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Extended techniques

3K views 15 replies 11 participants last post by  Lambros 
#1 ·
I'm taking a composition class and am inspired by this idea of basing this composition on machine sounds. I'm writing for alto and marimba/ other aux. percussion. Any ideas on some weird sounds that aren't too difficult to execute (and if there's any notation to go with it)?

Something I'm listening to for inspiration:

 
#2 ·
I'm not doing anything this weird but here's some extended techniques for flute, I'm wanting some for saxophone. All of this was notated and memorized by the performers- listen for at least a minute before you totally give up on it- it's actually kind of cool! My instructor is very into this kind of stuff!

 
#3 ·
great piece! Played a lot of this stuff on flute when I was a student. Never heared of Kate Soper - did you hear this one: ?
On flute, Robert Dick would be the guy, but on sax I don't know whom to study.
 
#5 ·
Taragot: The "Killing Jar"- what a great way to musically represent what bugs feel like when scientists put them in jars! it looks like the notation explains each technique, but maybe there's a list somewhere of the more typical ones. The vocalist has some crazy intervals in that.

Pete: Key noise might be the easiest to start with for my purposes. I can do that thing where you use alternate fingerings to make notes sound different, but they are haphazard in my improvising when I do use them and kind of random.
 
#9 ·
I like the kissing effect Derek Brown uses! :love2:

I'm having fun checking out this stuff you're suggesting. The more I listen to free and avante garde music, the more I kind of like it, but some of it works, while some of it doesn't. There's a line in Phantom of the Opera, "It's in the soul that the true distortion lies"- artists have that bent of imagination- sometimes it seems like it's based on a truth and sometimes it's really just B.S.- but who's to say?
 
#13 ·
When you said machine sounds it made me think of this guy Johnnyrandom; who makes music by sampling the sound of bicycle parts - spokes plucked or bowed, cassettes clicking, tires being thumped with mallets, etc. I think there's a guy who does this type of thing with kitchen utensils as well.

In terms of extended saxophone technique Sam Newsome came to mind. Check out some of the samples of the tracks on his CD here; https://www.amazon.com/Straight-Horn-Africa-Path-Liberation/dp/B00OQP54MY

I was at a concert of his in March of 2016 at the Rocky Mountain Saxophone Summit held at Colorado State and ended up with a copy of both this CD and his book ( https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1522093714&sr=1-1 ). The book is great , basically a series of short stories and essays that would be very useful to a young musician just starting out as a pro. The CD honestly is a little too far out there for me as it's almost entirely extended sax techniques performed on the soprano. After listening to the samples if you want the CD PM me your address and I'll send it out to you. If you have questions about producing the sounds contact Sam; http://sopranosaxtalk.blogspot.com/2012/09/from-starving-artist-to-tenured.html
he's absolutely the nicest guy in the world and loves to talk about that kind of stuff.
 
#14 ·
One/two extended technique(s) you can also use on the sax, to some degree, is removing the mouthpiece and playing on the neck like a trumpet (it's a small opening, but it is possible), or slapping the hole with the palm of the hand while pressing different keys.
 
#15 ·
Lambros- I enjoyed the Rahsaan video- also, if I do my grad project on flute/saxophone that would be a good video to include.
Keith- PM sent
creacher- Those ideas sound like something to try. Turns out I'm kind of lifting the rhythmic ideas from the machine sounds, but I have the rest of the semester to play with it. I can't use any digital sounds, so I'm not sure if I'll try for the actual sounds sounds or stick to using the rhythms that are happening.
 
#16 ·
Glad you enjoyed it Sonja and pretty much anything RRK is worth your while. I also agree with Keith about Sam Newsome as I think he is one of the best sop players on the planet. He does a fantastic Monk medley where he uses all of his multi-phonic/cross fingering, flutter tongue, and overtone technique which at times almost sounds like Eddie Van Halen guitar harmonics. He is absolutely amazing.
 
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