Helen Bledsoe

Category: extended techniques

  • Bisbigliando or Not?

    Let’s do some logic: I assume the answer is “no” – at tempo = 60 this is not really rapid. Again my guess is “no”, neither the notation nor the tempo would qualify this as a tremolo. Again the logical conclusion is “no”. It does not fit the criteria for a tremolo or a trill.…

  • Lumping and Splitting Part III

    Subtitle: the Great Jet Whistle Lump (for an introduction to the topic of Lumping and Splitting, read Part I) “Airy Sound” is an indication that I come across very often. Although I use it myself in my own pieces, I am aware that it’s a whole kettle of lumped-together fish! For flutists, the main distinction…

  • Lumping and Splitting Part II

    (Read Part I for an intro to this topic.) Here are my opinions (at this point) about notating techniques for the flute: which techniques for the flute one can lump together (generalize), and which ones benefit from more differentiation. Percussive sounds in Ensemble/orchestral situations There are several places to put your tongue inside your mouth…

  • Lumping Whistles and Splitting Pizzes

    Part 1 In the realm of notation of extended techniques, the phenomenon of Lumpers and Splitters is alive and well. First, a short explanation of this phenomenon, then I will give you my take on how lumpers and lumping seems to be the dominant force behind recent notation trends. In Part 2 I will discuss…

  • Right or Wrong? Extended or Not?

    Every community has its own lingo, subject to the winds of its own political climate. The community of Contemporary Western Art Music is no exception. #Flutists and flutist/composers form a micro-climate within this community, and we certainly like to make our voices heard. There has been a call from our corner to scorn the term…

  • Multiphonics: Tips for Study

    Actually, this is a “notes-to-self” entry disguised as “Tips”. There are good sources for learning and practicing multiphonics such as Robert Dick’s “Tone Development through Extended Techniques” (although I know the term “extended techniques” has gone out of fashion, but the practice in the book is solid). I also have a detailed presentation where I…

  • New Tutorial Series for Composers

    I have done quite a few tutorials, thanks to the Musikfabrik and our youth ensemble Studio Musifabrik. However, in the course of our Adventure project with composition students from the Hochschule here in Cologne, there are several topics that keep coming up. I have been asked to make short explanatory videos about these topics, and…

  • Extended Techniques for Flute – Notation Cheat-Sheet

    So here is my attempt to get a lot of information to you quickly and succinctly via Google spreadsheets. The photo quality is not so good, but this way I can make quick changes, and you are always viewing the latest version. This is not an exhaustive overview of all notation practices – it is…