Extended woodwinds (17 Sep)

This is far from an exhaustive list, but it will get us started.

Flute

  • Consider separately for the purposes of extended techniques, as the sound production is fundamentally different than the rest of the woodwind family.
  • References
  • Harmonics: You can give the fundamental with a diamond (in the lowest octave, this is the fingering the player will use) and then show the intended note with a harmonic circle above
  • Flutter tonguing – possible on other woodwinds as well, but particularly common for flute, as the mouth cavity is more open
  • Percussive tonguing
    • tongue pizz.
    • tongue stops (fundamentals only, lowest octave)
  • Pitch bends – slight bends achieved by rolling the flute in or out
  • Jet whistle: very fast over-blowing through a series of harmonics
  • Whistle tones: very soft, subtle high sounds
  • Breath tone (related: “shakuhachi” style)
  • alternate fingerings (microtones, timbral trills)
  • Sing (while playing or not)
  • works
    • George Crumb: Vox Balanae
    • Ian Clarke: Zoom Tube
    • Robert Dick: Lookout (and lots of other works)
    • Luciano Berio: Sequenza I

Reeds

  • Key clicks (also on flute): very soft!
  • Alternate fingerings (microtones, timbral trills)
  • Singing while playing (sligtly trickier than on flute, but doable)
  • Multiphonics (fingerings and voicings that produce multiple sounds)
    • require special fingerings
    • some more suited to loud playing, others to soft playing
    • may vary slightly between players and instruments
    • consult a fingering chart, or better yet, a performer, or even better, the performer who will premiere the work
  • Slap tongue
    • open (more percussive air sound)
    • closed (more pitch, pizzicato-like)
  • works
    • oboe
      • Luciano Berio: Sequenza VII (my favorite of the sequenzas)
      • Heinz Holliger: Studie for Oboe (This is the person for whom the Berio oboe sequenza was written. There are two studies.)
    • saxophone
      • Christian Lauba: Neuf études for saxophone (“Sanza” has some good multiphonic staccato examples, “Jungle” includes slap tongue, many require circular breathing to play as written)
      • William Albright: Doo Dah for three alto saxophones
      • David MacDonald: Inner/Outer Monologue for unaccompanied tenor saxophone 
    • clarinet
      • Eric Mandat: Rrowzer! (forgive him the title)
      • Leslie Basset: Soliloquies
      • Luciano Berio: Sequenza IX

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