxophone,  this  cello  of  the  brasses.36  
 
Yet  for  all  the  talk  of  the  demands  of  precision  in  the  classical  genre,  could  a  real  
difference  continue  to  exist  between  the  articulation  ability  of  modern  jazz  and  
classical  saxophonists?  It  should  be  noted  of  course,  that  since  the  University  of  
North  Texas  became  the  first  university  to  offer  a  Jazz  Studies  degree  in  1947,37  
jazz  has  been  widely  taught  in  universities  worldwide,  becoming  a  popular  
stepping-­‐stone  in  the  early  stages  of  many  young  musician’s  careers.  In  the  
words  of  Edwards,  Griffin  and  O’Meally  in  their  2004  book  Uptown  Conversation:  
The  New  Jazz  Studies:  
 
One  of  the  wondrous  oddities  of  our  current  moment  is  that  the  best  advice  
to   a   serious   jazz   player   in   training   is   not   to   drop   out   and   study   in   New  
York’s   nightclubs   but   to   attend   one   of   the   several   conservatories   where  
excellent   jazz   instruction,   by   accomplished   jazz   artists,   is   richly  
available.”38  
 
 
Despite  the  changing  nature  of  jazz  education,  perhaps  one  should  not  
underestimate  the  ongoing  influence  of  the  aural  tradition  in  modern  jazz  
instruction.  As  Scott  Zimmer  revealed  in  a  2002  study  utilising  fiber  optics  to  

                                                                                                               
36  Mule,  "The  Saxophone."  
37  Edmund,  "The  effect  of  articulation  study  on  stylistic  expression  in  high  school  musicians'  jazz  performance,"  28.  
38  B.  Edwards,  Griffin,  F.,  &  O’Meally,  R.  ,  Uptown  Conversation:  The  New  Jazz  Studies    (New  York:  Columbia  University  

Press,  2004),  1.  

   9  

study  selective  saxophonists’  tonguing  action,  clear  distinctions  in  articulation  

technique  between  jazz  and  classical  styles  are  still  prevalent:  
 
The   exploratory   study   suggests   that,   generally,   more   tongue   surface   area  
touches   the   reed   in   jazz   articulation   than   in   orchestral   articulation.   Also,  
the  entire  tongue  appears  to  move  in  jazz  articulation,  while  the  tip  moves  
somewhat   more   independently   of   the   middle   and   back   of   the   tongue   in  
orchestral  articulation.39  
 
In  short,  results  of  the  study  tend  to  suggest  that  classical  performers  exert  more  
independence  over  their  tongue  than  their  jazz-­‐based  counterparts,  giving  credit  
to  both  Duke  and  Mule’s  comments.  As  jazz  educators  such  as  George  Garzone  
continue  to  teach,  an  over  use  of  the  tongue  when  articulating  can  lead  to  jazz  
performers  encountering  serious  problems  with  phrasing  and  rhythmic  
execution.40  According  to  Garzone,  failure  to  translate  aural  cues  into  an  
appropriate  physical  response  may  form  the  core  of  this  problem:  
 
When  people  over-­‐articulate,  it’s  for  two  reasons.  The  naïve  reason  is  they  
haven’t   been   told   that   they’re   over-­‐articulating,   and   the   even   more   naïve  
reason  is  that  they  haven’t  realised  that  they’re  over-­‐articulating.  Students  
would   often   come   to   me   not   realising   they   had   this   problem   and   I   would  
ask   if   they’d   even   heard   themselves   playing.   Often   their   response   would   be  
‘Well  I’ve  listened  to  Michael  Brecker  and  he  articulates  like  this’  to  which  I  
would  reply  ‘Michael  definitely  doesn’t  articulate  like  this’.  They  hear  it  as  a  
misconception.  They  hear  it  one  way,  but  go  at  it  from  another  angle,  which  
is   not   what   is   happening   at   that   moment.   That’s   when   I   started   to   doubt  
how  students  hear  these  sounds;  they  don’t  process  it  the  way  it’s  actually  
being  played.41  
 
 
The  problems  many  saxophone  students  experience  when  attempting  to  develop  
articulation  technique  aurally  are  surely  compounded  by  a  lack  of  printed  
resources  on  the  subject.  In  research  conducted  for  this  paper,  this  author  could  
find  only  one  item  of  print  material  outside  of  university  academia  that  
specifically  related  to  jazz  saxophone  articulation  –  a  supplement  to  a  1998  
volume  of  the  Saxophone  Journal,  authored  by  University  of  Kentucky  Professor  
Miles  Osland.    In  his  supplement,  Osland  lists  7  different  phrasing  examples  of  

                                                                                                               
39  Zimmer,  "A  fiber  optic  investigation  of  articulation  differences  between  selected  saxophonists  proficient  in  both  jazz  

and  orchestral  performance  styles,"  24-­‐25.  

40  Garzone,  "Interview  by  Jeremy  Trezona."  
41  Ibid.  
   10  

articulation  cells  being  utilised  over  8th  note  lines.  The  supplement  however,  still  
does  not  address  or  clarify  the  technical  process  of  tonguing,  instead  serving  as  
an  example  of  stylistic  implementation.  As  most  jazz  saxophonists  could  surely  
profess,  the  current  state  of  jazz  articulation  education  seems  to  revolve  around  
the  ‘back-­‐tonguing’  technique  (often  simply  referred  to  as  ‘jazz  articulation’)42,  a  
process  that  involves  articulating  the  up-­‐beats  of  a  given  8th  note  line.43  
 
Fig.  1  –  Notated  back-­‐tonguing  technique.  

 
 
Given  the  multi-­‐faceted  nature  of  modern  jazz  music,  a  point  of  contention  when  
considering  back-­‐tonguing  is  the  technique’s  ongoing  relevance  to  modern  
musical  situations.  In  the  words  of  George  Garzone:  
 
In  a  certain  period  in  time  like  the  40’s  and  50’s  they  were  using  that  kind  
of  articulation,  but  as  time  went  on  they  got  away  from  that.  I  think  for  the  
young   students   these   teachers   never   really   hip   them   to   progress,   and   as  
music  moved  on  it  went  forward  but  no  one  showed  them.44  
 
 
The  problems  students  encounter  when  pursuing  jazz  saxophone  articulation  
study  therefore  may  be  considered  twofold.  Firstly,  there  is  a  lack  of  information  
compiled  on  the  differing  implementations  of  jazz  articulation  –  i.e.  which  notes  
may  be  accented  in  a  given  musical  phrase,  and  secondly,  there  is  a  lack  of  
information  afforded  to  jazz  saxophonists  on  the  tonguing  process  itself,  
particularly  those  that  could  be  considered  unique  or  especially  important  
within  the  jazz  genre.  The  back-­‐tonguing  technique,  whilst  vital  to  understanding  
swing  based  jazz  music,  cannot  sufficiently  address  the  deficiencies  in  these  two  
critical  areas.  
   

                                                                                                               
42  Chris  Farr,  "How  To  Execute  Jazz  Articulation,"  (USA:  Andreas  Eastman  Winds,  2012).  
43  Miles  Osland,  "Jazz  Eighth  Note  Phrasing  Cells,"  Saxophone  Journal  22,  no.  6  (1998).  
44  Garzone,  "Interview  by  Jeremy  Trezona."  
   11  

CHAPTER  II:  ESTABLISHED  APPROACHES  TO  CLASSICAL  

ARTICULATION  
 
 
Contrary  to  a  popular  assumption,  there  is  no  singular,  ‘correct’  method  of  
classical  saxophone  articulation,  as  the  procedures  advocated  for  tonguing  often  
vary  widely  between  teachers  and  performers.45  46  It  is  vital  therefore,  to  
investigate  several  of  the  most  prominent  approaches  to  classical  articulation  
technique,  for  in  the  words  of  Larry  Teal:  
 
An  expert  performer  will  usually  base  his  advice  on  the  system  that  he  has  
found  most  successful  for  his  personal  needs.47  
 
 
Often  referred  to  as  the  father  of  American  saxophone,  Larry  Teal’s  legacy  on  
saxophone  performance  was  codified  with  the  release  of  his  comprehensive  
instructional  text  The  Art  of  Saxophone  Playing  in  1963.  As  the  first  full  time  
professor  of  saxophone  at  any  American  university48,  Teal’s  text  has  been  widely  
quoted  and  seen  as  highly  authoritative  on  the  subject  of  saxophone  techniques  
and  performance.  For  the  jazz  saxophonist,  an  engaging  feature  of  Teal’s  text  is  
to  consider  the  placement  of  the  tongue  during  the  tonguing  process.  Teal  
suggests  three  unique  placements:49  
 
