Creating Profile in Short Articulations

The C major etude from Andersen's Op. 37 is just such a fun piece to play. In fact, I really don't see it as an etude in the normal sense, but one could easily play this as a nice little encore piece.

In my recording, I've taken up the tempo quite a bit compared to what's indicated on the page. I encourage you all to always make expressive decisions in whatever you play. (technique and expression go hand in hand, but we'll get into that another time!)

In this particular etude, Andersen is asking us to examine the flexibility and fluidity in our airstream in the presence of mostly staccato notes, with some occasional slurs mixed in. Staccato, although short, should still show direction and phrasing. Different types of staccati can be achieved by shaping your breath differently:
- Should the air (sound) linger on or really cut off?
- And how long should the sound go further?
- How do dynamics play a part in the passage? Should the notes get louder but all stay equally short, or get softer but linger a bit in the air? (and many other exciting permutations in between!)
- How do you direct your embouchure to create an effect? Do you need to slightly shape your lips to create that extra fine tapering in the sound, or have them stay put to have equal sounding lengths?

There isn't just one kind of "short", and short doesn't mean less in any way. Short notes can give an incredible sense of depth and brilliance - this is especially important for the high register as often the notes up there can lose body, sounding dull and flat, especially if you have to play them short. Make sure you open your throat/chest/nose as much as you can, imagining the sound coming from deep down. Resist the temptation to simply blowing more and see if you can use the slowest and least amount of air to achieve a warm "glow" in the sound. I've also found, the more the hands can let go, the more your sound will ring. Always keep observing, listening, and feeling. When everything clicks in, it'll feel great! 

As you can see, articulation is not just about the tongue, but also very much connected to so many aspects of our playing technique. The fun is to be able to piece everything together and at the end, see what you can do to make that final personal touch to create your signature interpretation! In my case, I envision trapeze artists defying gravity and tumbling across the air with this piece.