 Articulation is more than just about getting a note to sound! Here you see excerpts of Handel's Sonata in E minor, second movement Allegro. Use varied tongue strokes and the "articulation silence"(stopping sound with the tongue) to create groupings of notes. This way, the fine details of the music become transparent and we won't have just a random mass of notes flying by. Be sure to stop the sound consistently where you need to (apostrophes), your tongue should feel the slight pressure before it releases the air flow again for the next note. PRACTICE SAYING these without the flute will help a lot. This is also a great way to gain technical and rhythmic stability. The stopping of the sound gives us a fraction of a second to prepare for the next leap and starting accurately. It'll also prevent us from rushing, making fast passages sound solid and absolutely in control in an exciting way.  In this next passage, the groupings then change to 4 notes (instead of the 3 notes previously). So we shift the articulation silence to one note later. Notice how the varied tongue strokes of T,D, and create an acoustical connection of those stepwise notes. Remember that "R" is a light flick of the tongue on the hard palate, not the English "R" where the tongue is in the air.  Measures 16-18 are tricky as it gets a little complicated! But the idea is still the same, "untangle" the notes and find the structure. The groupings of notes are often delineated by leaps (not always, but that's for another time). When practicing, take a moment and mark those groups in the music so that you have a visual orientation. Sometimes there are even subgroups - for example in m. 16 between beats 3 and 4, where two little units make up a bigger 4-note unit.
Depending on the tempo, the acoustical result in a concert performance might be subtle but absolutely crucial. (and definitely audible!) It's a small difference with a big impact, making the passage sound much more organic and lively. Also, we get to have fun with them as a player instead of simply just "getting through" a bunch of notes! Once you grasp this concept, I guarantee you'll never want to go back!
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 An anticipation anticipates the next note. At a cadence, no matter how much ritardando occurs, the anticipation must have the intention of MOVING TOWARDS the next note. They belong together. You can do a great ritardando, stretch out on the trill and really elongate the anticipation, but the resolution must follow organically afterwards and not feel separated from the anticipation.
Use the tongue strokes T-D or T-R, ease up on the air (diminuendo), and think the word "A-MOUR" - which is 1 word with 2 syllables, just like anticipation + resolution is ONE entity with TWO parts. A suggestion from Bart Kuijken - you may also think of the phrase "merci beaucoup" - "merci" is the trill, and "beaucoup" is the anticipation plus resolution. You'd also never separate the syllables "beau....coup", but rather the word falls and follows naturally after "merci"!  Here's the moment in my last chat with the inimitable Eva Legêne talking about the expressivity of rhythm in Telemann's G minor Fantasy. While it's good to know what affect certain rhythmic patterns may imply, we still have to bring them to life in actual playing, and what we see is not what we get in music!
So for example, the opening "anapest" rhythm (short-short-long, 2 eighths + 1 quarter) suggests action, something lively, maybe even violent. In this particular case, it's effective to *very slightly* rush the 8th notes and be sure to use the tongue stroke t-d'-t, which will give an energetic swing to the motif. The slight stopping of the tongue on the second 8th note (notice apostrophe in t-d'-t) before the quarter helps to give a rhythmic anchor and thus reinforcing the rustic sound of this movement. If we play this rhythmically correct and "straight", we won't arrive at the spirit of this music. The "trochee" in the major section (long-short, dotted quarter + eighth) represents something gentler. In this case, be sure to lighten up in the air pressure at the end of the slur, slightly over dot the quarter and make the 8th note almost inaudible. This will give a sweeter expression compared to the boxy and spirited first section. Again compare this with playing it as written, I guarantee you'll never want to go back to that way. Eva and I are so looking forward to NOV. 8TH to share with you the fun in connecting knowledge with artistry! Registration info: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/the-affect-in-rhythm-tickets-1450312366329  This may sound like bad flute technique, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s all about doing and using it correctly. For starters, say a couple of times “tudt-tudt-tudt-tudt”. The silent “t” at the end stops the sound and it’s like you’re imitating the signal tone when a phone line is busy. Your tongue comes back to the roof of the mouth, right behind the teeth so that it’s ready to start the next note/sound. You should feel a slight pressure on the tip of the tongue which is holding back the air. Make sure to keep your airstream constant and that you’re not just *pushing out* air every time.
The articulation silence brings clarity, structure, and rhythmic stability to our playing. Without it, the music will sound run-on and without tension. It also prevents playing too fast and losing expression. Every time before you place an appoggiatura, before you start a trill, between repeated notes, leaped notes, and musical phrases are some of the common places to use the articulation silence.  Here's a screenshot from my last workshop where I was explaining one of my favorite passages in the Corelli Allegro. The key here is not to gloss over the 16th notes with a fast tempo, but take the moment to have fun with sculpting the notes with varied articulation.
In this particular passage, we see two different types of passages. In the first line last bar and ongoing, the 16ths indicate a passage where we're moving by harmony and not by melody. In this case, we'll want to use a gentle "tu-ru" and not clipping the notes too short. This is to create an acoustical effect which imitates the arpeggiation on a violin and is most suitable here. We want to refrain from focusing on individual notes, but rather on the movement in harmony which requires focusing on groups of notes. In the last two bars of the second line, I show how the pattern suddenly breaks up with the leap up to G2 and then something new starts. Here, we can create a sense of swing in this gesture by clipping the G2 short, almost dotting it before going on to the rest. In the last bar, try to accentuate slightly on the little off-beat notes to further create a cheeky, playful gesture. (g C# d / F# e / D c# / E d). Here, you'll want to clip the last note of each group. With practice, it is possible to create this space and expression even within a fast tempo. However, our intention needs to be discovering and creating these fun gestures and not aiming for speed. Speed is only one of many tools in the service of expression! In this way, it makes playing fun for YOU as the player. |
ABOUT THE BLOG:I got inspired to document my own observations in flute-playing and music-making. Also, I thought it's important to pass on the teachings of the great Wilbert Hazelzet, as well as many other mentors who have influenced my artistic visions one way or the other. Enjoy this potpourri of tips, inspirations, and musings. ✨CONTRIBUTE!✨Yes I love the writing that I do! If you love them as well, how about consider showing your appreciation with a personal contribution? 
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