1) Tip  of  tongue  to  tip  of  reed  
2) Slightly  back  of  tip  of  tongue  to  tip  of  reed,  or    
3) Anchoring  the  tip  of  the  tongue  on  the  lower  teeth  and  bending  the  
tongue  to  the  tip  of  the  reed  
 
According  to  Teal,  performers  with  a  large  oral  cavity  and  short  tongue  will  find  
that  tip-­‐to-­‐tip  tonguing  is  advantageous,  whilst  if  the  cavity  is  small  and  the  
                                                                                                               
45  Sullivan,  "The  Effects  of  Syllabic  Articulation  Instruction  on  Woodwind  Articulation  Accuracy,"  2.  
46  Waln,  "Saxophone  Playing."  
47  Teal,  The  Art  of  Saxophone  Playing:  79.  
48  "Honorary  Member:  Laurence  (Larry)  Teal,"  North  American  Saxophone  Alliance,  

http://www.saxalliance.org/honorary-­‐members/laurence-­‐larry-­‐teal.  
49  ———,  The  Art  of  Saxophone  Playing:  79.  
   12  

tongue  long,  the  third  method  is  likely  to  be  preferable.  The  majority  of  players  
however,  find  that  the  best  results  are  produced  by  touching  the  tip  of  the  reed  
with  the  top  part  of  the  tongue  at  a  point  slightly  back  from  its  tip.50  An  
important  feature  of  Teal’s  methodology  is  the  small  portion  of  the  tongue  that  is  
actually  required  when  articulating,  contrary  to  the  overuse  frequently  
demonstrated  by  jazz  students.51  52  As  Teal  explains,  the  tongue  should  not  serve  
as  an  air  valve,  but  instead  simply  prevent  the  reed  from  vibrating.53  In  this  way,  
it  matters  little  how  much  area  of  the  tongue  makes  contact  with  the  reed,  for  
even  a  small  area  is  sufficient  to  regulate  the  reed’s  vibration.    In  words  that  
validate  the  results  of  Zimmer’s  fiber  optic  study,  Teal  stresses:  
 
A   correct   tonguing   stroke   requires   that   the   front   portion   of   the   tongue   be  
controlled   independently   of   any   of   the   other   factors   which   make   up   the  
embouchure.54  
 
Teal  develops  these  fundamentals  of  tongue  placement  further  by  introducing  
three  primary  syllables  for  saxophone  tone  separation:  ‘too’,  ‘doo’  and  ‘la’.  
Regardless  of  genre,  most  saxophonists  are  likely  to  recognise  the  T  syllable  (e.g.  
‘too’  or  ‘ta’)  as  their  primary  tonguing  stoke,  as  it  is  readily  taught  to  students  as  
a  means  of  producing  a  clear,  stable  attack.  ‘Doo’,  whilst  not  used  as  extensively,  
allows  for  a  softer  and  more  connected  style,  just  as  the  pronunciation  of  the  
word  indicates.  The  ‘doo’  syllable  requires  that  the  tongue  be  in  a  slightly  flatter  
and  more  rounded  shape  at  the  tip,  creating  a  softer  attack.  Of  the  three  syllables  
Teal  prescribes  however,  the  ‘la’  syllable  seems  the  most  elusive.  As  he  explains:  
 
The  “la-­‐la-­‐la”  type,  while  seldom  used,  is  a  valuable  acquisition  for  certain  
subtle  phrases.  The  tongue  merely  brushes  the  reed  tip  and  the  result  is  the  
lightest   possible   separation   –   the   effect   is   really   felt   rather   than   actually  
heard.  It  must  be  an  extremely  delicate  stroke  and  requires  much  practice  
to   control   but   is   used   by   advanced   players   to   artistic   advantage.   Some  
artists  go  so  far  to  touch  but  one  side  of  the  reed.55  
 

                                                                                                               
50  Ibid.,  79-­‐80.  
51  Garzone,  "George  Garzone  on  Articulating  with  8th  Notes."  
52  Zimmer,  "A  fiber  optic  investigation  of  articulation  differences  between  selected  saxophonists  proficient  in  both  jazz  
and  orchestral  performance  styles,"  24-­‐25.  
53  Teal,  The  Art  of  Saxophone  Playing:  79.  
54  Ibid.,  82.  
55  Ibid.  
   13  

When  considering  the  application  of  this  technique  in  jazz  performance,  one  can  
immediately  draw  comparisons  with  the  ‘tongue  muting’  technique  employed  by  
saxophonists  of  the  swing  era  and  beyond.  Whilst  rarely  (if  ever)  formalised,  this  
particular  device  is  evidenced  extensively  in  the  playing  of  saxophonists  such  as  
Sonny  Rollins  and  Johnny  Griffin.56  In  Russell  Peterson’s  account,  the  similarities  
with  Teal’s  description  are  uncanny:  
 
I  tend  to  do  lots  of  tongue  ‘muting’  as  I  call  it.  Again,  no  one  ever  taught  this  
to  me,  I  just  heard  guys  do  it  and  started  imitating.  I  put  a  bit  of  tongue  on  
the   corner   of   the   reed,   so   it’s   still   vibrating,   but   it’s   been   muted   a   bit.   When  
I  release  my  tongue,  I  get  a  nice,  fat  accent.57  
 
 
In  an  excerpt  below  of  Johnny  Griffin’s  solo  on  The  Way  You  Look  Tonight  from  
his  lauded  album  A  Blowin’  Session,  Griffin  employs  the  technique  to  ghost  a  
chromatic  style  passage  before  releasing  the  tongue  on  a  chord  tone  on  beat  one  
of  the  following  bar.  The  result  is  something  akin  to  a  mini  explosion,  as  the  
tension  built  tonally  during  the  muted  passage  is  released  with  a  heavy  accent  at  
a  significant  point  in  the  phrase,  both  harmonically  and  rhythmically.  
 
 
Fig.  2  –  Excerpt  of  Johnny  Griffin’s  solo  on  The  Way  You  Look  Tonight  (1:18),  from  
A  Blowin’  Session  (1957).  

 
 
Although  the  3  syllables  prescribed  by  Teal  open  up  new  tonal  possibilities  for  
the  saxophonist,  one  classical  pedagogue,  Jean-­‐Marie  Londeix,  takes  this  syllabic  
approach  to  articulation  several  steps  further.  In  his  book  Hello!  Mr.  Sax,  Ou,  
Paramètres  Du  Saxophone,  Londeix  identifies  three  perceptible  parts  of  the  tone:  
attack,  duration  and  ending.  For  Londeix,  the  two  transitory  components  –  the  

                                                                                                               
56  Garzone,  "Interview  by  Jeremy  Trezona."  
57  Vanderheyden,  "Approaching  the  classical  style:  a  resource  for  jazz  saxophonists,"  92.  
   14  

attack  and  ending,  are  particularly  significant.  For  each  of  these  transitory  
components,  Londeix  presents  a  table  containing  a  notated  example  of  the  
articulation,  a  name  for  the  technique,  a  graphical  representation  of  the  sound  
and  a  suggested  syllable  for  achieving  the  desired  articulation.    
 
Fig.  3  –  Transient  attack  of  the  sound,  Hello!  Mr.  Sax,  Ou,  Paramètres  Du  
Saxophone,  p.  92  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   15  

Fig.  4  –  Decay  transient  of  the  sound,  Hello!  Mr.  Sax,  Ou,  Paramètres  Du  
Saxophone,  p.94  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   16  

Although  there  are  many  more  subtle  variations  on  the  syllabic  approach  to  
articulation  advocated  by  classical  pedagogues  (syllables  include  tah,  ti,  di,  tu)58  
59  60,  one  can  be  almost  certain  that  to  date,  no  other  classical  pedagogue  has  

prescribed  a  more  thorough  method  for  approaching  the  process  of  articulation  
than  Londeix.  With  the  wide  variety  of  approaches  espoused  by  classical  
pedagogues,  one  may  wish  to  consider  the  validity  of  the  aforementioned  
techniques  in  the  jazz  genre.  The  reader  should  be  reminded  of  course,  about  the  
differing  objectives  of  the  two  traditions.  In  the  words  of  Larry  Teal:  
 
Use   of   the   word   “attack”   for   the   start   of   a   tone   implies   an   explosive   or  
forceful  assault  which,  except  in  isolated  instances,  has  no  place  in  artistic  
performance.61  
 
 
Here  is  surely  a  key  point  of  difference  between  jazz  and  classical  articulation,  
yet  one  standout  principle  that  classical  pedagogues  seem  to  unanimously  agree  
on  is  the  lightness  of  the  tonguing  action  that  is  required  to  achieve  articulation  
efficiency.  In  this,  saxophonists  may  find  a  concept  that  is  readily  transferrable  
into  jazz  performance.  As  Rick  VanMatre  explains:  
 
