Valparaiso, Indiana

Step Three- Tonguing and slurring (good articulation)

Tonguing and slurring on the oboe give the oboe sound more color.  When tonguing, you can start the sound with a staccato, legato, or accented sound.  All three sounds are triggered by the use of the tongue.  Some students prefer to start the sound of a note with a “T” sound while others prefer a “D” sound, but what is important is that you are starting the sound with your tongue on the reed as you blow your air through the oboe.

For short notes (staccato) the oboist needs to put their tongue back on the reed immediately after sounding the note.  This creates silence between notes.  This silence can be of different lengths depending on the style of the music.  The oboist needs to practice all different lengths of their staccato or short note playing.

Legato tonguing is like creating the sound of the violin bow where notes are tongued, but notes are connected with no silence between them.  Some oboists think that legato tonging is like slurring with a slight touch of the reed with their tongue.

Starting notes with an accent requires more force with the air with more forceful tonguing.  There is usually space between accented notes for more emphasis and power.

In your Book II exercises and tunes you will have many opportunities to review various techniques for tonging and slurring.  Ask your band director to check your tonguing and slurring technique to be sure your are achieving your goals.  The instruments with the shortest staccato sound include: snare drum, pizzicato violin, piccolo and oboe.  Being able to play short notes that are spaced with silence adds an important color to the overall solo, ensemble, band, or orchestra sound.
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