Helen Bledsoe

Category: Advice for Composers

  • Glissandi and Quarter Tones on the Lowest Notes

    I often get asked if (lipped) glissandi and quarter tones are possible on the lowest notes of the flute. Sure, I say, theoretically. Nine times out of ten, I regret this positive answer. Here are the notes in question: On these notes, glissandi and quarter tones are produced with the embouchure. There are no open…

  • Composing for Flute with Text or Vowel/Consonant Sounds

    Here is a tutorial for composers interested in specifying consonant articulations (p, b, k) and vowel colorations (o, a, i) for flute. Or for those who are interested in combining text with flute sounds. There are different contexts that can be applied. In the first few minutes I talk about phonemes and aeolian (air) sounds.…

  • 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)

  • 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…

  • Tempo, Where’s the Hurry?

    In my last entry, I made some sarcastic remarks about the tempo in Berio’s Sequenza for flute being too fast. Now with genuine curiosity, I would like to probe composers’ psyche in the hopes that it will reveal why given tempi are often too fast. I will try not to make this a rant. Given…

  • Electronic Music, Tape vs. Live Electronics, Click Tracks. Q and A

    [Taken with permission from an interview with Cássia Carrascoza Bomfim, in preparation for her doctoral dissertation] Do you feel a lot of difference between playing works with a pre-recorded tape and computer processing in real time (Max/msp)? Both ways present various issues of playing with a microphone. With a tape piece, I am concerned that the live…

  • Composing Articulation for Winds – Tell Me What To Say

    This is an imaginary passage I have composed that has annoying and confusing articulation marks. If you are not a wind player, the fact that this is annoying may puzzle you. It’s like this: as a wind player, from the very beginning you receive strict instructions on the use of the tongue. If there is…