Blog for Flutists and Composers
-
Pierre Boulez Dialogue de l’Ombre Double for flute/bass flute
Adapting, recording and releasing the flute/bass flute version of Boulez’ Dialogue de l’Ombre Double has been a ten year labor of love (and frustration). The mischievous flutist inside me listened to this clarinet piece and thought, why doesn’t Boulez write for flute this way? Not to disparage his wonderful works for flute, but his Dialogue…
-
Berio Sequenza Audio Recording and Saunders Bite
Some time ago I posted about recording the Berio Sequenza for Flute. So many other projects have been realized since our session in January 2016 that there has been a large gap between recording and release, but we have made sure the recording is decent. I have only the following reservations: since the idea was…
-
Multiphonics, yes or no. A Flowchart
Well, it’s more of a labyrinth than a flow chart, but here it is. This is specifically geared towards ensemble writing. Here’s a link to the file as a PDF: Multiphonic_flow(3)
-
Preparation – again
For me there are still three levels to gain once you have practiced a piece. First, you can read it through Second, you can actually play it Third, you can start to make music with it Next week I will play the premiere of Rebecca Saunder’s Bite which is a 15+ minute piece for bass flute…
-
Seasons, and a Practice Idea
I have been thinking about practicing freely and vacation time from the flute. In the past, I have put the flute down for long periods of time (8 weeks was my longest break, when I was juggling a big decision of where to settle down). However, despite my long vacation time this year I realized…
-
Intonation Exercises
Here is a compendium of intonation exercises I have written over the years. They require either two players or one player and a sound-generator such as a tuner or an app. (The exception is the “Exchange” exercise.) These exercises are based on being able to discern and manipulate difference tones, and contain a basic introduction…
-
Composing for Flute, advice and warnings
Here is a running list of salient points from my separate blog entries together in one place. This is a work in progress, so any tips are welcome. For more advice on composing for flute, you can view all entries in the categories: Composing for Flute, or pet peeves. Range of the Flute and the Characteristics of…
-
Which extended techniques are harmful to flutes?
During composer workshops, I am sometimes pleased to hear the question: “What are some techniques we should definitely not use because they may harm your instrument?” So I will keep a running list here. Slamming your hands onto the keywork. A snap of the finger for a key click is one thing (and not all…