Louisiana State University
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LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses
Graduate School
1997
An Examination of Two Contemporary
Techniques in Five Works for Solo Bassoon:
Descriptions and Performance Suggestions.
Steve Vacchi
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Recommended Citation
Vacchi, Steve, "An Examination of Two Contemporary Techniques in Five Works for Solo Bassoon: Descriptions and Performance
Suggestions." (1997). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6531.
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A N EXAMINATION OF TWO CONTEMPORARY TECHNIQUES
IN FIVE WORKS FOR SOLO BASSOON:
DESCRIPTIONS A N D PERFORMANCE SUGGESTIONS
A W itte n D ocum ent
Subm itted to the G raduate Faculty o f the
L ouisiana State U niversity and
A gricultural a n d Mechanical College
in p a rtia l fulfillm ent of the
requirem ents for the degree of
Doctor o f Musical Arts
in
T he School of Music
Steve Vacchi
B. M us., E astm an School of M usic
of the U niversity of Rochester,. 1990
M. M us., The H artt School
of the U niversity of Hartford, 1993
A ugust 1997
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© Copyright 1997
Steve Vacchi
All rights reserved
ii
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I w o u ld like to thank m y M ends, colleagues, stu d en ts a n d fam ily for
their u n d erstan d in g a n d su p p o rt throughout th e p aper-w riting stage o f the
degree. T hanks are also due to the mem bers o f the com m ittee for their
guidance this p a st year. Finally, m any thanks to all the teachers w ho have
in sp ired a n d challenged me.
iii
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
A C K N O W LED G EM EN TS..................................................................... iii
A B S T R A C T ..........................................................................................v
CHAPTER
1
IN T R O D U C T IO N ............................................................. 1
2
FL U T T E R T O N G U E ....................................................... 6
Definitions and D e s c r ip t i o n s ..........................6
A pproach and Practice Suggestions . . . . 10
A pplication to lite ra tu re :
Observations an d Suggestions . . .
13
3
SINGING WHILE P L A Y I N G ........................................ 24
Definitions and D e s c r ip t i o n s ............................ 24
A pproach and Practice Suggestions . . . . 28
A pplication to Literature:
O bservations an d Suggestions . . .
32
4
C O N C L U S IO N .......................................................40
R E F E R E N C E S ...........................................................................................41
V I T A .......................................................................................................... 44
iv
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ABSTRACT
M uch of the literature for solo bassoon o f the past few decades is
p artially dependent u p o n the player's ability to use contem porary
techniques. W hile it is atypical for a n entire com position to rely o n su ch
devices, a significant volum e of recent solo literature m ay be unplayable to
those w ho have n o t m astered them . M y aim is to help solo bassoonists in
perfecting tw o specific contem porary techniques: fluttertongue and singing
w h ile playing. T hough quite stan d ard for other w oodw ind instrum ents
su c h as the flute, these techniques have n o t been adequately described for
bassoonists. The repertoire chosen for this project represents w orks for
solo bassoon th at em ploy both fluttertongue and singing while playing.
The pieces chosen for stu d y dem onstrate variety in notational
representation, range o f application a n d approach and departure from
instances of these techniques. As a perform er an d advocate of
contem porary bassoon w orks, I feel th a t a clear and approachable m ethod
fo r these techniques w o u ld encourage perform ers to program m ore
contem porary m usic a n d offer com posers the opportunity to have relevant
pieces perform ed rath er th an avoided.
v
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
M uch of the literature for solo bassoon of the p ast few decades is
partially d ependent u p o n the p lay er's ability to use contem porary
techniques. W hile it is atypical for a n entire com position to rely o n such
devices, a significant volum e of recent solo literature m ay be unplayable to
those w ho have not m astered them . M y aim is to assist solo bassoonists in
perfecting tw o specific contem porary techniques: fluttertongue a n d singing
w hile playing. I w ould expect this project to result in m ore perform ances
of these w orks an d encourage bassoonists to explore literature th at m ight
otherw ise rem ain untouched.