There  is  a  misconception  that  classical  tonguing  is  light  and  jazz  tonguing  is  
heavy,   but   that   only   applies   to   special   accents   or   cutoffs   in   jazz.   Most  
intermediate   and   beginning   jazz   saxophonists   need   to   work   on   getting  
their   tongue   lighter   on   the   reed   in   both   jazz   and   classical   playing.   In  
classical  music,  it  could  be  said  that  the  goal  is  to  have  as  little  of  the  tongue  
touch   as   little   of   the   reed   as   possible;   whereas   in   jazz;   having   more   of   a  
“blob”   of   tongue   touching   more   of   the   reed   is   probably   a   good   thing,   but  
only  if  it  can  be  done  in  an  extremely  light  way.62  
 
 
Whilst  some  jazz  instructors,  such  as  Garzone,  would  continue  to  point  out  that  
too  much  surface  area  of  the  tongue  is  undesirable  in  jazz  performance63;  
lightness  of  tonguing  stroke,  a  focus  on  tongue  placement  and  syllabic  choice  

                                                                                                               
58  Gillis,  "Spotlight  on  Woodwinds:  Sound  Concepts  for  the  Saxophonist  (Part  2)."  
59  Douse,  "The  Saxophone."  
60  Waln,  "Saxophone  Playing."  
61  Teal,  The  Art  of  Saxophone  Playing:  79.  
62  Vanderheyden,  "Approaching  the  classical  style:  a  resource  for  jazz  saxophonists,"  111.  
63  Garzone,  "George  Garzone  on  Articulating  with  8th  Notes."  
   17  

appear  to  be  the  key  considerations  to  be  taken  from  mainstream  classical  
pedagogy  when  approached  from  a  background  of  jazz  performance.  
   
   18  

CHAPTER  III:  JOE  ALLARD  –  BRIDGING  THE  GAP  BETWEEN  

CLASSICAL  AND  JAZZ  TRADITIONS  
 
With  almost  no  professional  saxophone  instruction  available  in  the  early  20th  
century,  most  of  the  prominent  saxophone  pedagogues  of  that  time  did  not  
possess  formal  university  or  conservatory  saxophone  training.64  As  a  result,  it  
became  common  practice  for  these  instructors  to  develop  their  own  pedagogical  
philosophies  that  they  passed  on  to  their  students  –  evidenced  in  part  by  the  
wide  variety  of  technical  approaches  advocated  on  articulation.  Of  these  
pedagogues,  perhaps  none  have  had  more  of  a  notable  impact  on  the  jazz  
tradition  than  Joseph  Allard.  As  a  performer  proficient  in  both  jazz  and  classical  
styles,65  Allard’s  unique  pedagogy  focused  intently  on  the  anatomical  aspects  of  
saxophone  performance.  As  one  former  student  of  Allard  recalls:  
 
I  never  studied  technique  with  Joe  for  a  minute.  Out  of  all  the  lessons  I  took,  
and   I   don’t   know   if   it   was   100   or   more   over   the   years,   they   were   all   just  
about   sound   production.   Mostly   about   anatomy.   That’s   what   Joe   teaches  
you;   constantly   reminding   you   about   the   anatomy   of   what   goes   on   when  
you’re   producing   a   sound,   what’s   happening   to   your   breathing,   and   your  
posture,  and  your  muscles,  and  your  jaw,  and  the  sense  that  you  have,  the  
sensation  in  your  voice  box.  It’s  just  amazing.66  
 
 
For  this  reason,  Allard’s  teachings  have  widely  transcended  genre,  attracting  
such  distinguished  students  as  Michael  Brecker,  Bob  Berg,  David  Liebman,  Eddie  
Daniels  and  Eric  Dolphy.67  Harvey  Pittel,  a  prominent  classical  performer  and  
former  student  of  Allard’s,  attributes  practically  his  entire  teaching  methodology  
to  Allard.68  Pittel,  in  turn,  has  taught  such  luminaries  as  Branford  Marsalis,  
Kenny  Garrett  and  Steve  Mohacey.69  This  unique  pedagogical  approach  by  Allard  
sets  his  teachings  apart  from  many  other  classical  instructors  of  the  time.  As  
former  student  Jay  Weinstein  illustrates  in  documenting  Allard’s  teachings:  

                                                                                                               
64  McKim,  "Joseph  Allard:  His  contributions  to  saxophone  pedagogy  and  performance,"  1.  
65  Ibid.,  3.  
66  Ibid.,  4.  
67  Ibid.,  28.  
68  "Harvey  Pittel  Presents  the  Saxophone  Teachings  of  the  Master,  Joe  Allard,"    (USA:  Andreas  Eastman  Winds,  2012).  
69  Harvey  Pittel,  "Harvey  Pittel  -­‐  Official  Website,"    http://www.harveypittel.com/launch.html.  
   19  

The  beauty  of  Joe’s  principles  is  that  they  combine  the  physical  tools  that  
nature  has  given  us  with  the  laws  of  physics,  as  they  relate  to  the  sound  
production.  The  technical  explanations  are  as  simple  as  possible  and  you  
will  see  specific  reasonings  behind  the  ideas.  This  is  in  sharp  contrast  to  
different  schools  of  thought  that  have  no  true  basis  other  than  “this  is  the  
way  I  do  it”  or  “this  is  what  I’ve  found  to  work.”70  
 
 
Allard  taught  that  articulation  was  an  indispensible  expressive  device,  in  the  
same  camp  as  dynamics  and  phrasing.71  According  to  his  methodology,  the  key  to  
developing  effortless  articulation  technique  is  predicated  upon  the  tongue’s  
position  in  the  oral  cavity.  In  this,  two  outcomes  must  be  achieved:  firstly,  the  
tongue  must  be  as  relaxed  as  possible,  and  secondly,  the  tongue  must  be  placed  
in  a  high  position  in  the  mouth,  allowing  for  ease  of  the  tonguing  process.  Allard  
formulated  this  concept  based  on  his  own  study  into  the  physiology  of  the  oral  
cavity,  and  the  natural  function  of  the  tongue.72  Allard  noted  that  when  in  a  
relaxed  state,  as  in  daydreaming,  the  tongue  is  positioned  high  and  wide  in  the  
mouth.73    In  order  to  demonstrate  this  position  to  his  students,  Allard  formulated  
a  linguistic  solution.  In  Allard’s  words:  
 
I  usually  try  to  get  them  to  say  something  like  “row,  row,  row  your  boat.”  
Now,  instead  of  saying  “o”  if  you  would  say  “re,  re,  r,  e.”  In  English  we  only  
have  one  “e,”  but  in  French  there  are  three.  You  have  the  “eh,”  which  is  
called  the  open  e,  and  you  have  the  “ee”  which  is  called  the  closed  e  and  you  
have  what  they  call  a  neutral  vowel,  “uh.”  In  the  tongue  there  are  thirty  
muscles  going  through  different  contractions  to  shape  the  mouth  into  all  
the  different  syllables  we  use  in  the  English  language.  In  the  neutral  vowel  
“e”  none  of  these  lingual  muscles  are  used,  that’s  the  reason  it’s  called  
neutral.  You  could  actually  let  your  tongue  hang  on  your  bottom  lip  –  it’s  
nothing  more  than  a  glottal  expression,  there’s  no  lingual  tension  at  all.  So  
if  you  go  from  this  “uh”  and  you  take  it  to  “ru”…  the  sides  of  the  tongue  
touch  in  the  widest  part  of  the  back  and  the  tongue  is  wide  as  the  widest  
part  of  the  arch  in  the  mouth.74  
 
 
In  a  term  borrowed  from  the  field  of  aerodynamics,  this  high  tongue  position  
Allard  advocated  became  known  as  ‘forward-­‐coning’,  and  crucially,  the  technique  
had  more  than  one  immediate  effect  on  the  saxophonist’s  performance.  When  
                                                                                                               
70  Joseph  Allard  and  Jay  Weinstein,  Joe  Allard's  saxophone  and  clarinet  principles  (Van  Nuys:  Backstage  Pass,  1991).  
71  McKim,  "Joseph  Allard:  His  contributions  to  saxophone  pedagogy  and  performance,"  44.  
72  Ibid.,  42.  
73  Ibid.  
74  Ibid.,  43.  
   20  

comparing  past  students  of  Allard  and  Pittel,  such  as  Michael  Brecker,  Bob  Berg,  
Eddie  Daniels,  David  Liebman,  Branford  Marsalis  and  Kenny  Garrett,  a  common  
thread  amongst  the  performers  becomes  readily  apparent  –  each  musician  
possesses  a  remarkably  focused  tone  that  is  synonymous  with  their  personal  
sound.  In  David  Demsey’s  words:  
 
When  I  hear  Ken  [Radnofsky]  and  I  hear  Harvey  [Pittel]  and  I  hear  [David]  
Liebman  and  Mike  [Brecker]  and  Eddie  Daniels,  I  still  hear  Joe.  I  hear  that  
focus   –   there’s   such   a   focus   in   the   sound   that   you   can   just   tell   that  
somebody  studied  with  Joe.75  
 
 
A  common  analogy  used  to  consider  the  effect  of  the  forward  coning  technique  is  
that  of  a  running  garden  hose;  a  faster  stream  is  created  when  the  opening  is  
narrowed  with  one’s  finger,  just  as  the  velocity  of  the  airstream  in  the  oral  cavity  
increases  as  a  result  of  a  higher  tongue  position.  With  this  added  velocity  comes  
a  more  focused  tone,  and  for  many,  this  may  be  an  unexpected  but  welcome  
byproduct  of  transitioning  to  Allard’s  articulation  style.  
 
