Another important aspect of articulating notes is the use of accents. Accent markings are used to indicate notes which are to be sung or played louder than other notes. The most common are the tenuto accent (long), indicated by a horizontal wedge mark above or below the note, and the staccato accent (short), indicated by a vertical wedge above or below the note.
This example uses both types of accents. Try adding accents to phrases you already know and then try using them in your improvising.