What’s so hard about articulations?

For the past month, I have tried to get to the bottom of why students struggle with playing the right articulations in their music. Is it laziness? Stubbornness? Or is it just plain hard.  For years I assumed kids were just lazy about articulations but then I had a situation that made me question that assumption.

A few weeks ago, I noticed a group of kids coming back from marching band rehearsal walking and playing their show music. I thought it was great that they were still energized to keep playing even after an hour-long morning rehearsal. The problem was a lot of them were displaying really sloppy articulations in the music.  It became a little frustrating because we had worked so hard in class to fix those issues but I guess it went through one ear and out the other.  So it raised the immediate question of why do students struggle so much with articulation.

As I tried to answer that question, it made me reflect on my own experiences as a young musician.  Even though I was a motivated and hardworking student, I often struggled with playing the right articulations. I guess at the time a few missed slurs, accents or staccatos here and there didn’t seem like a big deal. It wasn’t until I got to Eastman where I really started to respect the music more.

After thinking about this common problem I wasn’t able to come up with just one answer. It could be a variety of things and it might vary from student to student. So, fellow educators, what do you think the problem is and what are some possible solutions to help fix it?

Written by:

Jessica Wilkins  

Owner of JDW Sheet Music