In  another  point  of  difference  with  other  prominent  pedagogues,  Allard  
compliments  his  principles  of  tongue  placement  with  a  unique  approach  to  
syllabic  articulation.  In  this,  Allard  garnered  his  concept  from  a  lesson  with  
clarinettist  Gaston  Hamelin.  As  Allard  recalls:  
 
I  remember  the  very  first  thing  Hamelin  ever  said  after  he  heard  me  play.  
He  thought  I  was  French.  He  said  that  when  I  released  my  tongue  from  the  
reed  in  order  to  produce  the  sound,  I  did  it  like  the  Americans  do.  He  said  
“But   you   are   French,   you   know   the   difference   between   tu   and   teu.  
Whatever  you  do,  don’t  say  tu  like  the  Americans,  but  say  teu.”76  
 
 
In  the  teachings  of  other  classical  pedagogues,  syllabic  articulation  often  plays  a  
key  role  in  articulation  fluency,  however  rarely  is  such  a  fine  distinction  as  tu  and  
teu  made.  In  Allard’s  method,  the  French  vowel  maintains  a  high  tongue  position,  
with  the  tip  of  the  tongue  dropping  only  to  the  level  of  the  upper  teeth.  In  the  
                                                                                                               
75  Ibid.,  28.  
76  Ibid.,  40.  
   21  

English  pronunciation  however,  the  tongue  drops  well  below  the  upper  teeth  
and  creates  a  larger  cavity  at  the  front  of  the  mouth.    Allard’s  action  therefore  
promotes  a  much  more  efficient  use  of  the  tongue,  and  a  lighter  tonguing  stroke.  
Allard  noted  the  greatest  difficulty  faced  by  his  students,  both  at  the  New  
England  Conservatory  and  in  professional  circles,  was  to  achieve  lightness  in  the  
tonguing  stroke.77  To  this  end,  Allard  developed  exercises  that  he  used  with  
students  to  create  awareness  of  this  problem.    As  Ken  Radnofsky  explains:  
 
One   was   a   long   note   exercise.   We   would   begin   with   no   tongue,   get   very  
loud   and   while   the   note   was   still   going   on,   he’d   have   us   barely   articulate.  
We   would   touch   the   reed   as   lightly   as   possible,   so   that   the   tongue   would  
interrupt   the   vibration   of   the   reed   without   stopping   it,   teaching   us   to  
barely  tongue.  He’d  have  us  practice  it  loud  so  that  we’d  learn  to  use  a  light  
articulation   even   though   we   were   playing   loud.   A   lot   of   students   tongue  
hard  when  they  play  loud;  Joe’s  exercise  separated  that.78  
 
 
In  this,  the  objectives  of  both  Allard  and  mainstream  classical  pedagogy  are  
aligned.  A  lightness  of  tonguing  stroke  and  independence  over  the  tongue  is  key  
to  developing  overall  articulation  proficiency  –  a  critical  point  of  consideration  
for  the  jazz  saxophonist.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

                                                                                                               
77  Ibid.,  44.  
78  Ibid.  
   22  

CHAPTER  IV:  APPLICATION  OF  CLASSICAL  TECHNIQUES  IN  JAZZ  

PERFORMANCE  
 
In  a  sense,  much  reasoning  has  already  been  provided  for  the  potential  
implementation  of  classical  articulation  techniques  into  the  vocabulary  of  the  
jazz  saxophonist.  It  is  clear,  through  both  anecdotal  and  scientific  evidence,79  80  
that  jazz  saxophonists  typically  face  difficulties  with  a  heavy  tonguing  stoke,  
largely  resulting  from  a  lack  of  information  afforded  to  them  on  effective  
articulation  technique.81  To  this  end,  classical  study  may  fill  the  gaps  in  
knowledge  of  the  performer,  empowering  the  artist  in  their  creative  pursuit.  
 
Yet,  is  it  possible  that  these  classical  techniques  may  form  new  creative  
possibilities  in  their  own  right?  It  should  be  noted  that  a  common  view  amongst  
jazz  saxophonists  seems  to  be  that  single  tonguing  each  note  does  not  lend  itself  
well  to  the  jazz  genre,  particularly  in  swing-­‐based  music.    As  a  result,  articulation  
study  in  jazz  has  become  particularly  focused  on  the  aforementioned  technique  
of  ‘back-­‐tonguing’.    
 
When  examining  the  long  list  of  prominent  jazz  saxophonists  that  have  pursued  
classical  study,  it  becomes  clear  that  a  variety  of  creative  devices  exist  that  result  
directly  from  study  into  classical  articulation  technique.  For  Michael  Brecker,  a  
precise  articulation  ability  garnered  from  Joe  Allard  allows  for  the  seamless  
execution  of  consecutive  staccato  8th  note  phrases  over  an  up-­‐tempo  swing  
composition,  performed  at  240bpm  (see  Fig.  5).  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                               
79  Zimmer,  "A  fiber  optic  investigation  of  articulation  differences  between  selected  saxophonists  proficient  in  both  jazz  

and  orchestral  performance  styles."  

80  Garzone,  "Interview  by  Jeremy  Trezona."  
81  Ibid.  
   23  

Fig.  5  –  Excerpt  from  Michael  Brecker’s  solo  (6:12)  on  ‘Quartet  No.  2,  Part  2’  –  
from  Three  Quartets,  by  Chick  Corea.  
 

 
 
Whilst  other  performers  may  be  unable  to  execute  these  staccato  passages  
without  unsettling  the  phrasing  and  rhythm  of  their  improvisation,  Brecker  
proves  that  superior  tonguing  technique  is  the  key  to  unlocking  this  creative  
device.  As  many  jazz  performers  can  attest,  a  tendency  exists  for  8th  note  
passages  to  ‘straighten  out’  organically  as  the  tempo  increases,82  83  perhaps  
lending  themselves  to  a  more  classically  influenced  approach  to  articulation.  The  
flawless  execution  displayed  here  by  Brecker  however,  challenges  the  notion  
that  single  tongued  passages  are  not  suitable  in  jazz  performance.  
 
 
It  is  inevitable  also,  that  heightened  articulation  ability  will  compliment  the  
traditional  back-­‐tonguing  technique  widely  taught  in  jazz  education.    In  the  
below  transcription  (Fig.  6)  of  Branford  Marsalis  performing  Cheek  to  Cheek,  
what  at  first  may  seem  to  the  listener  as  consecutive  single  tongued  passages,  
instead  seem  to  be  a  precisely  executed  variant  of  the  back-­‐tonguing  technique.  
 
 
 

                                                                                                               
82  Ibid.  
83  Farr,  "How  To  Execute  Jazz  Articulation."  
   24  

Fig.  6  –  Excerpt  from  Branford  Marsalis’  solo  (0:57)  on  ‘Cheek  to  Cheek’  –  from  
Contemporary  Jazz.  

 
 
As  can  be  seen  above,  this  presumed  “HA  –  DA”  vocalisation  allows  for  the  
separation  of  the  8th  notes  (grouped  in  2)  without  single  tonguing  each  note.  In  a  
display  of  technical  prowess  however,  Marsalis  demonstrates  his  articulation  
facility  by  single  tonguing  consecutive  8th  notes  in  bars  10,  18  and  19,  providing  
a  subtle  contrast  to  the  previous  technique.  This  captivating  articulation  style  
forms  the  hallmark  of  the  performance  on  this  standard,  for  an  artist  renowned  
to  traverse  between  jazz  and  classical  genres.  
 
For  acclaimed  alto  saxophonist  Kenny  Garrett,  precise  and  inventive  articulation  
has  become  synonymous  with  his  unique  sound.    As  one  critic  wrote  while  
reviewing  his  2003  album  Standard  of  Language:  
 
   25  

While  lesser  talents  too  often  sacrifice  articulation  in  the  pursuit  of  passion,  
no  matter  how  hard  he  blows  (very,  very  hard  in  many  instances),  Garrett  
never  compromises  here,  because  he  doesn't  need  to.84
 
 
Even  when  listening  to  the  introduction  of  the  first  track  -­‐  What  is  this  thing  
called  love?,  one  gets  an  immediate  sense  of  the  rhythmic  playfulness  Garrett  is  
able  to  convey  through  his  use  of  precise  articulation.  
 
