We all want to get our low register notes to respond right away. But oftentimes they don’t. They come out as a big puff of air, or there is a delay before the sound responds. This is especially a problem for the low C. The best way that I found to work on articulating low notes is with an exercise called the C Chromatic Tonguing Exercise.
A Big Puff of Air
In this exercise I begin with a middle C. I tongue the note very short so as not to allow myself to adjust and pretend that I got the note the way I wanted. On middle C, it’s not as difficult. But on the lower notes, it is very important. I then move to B back to C, then Bb, back to C, A, C, Ab, C, G, C all the way down chromatically, always returning to that middle C between every note. You must practice with a very short tongue. Also make sure your tongue is placed in the right spot in the front of your mouth. Think of your tongue as a point and that point makes the “ta” sound. Another important aspect of this exercise is breathing correctly more importantly breathing to use support.
In order to articulate these low notes you must use support. Very little air is needed to articulate low notes. If I let a lot of air out every time I play low notes they won’t come out in a crisp fashion.
You Must Use Support
When I begin this exercise I take my breath and hold it in. Virtually thinking that I’m holding my breath the entire time. I really only want to use the air that’s already in my mouth to tongue the low notes.
Other aspects to think about is opening the embouchure. You want to have the teeth be perhaps a finger or a finger and a half apart so it’s nice and “ahh” feeling on the inside. Then go all the way down to your low C.
Low C will be the most difficult to articulate. The response time is slow and there is a delay before the sound. But I want to work on that low C until it begins to work. C is the hardest one. If you can get low C you can get all the others. Work on that C chromatic tonguing exercise.
Do it very slowly. There’s no rush.
Pretend I Got the Note
Think about each and every note that you play. Keep your tongue really short so that you work to get those low notes to respond. We can fool ourselves into thinking that we got the note by holding it longer and then waiting for it to come in. If you keep it really short then you’re hearing the note on the front side of it to see if it comes out or is it just a puff or air.
Work on that a little bit every day. If you are practicing 2 or 3 times in a day, then I would do that exercise at the beginning of every practice session. You’re not spending 20 minutes on that exercise. Do it for 5 minutes or so then go on to something else. Play the exercise again later in that practice session and do it for another 5 minutes.
That’s how I work on my low notes and to make sure they respond. A side benefit is that working on your articulation in the low register also is a great way to work on your low register tone.
Have fun!
DoctorFlute
Watch me demonstrate this: FluteTips 73 Articulating Low Notes
