Your saxophone articulation is so important if you want to really get an authentic “jazz” sound on your saxophone.
And, one of the main “essential” skills is be-bop articulation.
“What the heck is that?” you’re probably asking yourself…
What is Be Bop articulation?
In it’s simplest form, be bop articulation is just tonguing on the second half of the beat.
So, imagine a run of quavers or 1/8th notes. The first of every pair lands ON the beat, the second is on the OFF beat, or the weaker second half of the beat.
And, it’s this second half, the weaker half of the beat that we focus on with be bop articulation.
To get this working correctly you need to tongue the second note in a run of 1/8ths or quavers, and slur onto the next note (that is ON the beat).
Sounds simple?
The trick to be bop articulation is being fluent and even. And for this reason I’ve created a new 5 Minute Workout inside the Sax School Members Area to help you develop your articulation skills in a fun way.
About the Be Bop Workout lesson
To make this exercise fun, I’ve written out some patterns that we can play together on alto or tenor saxophone. Also, I’ve created a fun jazzy backing track that will put you in the mood and make doing this exercise a hoot!
One other thing. Because it’s only a 5 – minute exercise, you can do it every day in your practice routine.
This lesson is part of the 5-Minute Workout series in Sax School including the 5-minute Classical Workout, and the 5-minute Major Scale Workout for saxophone.
Ready to get started?
Sax School Members: Log in and view the 5 Minute Be Bop Articulation Workout for Saxophone
Not a member yet but want to check out this workout?
Join Sax School today and you will get instant access to this lesson, plus over 6oo other lessons, courses, and masterclasses to help you improve your saxophone skills.