Fig.  7  –  Kenny  Garrett’s  solo  introduction  on  ‘What  is  this  thing  called  love?’  –  
from  Standard  of  Language.  
 

 
 
Garrett’s  tendency  for  building  rhythmic  tension  in  his  improvisation  is  ideally  
complimented  by  his  articulation  ability,  itself  garnered  from  Harvey  Pittel.  
                                                                                                               
84  Shaun  Dale,  "Standard  of  Language  by  Kenny  Garrett,"  JazzReview.com,  

http://www.jazzreview.com/index.php/reviews/latest-­‐cd-­‐reviews/item/19798-­‐.  
   26  

There  could  be  no  clearer  example  of  this  relationship  than  Garrett’s  
performance  on  …Like  The  Rose,  taken  from  Jeff  ‘Tain’  Watts’  live  album  
‘Detained  at  the  Blue  Note’.  On  this  track,  Garrett  closes  his  solo  by  playfully  
targeting  a  single  note,  demonstrating  both  his  skillful  articulation  ability  and  
rhythmic  inventiveness.  
 
 
Fig.  8  –  Excerpt  from  Kenny  Garrett’s  solo  on  …Like  The  Rose,  from  Detained  at  
the  Blue  Note,  by  Jeff  ‘Tain’  Watts.  

 
 
Through  the  performance  of  these  prominent  artists,  we  find  that  classical  
articulation  study  not  only  opens  up  new  and  creative  stylistic  devices,  but  that  
these  may  also  compliment  jazz  styles.  Whether  the  jazz  musician  chooses  to  
implement  them  in  this  manner  however,  is  an  artistic  decision  based  on  one’s  
own  conceptual  approach  to  performance.  
   
   27  

CHAPTER  V:  GEORGE  GARZONE  –  THE  ‘NO-­‐TONGUE’  

APPROACH  TO  ARTICULATION  
 
For  world-­‐renowned  jazz  saxophonist  George  Garzone,  articulation  has  formed  a  
critical  component  of  his  career,  both  in  the  roles  of  performer  and  educator.  
Garzone  has  noted  several  key  challenges  that  the  modern-­‐day  jazz  saxophonist  
faces  when  considering  articulation  technique,  the  most  prominent  of  which  
being  a  tendency  to  overstress  the  traditional  back-­‐tonguing  approach:  
 
When  young  players  are  taught,  they’re  taught  to  swing  the  8th  notes  with  
the  dotted  8th  and  the  16th,  so  people  concentrate  more  on  the  rhythm  of  
that  sound  but  they  never  really  address  how  the  dotted  8th  and  16th  are  
played.   So   what   happens   is   they   bypass   the   whole   situation   of   trying   to  
play   them   smoothly,   so   when   they   start   to   play   it   they   always   end   up  
playing  it  with  a  heavy  ‘T’,  [demonstrates]  “TA  TEE  TA  TEE  TA  TEE”,  so  that  
to  me  is  an  example  of  overusing  articulation.85  
 
As  Garzone  describes,  this  overuse  of  articulation  stems  primarily  from  a  heavy  
tonguing  stroke,  but  also  reflects  a  lack  of  focus  on  the  appropriate  
implementation  of  articulation  devices.  In  turn,  Garzone  developed  a  radical  
exercise  to  break  students  from  their  habitual  use  of  heavy  articulation  –  the  ‘no-­‐
tongue’  approach:  
 
…when  these  young  students  were  coming  in,  they  were  over  articulating,  
and   I   tried   to   think   what   I   could   do   to   get   rid   of   that   right   from   the  
beginning.  So  I  just  figured  ‘OK,  let’s  use  no  articulation  at  all.’  So  not  only  
did   it   strip   them   down   from   heavily   articulating,   but   I   found   it   was   really  
challenging   even   for   myself,   because   it   made   me   realise   how   much   of   a  
crutch   the   tongue   is,   because   the   tongue   stabilised   the   time.   I   think   that’s  
one   reason   why   people   over   articulate,   to   give   solidity   in   their   time,   and  
not  thinking  or  realising  what  they’re  doing  to  the  sound  of  the  8ths  notes  
as  they  go  along.  What  I  did  was  I  would  be  like  ‘Ok,  no  articulation  at  all,  
even   8th   notes,   and   base   the   articulation   and   the   time   off   of   how   precise  
you  are  when  you  press  your  fingers  down’  –  and  that’s  really  difficult.86  
 
For  Garzone,  the  implementation  of  the  no-­‐tongue  approach  brought  added  
freedom,  as  the  phrases  being  performed  were  seemingly  released  from  stylistic  
constraints.  As  mentioned  earlier,  ‘jazz  articulation’  -­‐  also  known  as  ‘back-­‐
                                                                                                               
85  Garzone,  "Interview  by  Jeremy  Trezona."  
86  Ibid.  
   28  

tonguing’,  generally  only  lends  itself  to  a  very  straight-­‐ahead  style  of  
performance,  borne  from  the  swing  and  bebop  styles  of  the  30s,  40s  and  50s.    As  
a  modern  innovator  who  regularly  incorporates  aspects  of  free  jazz  performance  
in  his  original  group  The  Fringe,  Garzone  felt  increasingly  compelled  to  overhaul  
his  own  articulation  style:  
 
…of  all  the  heavy  articulators  I  ever  heard  in  my  life,  the  worst  was  myself…  
I   realised   I   needed   to   get   rid   of   the   articulation,   and   when   I   did   it   was   so  
intense   to   lose   it,   but   once   I   did   I   realised   it   allowed   my   playing   the  
opportunity  to  be  less  directional,  and  I  could  stab  at  whatever  I  wanted.  I  
could   play   wider   intervals,   where   when   you   articulate,   even   when   you   play  
a  light  jazz  articulation  it’s  only  going  to  head  the  direction  of  your  line  one  
way   -­‐   and   that’s   straight-­‐ahead;   but   when   you   lose   the   articulation  
completely,  the  possibility  of  playing  whatever  you  want  is  right  there… 87  

 
 
Whilst  the  no-­‐tongue  approach  to  articulation  at  first  appears  incongruous  with  
the  classical  techniques  detailed  in  earlier  chapters,  Garzone  identifies  this  
exercise  as  the  first  step  in  the  jazz  saxophonist  overhauling  their  approach  to  
articulating  on  the  instrument.  In  fact,  Garzone  credits  much  of  his  awareness  of  
articulation  style  to  the  training  he  received  from  classical  saxophonist  Joe  Viola  
in  his  early  career:      
 
Talking  about  him  [Joe],  his  concept  of  how  he  played  his  instruments  was  
so  [light],  he  had  this  feather  touch  –  and  I  think  that’s  where  I  got  it  from  
because  I  never  heard  anyone  that  had  a  sound  like  that…  

…Being  with  Joe,  I  realise  now  that  even  the  way  that  I  play  free  with  The  
Fringe  is  really  based  off  a  classical  background.  When  I  listen  back  to  it,  it’s  
free   and   it’s   crazy,   but   there’s   solidity   to   it   that   I   think   he   gave   me.   He  
would  say  ‘Sure,  play  free  and  do  all  of  that  crazy  stuff,  but  do  it  this  way’.  It  
gives  it  validity.88  

Throughout  this  process  of  searching  for  a  unique  articulation  style,  Garzone’s  
own  investigation  has  led  him  to  eventually  reintroduce  the  tonguing  action  into  
his  performance,  albeit  in  the  lightest  way  possible:    
                                                                                                               
87  Ibid.  
88  Ibid.  
   29  

 This  whole  articulating  thing,  if  you  use  “TA”  it’s  backpressure  to  the  reed  
and   then   a   release.   So   anything   with   a   ‘T’   stops   the   reed,   shuts   it   down   and  
then  opens  it  up  again,  like  a  mini  explosion.  So  what  I  did  was,  I  developed  
this   syllable   called   ‘Da’,   which   is   less   than   ‘T’.   I   went   from   ‘T’   to   ‘D’,   and   the  
‘D’   was   a   lot   less   dynamic   than   the   ‘T’.   But   then   I   was   even   able   to   down  
play  the  “Da’,  to  the  point  where  it  almost  wasn’t  there,  so  I  would  play  no  
articulation  even  8th  notes  to  this  light  ‘Da’  which  is  probably  the  lightest  
moment   of   articulation   that   you   could   possibly   have.   That’s   what   I’m  
investigating  right  now  –  the  distance  between  nothing  and  the  beginning  
of  something.89  
 
 
What  is  particularly  striking  about  this  method  is  its  resemblance  to  the  
techniques  espoused  by  classical  pedagogues,  and  in  particular,  Joe  Allard.  This  
precise  attention  to  syllabic  articulation,  coupled  with  an  exceptionally  light  
stroke  of  the  tongue,  forms  the  basis  of  both  Allard’s  articulation  technique  and  
wider  classical  pedagogy.  To  remind  the  reader  of  the  exercise  Allard  prescribed:  
 
We  would  begin  with  no  tongue,  get  very  loud  and  while  the  note  was  still  
going   on,   he’d   have   us   barely   articulate.   We   would   touch   the   reed   as   lightly  
as   possible,   so   that   the   tongue   would   interrupt   the   vibration   of   the   reed  
without   stopping   it,   teaching   us   to   barely   tongue.   He’d   have   us   practice   it  
loud   so   that   we’d   learn   to   use   a   light   articulation   even   though   we   were  
playing  loud.90  
 
 
Although  Garzone  was  in  close  proximity  to  Allard  at  various  points  in  his  career  
(both  taught  at  the  New  England  Conservatory),  it  is  curious  to  note  the  two  
never  engaged  in  a  lesson,91  leading  Garzone  to  develop  this  technique  entirely  
independently,  save  for  the  ongoing  influence  of  Joe  Viola’s  early  instruction.    In  
several  ways,  Garzone’s  arrival  at  a  light  articulation  style  -­‐  informed  by  close  
attention  to  syllabic  use,  represents  a  clear  endorsement  of  many  of  the  
principles  of  classical  articulation  pedagogy  and  their  relevance  to  jazz  
saxophonists.  
 
 

                                                                                                               
89  Ibid.  
90  McKim,  "Joseph  Allard:  His  contributions  to  saxophone  pedagogy  and  performance,"  44.  
91  Garzone,  "Interview  by  Jeremy  Trezona."  
   30  

CONCLUSION  
 
As  in  jazz  performance,  jazz  education  has  continued  to  evolve  in  the  early  21st  
century.    Whilst  few  would  debate  the  ongoing  influence  of  aural  instruction  in  
jazz  programs  worldwide,  there  is  perhaps  a  declining  emphasis  on  classical  
instruction  in  the  formative  years  of  the  jazz  saxophonist.  In  the  words  of  
Garzone:  
 
…when   I   started   with   Joe   [Viola]   a   lot   of   it   was   classical,   because   back   then  
in   the   60’s,   they   felt   you   needed   an   understanding   of   how   to   play   this  
instrument,   rather   than   saying   ‘OK,   here’s   a   ii-­‐V-­‐I’,   which   often   happens  
now.92  
 
 
Yet,  for  all  of  the  undeniable  benefits  of  aural  instruction  in  jazz  education,  it  is  
hard  to  deny  the  limitations  of  this  method  in  developing  a  saxophonist’s  
articulation  facility.  In  this  respect,  perhaps  it  would  be  advisable  for  instructors  
to  take  on  the  responsibility  of  imparting  effective  articulation  technique  onto  
their  students;  or  alternatively,  the  students  themselves  must  carefully  
investigate  the  array  of  techniques  at  their  disposal.  Garzone  explains:  
 
A   lot   of   it   comes   from   simply   not   knowing   and   having   to   be   told.   In   high  
school,  I  used  to  blame  the  bandleaders  or  teachers  because  a  lot  of  these  
guys  maybe  never  figured  it  out  for  themselves,  so  if  you’re  with  a  teacher  
that  doesn’t  hear  that  either,  those  [articulation]  techniques  get  shot  by  the  
wayside.  It’s  really  congruent  to  who  you’re  with.93  
 
 
Furthermore,  
 
 
Joe  [Viola]  never  said  to  me  ‘You’re  over  articulating’,  but  I  don’t  think  he  
had  to,  because  I  figured  it  out  on  my  own.  When  I  did,  because  of  my  
understanding  of  the  classical  tradition,  it  helped  me  put  everything  
together  and  realise  what  I  needed  to  do.94  
 
 
 
                                                                                                               
92  Ibid.  
93  Ibid.  
94  Ibid.  
   31  

When  considering  articulation  study,  it  is  important  to  remain  mindful  of  the  two  
underlying  components  of  the  technique:  physical  execution  and  stylistic  
implementation.  As  previously  mentioned,  the  styles  in  which  articulation  
devices  are  implemented  in  performance  are  entirely  one’s  own  artistic  decision.  
It  should  be  noted  however,  that  technical  facility  in  this  area  is  a  critical  aspect  
of  performance  that  all  saxophonists  should  seriously  consider  -­‐  regardless  of  
genre.  To  this  end,  many  principles  of  classical  articulation  technique  may  be  
considered  universal.    For  the  jazz  saxophonist,  the  principles  of  tongue  
placement,  a  light  tonguing  stroke,  and  syllabic  use  may  all  be  viewed  as  
prerequisites  in  achieving  technical  proficiency  in  articulation.  As  Branford  
Marsalis  points  out:  
 
Personal   technique   is   very   different   from   actual   technique…   My   brother  
Wynton   used   to   say   that   classical   music   helped   him   to   develop   actual  
technique,  as  opposed  to  personal  technique.95  
 
 
For  many,  the  goal  of  achieving  technical  facility  on  their  instrument  could  be  
driven  by  a  desire  to  be  afforded  every  creative  opportunity  as  an  artist  –  
whether  performing  in  a  traditional  setting  or  pushing  the  boundaries  of  musical  
convention.  Although  classical  study  may  be  considered  prescriptive  by  nature,  
in  addition  to  physiological  differences  between  performers,  distinctions  in  
personal  interpretation  will  always  account  for  a  rich  variety  of  articulation  
techniques  amongst  modern  saxophonists,  irrespective  of  genre.  In  this  way,  
classical  articulation  study  not  only  avails  the  artist  new  techniques  during  
performance,  but  through  added  facility  on  the  instrument,  enables  the  artist  
more  freedom  in  their  artistic  pursuit.    
 
 
 

                                                                                                               
95  Vanderheyden,  "Approaching  the  classical  style:  a  resource  for  jazz  saxophonists,"  83-­‐84.  
   32  

APPENDIX  

INTERVIEW  WITH  GEORGE  GARZONE  

 
 
20th  of  August,  2012    
Western  Australian  Academy  of  Performing  Arts  
Conducted  by  Jeremy  Trezona  
 
 
1) What  are  the  challenges  jazz  saxophone  students  face  when  approaching  
articulation?  
 
That’s  a  good  question.  I  think  the  biggest  challenge  is  not  to  overuse  it.  When  
young  players  are  taught,  they’re  taught  to  swing  the  8th  notes  with  the  dotted  8th  
and  the  16th,  so  people  concentrate  more  on  the  rhythm  of  that  sound  but  they  
never  really  address  how  the  dotted  8th  and  16th  are  played.  So  what  happens  is  
they  bypass  the  whole  situation  of  trying  to  play  them  smoothly,  so  when  they  
start  to  play  it  they  always  end  up  playing  it  with  a  heavy  ‘T’,  [demonstrates]  “TA  
TEE  TA  TEE  TA  TEE”,  so  that  to  me  is  an  example  of  overusing  articulation.  In  a  
certain  period  in  time  like  the  40’s  and  50’s  they  were  using  that  kind  of  
articulation,  but  as  time  went  on  they  got  away  from  that.  I  think  for  the  young  
students  these  teachers  never  really  hip  them  to  progress,  and  as  music  moved  
on  it  went  forward  but  no  one  showed  them.  So  when  they  came  into  college  and  
they  had  to  deal  with  someone  that  knew  enough  to  say  ‘Look,  you  need  to  lose  
that  articulation’,  it  becomes  an  issue.  So  for  me,  my  entire  career  has  basically  
been  that!  I  never  thought  of  making  a  history  of  how  you’re  articulating,  like  
what  you’re  doing  your  thesis  on,  [but]  I’ve  been  doing  this  thesis  all  my  life  
trying  to  understand  at  the  beginning  ‘Why  does  this  guy  sound  like  that?  What’s  
making  this  sound  so  nasty?’  Then  I  realised  it  was  an  overuse  of  articulation.  It  
wasn’t  wrong,  it  was  just  the  way  that  they  were  doing  it.    
 
   
2) In  the  video  presentation  you  did  for  Rico  Reeds,  you  mentioned  your  use  of  
a  ‘no-­‐tongue’  approach  to  articulation.  Can  you  explain  how  and  why  you  
developed  this  method?  
 
 
It’s  kind  of  tied  into  what  I  just  said  –  meaning  that  when  these  young  students  
were  coming  in  they  were  over  articulating,  and  I  tried  to  think  what  I  could  do  
to  get  rid  of  that  right  from  the  beginning,  so  I  just  figured  ‘OK,  let’s  use  no  
articulation  at  all.’  So  not  only  did  it  strip  them  down  from  heavily  articulating  
but  I  found  it  was  really  challenging,  even  for  myself,  because  it  made  me  realise  
how  much  of  a  crutch  the  tongue  is  because  the  tongue  stabilized  the  time.  I  
think  that’s  one  reason  why  people  over  articulate,  to  give  solidity  in  their  time,  
and  not  thinking  or  realising  what  they’re  doing  to  the  sound  of  the  8ths  notes  as  
they  go  along.  What  I  did  was  I  would  be  like  ‘Ok,  no  articulation  at  all,  even  8th  
   33  

notes,  and  base  the  articulation  and  the  time  off  of  how  precise  you  are  when  you  
press  your  fingers  down’  –  and  that’s  really  difficult.  
 
 
3) Do  you  recommend  this  technique  as  a  practice  method  only,  or  is  this  
something  you  would  also  apply  in  performance?  
 
 
I  apply  it  in  performance  because  of  all  the  heavy  articulators  I  ever  heard  in  my  
life,  the  worst  was  myself.  I  came  from  a  pretty  legit  background  studying  with  
Joe  Viola,  and  it  wasn’t  his  fault,  but  I  took  from  studying  all  the  classical  
repertoire  articulating  like  that,  and  then  when  I  heard  my  first  [jazz]  record  I  
realised  ‘Woah.  That’s  too  much”.  I  realised  I  needed  to  get  rid  of  the  articulation,  
and  when  I  did  it  was  so  intense  to  lose  it,  but  once  I  did  I  realised  it  allowed  my  
playing  the  opportunity  to  be  less  directional,  and  I  could  stab  at  whatever  I  
wanted.  I  could  play  wider  intervals,  where  when  you  articulate,  even  when  you  
play  a  light  jazz  articulation  it’s  only  going  to  head  the  direction  of  your  line  one  
way  and  that’s  straight  ahead,  but  when  you  lose  the  articulation  completely,  the  
possibility  of  playing  whatever  you  want  is  right  there  –  meaning  wide  intervals.  
To  me,  wide  intervals  are  intervals  larger  than  a  perfect  fourth.  You  can’t  play  
those  wide  intervals  in  succession  if  you’re  heavily  articulating.  
 
 
-­‐  Do  you  think  you  were  able  to  do  that  because  you  had  that  technique  to  begin  
with,  that  was  taught  to  you  by  Joe  [Viola]?  
 
 
Yes.  50%  of  it  came  from  the  strict  learning  of  these  arpeggios  and  the  classical  
etudes,  but  the  other  50%  came  from  not  articulating.  It  was  really  great  to  have  
those  studies  but  then  when  you  moved  into  a  completely  different  style  of  
music,  it  warranted  you  not  playing  it  the  same  way  you  would  play  traditionally.    
 
 
4) Could  any  of  the  problems  caused  by  an  over-­‐use  of  articulation  stem  from  a  
lack  of  effective  tonguing  technique?    
 
 
Pretty  much.  It’s  self  explanatory  –  if  it’s  too  heavy,  it’s  too  heavy.  When  you’re  
playing  the  saxophone,  or  any  instrument,  you’ve  got  to  really  approach  it  from  a  
gentile  side.  The  moment  you  start  doing  anything  in  any  excess,  it’s  multiplied  
times  a  hundred,  or  a  thousand.  Whether  it’s  articulating,  or  blowing,  or  volume,  
or  dynamics  or  anything,  it’s  got  to  be  used  with  sensitivity  most  of  the  time.  This  
whole  articulating  thing,  if  you  use  “TA”  it’s  backpressure  to  the  reed  and  then  a  
release.  So  anything  with  a  ‘T’  stops  the  reed,  shuts  it  down  and  then  opens  it  up  
again,  like  a  mini  explosion.  So  what  I  did  was,  I  developed  this  syllable  called  
‘Da’,  which  is  less  than  ‘T’.  I  went  from  ‘T’  to  ‘D’,  and  the  ‘D’  was  a  lot  less  dynamic  
than  the  ‘T’.  But  then  I  was  even  able  to  down  play  the  “Da’,  to  the  point  where  it  
almost  wasn’t  there,  so  I  would  play  no  articulation  even  8th  notes  to  this  light  
‘Da’  which  is  probably  the  lightest  moment  of  articulation  that  you  could  possibly  
   34  

have.  That’s  what  I’m  investigating  right  now  –  the  distance  between  nothing  and  
the  beginning  of  something.  
 
 
-­‐ So  very  efficient  use  of  the  tongue?  
 
 
Yes  –  because  when  you  don’t  tongue  at  all  and  occasionally  drop  in  a  ‘Da’,  or  
when  you  go  from  nothing,  to  a  little  bit,  to  tonguing  every  note  with  that  light  
sensation,  it  solidifies  everything  and  gives  your  time  more  stability  -­‐  but  it’s  not  
overly  played  so  that  it  sounds  too  heavy.    
 
 
5) As  you  mentioned  earlier,  you  studied  with  Joe  Viola  at  the  Berklee  College  
of  Music.  What  was  Joe’s  view  on  articulation  study,  and  do  you  still  
incorporate  any  of  these  principles  into  your  performance  and/or  teaching  
today?  
 
 
Constantly.  I  think  most  of  my  career  was  based  off  of  articulation  –  teaching  
these  guys  how  to  use  it  because  no  one  really  knows  how  to  do  it  –  just  like  
what  you  were  saying  [earlier]  and  why  you’re  writing  your  thesis  –  no  one  
really  talked  about  the  fine  line  in  articulation.  The  proof  is  in  listening  to  these  
people  play.  Over-­‐using  articulation,  or  using  it  in  the  wrong  places  –  it  upsets  
the  rhythm  of  what  they’re  playing.  
 
Talking  about  him  [Joe],  his  concept  of  how  he  played  his  instruments  was  so  
[light],  he  had  this  feather  touch  –  and  I  think  that’s  where  I  got  it  from  because  I  
never  heard  anyone  that  had  a  sound  like  that.  The  soprano  sounded  like  the  
English  horn,  and  he  used  to  play  English  horn  with  me  when  we  played  through  
some  of  his  exercises.  When  he  would  go  from  English  horn  to  soprano  they  
sounded  the  same  and  I  wondered  ‘How  does  he  do  that?’  I  started  with  him  
when  I  was  about  15  or  16,  and  all  through  that  even  though  I  was  young  and  
probably  kind  of  naïve,  my  ear  almost  always  said  ‘How  does  he  get  that  sound?’  
–  and  it  was  just  that  he  never  really  bashed  the  keys  when  he  played.  His  
airstream  and  fingers  were  so  precise  that  it  wasn’t  necessary  for  him  to  heavily  
articulate  anything.  I  think  back  now,  and  I  think  that’s  probably  where  I  got  it  
from,  because  I  never  forgot  how  he  sounded.  I  never  met  anyone  again  that  
sounded  like  Joe  Viola,  and  anyone  who  studied  with  him  would  say  the  same  
thing.  If  you  heard  this  guy,  he  was  unique.  He  studied  with  Marcel  Mule,  and  he  
[Mule]  didn’t  let  many  people  study  with  him  -­‐  Joe  was  selected  through  a  whole  
sea  of  people.    
 
I  would  say  that  it  comes  from  Joe  because  he  made  me  realise  that  the  tongue  
was  not  necessary  to  really  accentuate  [the  notes],  because  it  comes  more  from  
the  fingers.  What  happened  was  when  these  kids  came  in  it  was  an  uphill  battle  
to  get  them  not  to  use  it  [over-­‐articulation],  because  if  you  go  into  the  
professional  scheme  like  that,  it  gets  rough.  
   35  

6) Do  you  incorporate  any  of  Joe  Allard’s  teachings  into  your  own  
performance?  
 
 
Not  really,  because  they  were  two  different  camps.  Joe  Viola  taught  at  Berklee  
and  Joe  Allard  taught  at  NEC  (New  England  Conservatory).  I  got  to  know  Joe  
Allard  later  because  I  taught  at  NEC  also,  and  we  would  talk,  but  we  never  had  a  
lesson  or  anything  like  that.  They  were  two  different  styles  –  Joe  Allard  had  this  
way  of  blowing  where  you  would  slope  the  tongue  from  the  back  down  to  get  
kind  of  a  ‘HHEEEE’  sound,  which  when  I  would  play  I  said  to  myself  ‘Wow,  this  is  
really  cool,  the  sound  is  really  direct’,  but  it  would  be  like  re-­‐learning  the  
instrument  again.  By  the  time  I  got  hip  to  that  I  was  about  30  or  35  years  old,  and  
to  change  at  that  point  in  my  career  was  [too]  radical.  
 
 
-­‐ I’m  sure  by  that  stage  in  your  career  you  would  have  also  developed  your  
own  unique  sound,  which  you’d  shaped  over  time.  
 
 
Yes,  definitely.  
 
 
-­‐ From  what  you’ve  mentioned  about  Joe  Viola,  there  seems  to  be  a  common  
thread  amongst  a  lot  of  classical  pedagogues  –  that  they  focus  on  a  ‘light’  
tonguing  approach.  It  seems  as  though  jazz  saxophonists  who  aren’t  
exposed  to  the  right  articulation  technique  can  end  up  with  quite  heavy  
articulation  that  can  potentially  get  in  the  way  of  phrasing  and  intonation.  
 
 
When  people  over-­‐articulate,  it’s  for  two  reasons.  The  naïve  reason  is  they  
haven’t  been  told  that  they’re  over-­‐articulating,  and  the  even  more  naïve  reason  
is  that  they  haven’t  realised  that  they’re  over-­‐articulating.  Students  would  often  
come  to  me  not  realising  they  had  this  problem  and  I  would  ask  if  they’d  even  
heard  themselves  playing.  Often  their  response  would  be  ‘Well  I’ve  listened  to  
Michael  Brecker  and  he  articulates  like  this’  to  which  I  would  reply  ‘Michael  
definitely  doesn’t  articulate  like  this’.  They  hear  it  as  a  misconception.  They  hear  
it  one  way,  but  go  at  it  from  another  angle  which  is  not  what  is  happening  at  that  
moment.  That’s  when  I  started  to  doubt  how  students  hear  these  sounds;  they  
don’t  process  it  the  way  it’s  actually  being  played.    A  lot  of  it  comes  from  simply  
not  knowing  and  having  to  be  told.  In  high  school,  I  used  to  blame  the  
bandleaders  or  teachers  because  a  lot  of  these  guys  maybe  never  figured  it  out  
for  themselves,  so  if  you’re  with  a  teacher  that  doesn’t  hear  that  either,  those  
techniques  get  shot  by  the  wayside.  It’s  really  congruent  to  who  you’re  with.  
Being  with  Joe  [Viola],  I  realise  now  that  even  the  way  that  I  play  free  with  The  
Fringe  is  really  based  off  a  classical  background.  When  I  listen  back  to  it,  it’s  free  
and  it’s  crazy,  but  there’s  solidity  to  it  that  I  think  he  gave  me.  He  would  say  
‘Sure,  play  free  and  do  all  of  that  crazy  stuff,  but  do  it  this  way’.  It  gives  it  validity.  
 
 
   36  

7) What  is  your  view  on  a  jazz  saxophonist  studying  classical  technique?    
 
 
Absolutely.  I  think  the  likelihood  of  a  saxophone  player  understanding  jazz  is  
going  to  be  much  greater  coming  from  his  background  in  classical,  rather  than  
someone  who  just  goes  straight  into  jazz.  It’s  fine,  you  can  do  that  [go  straight  
into  jazz],  but  if  you’ve  had  that  discipline  of  studying  classical  you  know  how  
intense  it  is    -­‐  and  that’s  me.  When  I  started  with  Joe  [Viola]  a  lot  of  it  was  
classical,  because  back  then  in  the  60’s,  they  felt  you  needed  an  understanding  of  
how  to  play  this  instrument,  rather  than  saying  ‘OK,  here’s  a  ii-­‐V-­‐I’,  which  often  
happens  now.  By  having  that  strict  legit  background,  when  they  start  throwing  
things  around  like  ‘Don’t  articulate,  or  articulate  light,  or  play  even  8th  notes’,  it’s  
all  there.  It  was  easier  for  me  to  conceptualise  all  that  because  I  had  to  figure  a  
lot  of  it  out  on  my  own.  Joe  never  said  to  me  ‘You’re  over  articulating’,  but  I  don’t  
think  he  had  to,  because  I  figured  it  out  on  my  own.  When  I  did,  because  of  my  
understanding  of  the  classical  tradition,  it  helped  me  put  everything  together  and  
realise  what  I  needed  to  do.  A  lot  of  it,  even  with  the  younger  kids,  is  that  they  
need  to  be  told  what  the  story  is,  and  it  doesn’t  happen  [often  enough].  You  can  
tell  the  student  who’s  been  around  the  right  teacher  because  he  can  come  in  and  
pick  up  these  new  concepts  like  a  piece  of  cake,  but  if  someone  comes  in  who  
hasn’t  been  told  or  instructed  what  to  do,  it’s  evident  in  their  playing.  It’s  better  
to  correct  those  techniques  early  on,  because  when  they  get  to  college,  those  
students  already  have  the  wrong  way  of  playing  engrained  into  them  and  it’s  
difficult  to  break  them  from  that.  It’s  challenging  even  for  good  players  to  do  
some  of  these  non-­‐articulated  exercises.  
 
 
8) In  your  expansive  career,  have  their  been  any  teachings  or  comments  by  
fellow  musicians  that  have  significantly  influenced  your  concept  of  
articulation?  
 
 
People  realise  that  I’m  not  articulating  as  heavy  because  when  they  go  out  and  
listen  to  other  players,  they’re  very  distinct  about  what  they’re  hearing,  and  
when  they  don’t  hear  something  that  they’re  used  to  hearing  all  the  time  it  
sounds  radically  different.  Even  when  you  go  to  the  triadic  approach,  I  figured  
out  that  whole  concept,  and  it’s  so  radically  different  because  no  one  plays  that  
way  –  I’m  the  developer  of  it.  It  wasn’t  as  if  I  got  it  all  from  Coltrane  –  I  did  a  little  
bit,  but  I  reorganised  it.  With  a  harmonic,  rhythmic  or  articulation  concept,  if  it’s  
less  like  what’s  around  it,  it’s  going  to  be  noticeable,  so  a  lot  of  it  was  found  and  
sought  out  because  of  the  unlikelihood  of  [the  technique].    It’s  not  like  I’m  the  
only  one  who  plays  like  that,  if  you  listen  to  Lovano  and  players  like  that  they  
also  play  in  a  similar  way.  It  helped  me  a  lot  because  it  opened  up  my  playing.  
You  can’t  do  a  random  chromatic  approach,  you  can’t  do  wide  intervals,  you  can’t  
do  pot-­‐shotting  over  the  harmony  if  you’re  using  heavy  articulation  because  it  
just  narrows  you  down.    
 
 
   37  

9) Finally,  do  you  have  any  other  comments  about  articulation,  from  a  
stylistic  or  technical  perspective,  that  you’d  like  to  share?  
 
 
You’ve  got  to  go  and  figure  it  out  on  your  own  because  there’s  no  ‘one  way’  to  do  
it.  I’m  working  on  the  distance  between  no  articulation  and  the  lightest  
articulation  known  to  man,  so  this  distance  in  between  is  an  area  that  I’m  
investigating.  It’s  really  a  non-­‐sound;  it’s  a  non-­‐existing  area,  because  it’s  nothing  
to  the  beginning  of  something.  So  if  you  say  to  me  ‘How  do  you  play  it?’  you  need  
to  go  and  figure  it  out  [yourself]  because  the  way  I  go  ‘Doo  Doo  Doo’  and  the  way  
you  go  ‘Doo  Doo  Doo’  are  two  different  things,  they’re  going  to  sound  different  –  
and  no  two  people  are  going  to  sound  the  same,  it’s  just  the  way  it  is.  The  hip  
thing  about  it  is  you  can  give  this  to  people  and  they  can  spend  their  whole  life  
trying  to  figure  it  out,  and  they’ll  get  it,  but  it’ll  never  be  the  same  way  twice.  
 
 
-­‐ One  thing  I  noticed  in  your  performance  last  night  was  that  you  muted  the  
reed  with  your  tongue,  and  released  it  to  bring  the  sound  back,  almost  like  
an  explosion.  I’ve  noticed  that  in  the  playing  of  Johnny  Griffin  also.  
 
 
Yes,  and  Sonny  [Rollins]  as  well.  Really  what  you’re  doing  is  closing  the  reed  
down,  and  the  sound  is  reacting  off  of  the  vibration  of  the  horn.  It’s  not  really  a  
big  deal,  but  when  you  do  it  and  you  let  go  of  the  reed  and  it  plays  again,  it’s  a  
continuation  of  what  you’re  doing  but  coming  into  a  fuller  sound.    
 
 
-­‐ When  you  do  that,  do  you  use  the  side  of  your  tongue?  
 
 
No  –  I  go  straight  on  and  close  the  thing  right  down.  If  you  wanted  to  play  it,  you  
would  go  ahead  and  figure  out  how  to  do  it  because  there’s  got  to  be  a  certain  
amount  of  air  in  there  to  keep  the  reed  vibrating.    
 
 
 
-­‐-­‐  End  of  Interview  -­‐-­‐  
   
   38  

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