Of all the w oodw ind instrum ents, the flute stands o u t as having
m any proponents of new techniques an d a relevant b ody of representative
literature th a t is often perform ed. T hough quite standard for flutists, some
of these techniques have not been adequately described for bassoonists.
Relatively few statem ents about fluttertongue and singing w hile playing
are fou nd in sources for w oodw ind instrum ents other th an the flute, and
observations for their use by bassoonists are that m uch m ore rare. In
G ardner R ead's Thesaurus of O rchestral Devices, for exam ple, the
catalogue o f w orks em ploying w oodw ind fluttertongue includes only two
item s for bassoon—far few er th an all other listed w oodw inds, including
piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, English h orn, bass clarinet and saxophone. In
fact, one o f these listings is in error: Shostakovich's First Sym phony does
not call for fluttertongue at the indicated excerpt. Rather, the score shows
half notes in the w ind parts crossed w ith tw o beams— a com m on an d clear
1
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reference to sixteenth notes.1 Some e v en consider the use of fluttertongue
as altogether im possible for some double reed instrum ents: "O n oboe a n d
English horn a n authentic fluttertonguing is im possible, b u t a 'fak ed '
variety can be obtained b y dim inishing th e blow ing pressure so as to
produce a ro u g h a n d trem ulous so u n d resem bling fluttering."2 Besides
Alexandre O uzounoff's brief yet useful practice ideas3, the notion of
singing while playing the bassoon is largely overlooked. Even in the
appendix to Dieter H anchen's anthology containing Christfried Schm idt's
Solo fiir Fagott, the technique is om itted entirely.4
These tw o techniques deserve a m ore thorough, step-by-step
approach to their practical use and u n d erstan d in g b y bassoonists.
Furtherm ore, I w ill offer exercises for practicing these techniques as w ell as
perform ance suggestions for five solo bassoon w orks that dem and their
use. Specific concerns of notation a n d interpretation of com posers'
indications will be addressed for each o f the pieces studied. The repertoire
chosen for this project represents w orks for solo bassoon that em ploy b o th
fluttertongue an d singing w hile playing. The pieces chosen for study
dem onstrate variety in notational representation, range of application a n d
approach a n d departure from instances o f these techniques. The five
pieces chosen for stu d y are Debussy Variations No. 7 (1977) by Patrick
K avanaugh, A ir pour basson (1973) by M iklds M aros, Fantasmi fo r solo
1Gardner Read, Thesaurus of Orchestral Devices (London. Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons,
1969), 63-67.
2Gardner Read C o n tem p o rary Instrum ental Techniques (New York: Schirmer Books,
1976), 136.
3Alexandre Ouzounoff. Actuellement le Basson (Paris: Editions Salabert, 1986), 98-99.
4Dieter Hanchen, ed. Zeitgenossische Musik fur Fagott Solo ^Leipzig: VEB Deutscher
Verlag fur Musik, 1986), 120-127.
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bassoon (1987) by Scott R. Meister, Bloc V pour basson solo (1982) by Patrice
M estral, a n d Solo fu r Fagott (1982) by Christfried Schmidt.
M y goal is to define b o th techniques a n d illustrate th e ir production.
In the case o f the fluttertongue, b o th literal an d alternative (uvular)
m anners of effecting the desired sound w ill be exam ined. A g radual
approach to each technique w ill follow, starting from a n e u tra l p o in t w ith
no reed an d no bassoon. The process continues, adding the reed , bocal, and
successive sections of the instrum ent. Exercises w ill exam ine variables
such as air requirem ents, placem ent o f tongue, pitch consistency, factors of
range, control, dynamics, resistance, etc. Tendencies a n d lim itations w ill
becom e clear, an d will vary according to the individual. As ability w ith
each technique progresses, application to fam iliar literature c o u ld be a
useful step, such as applying fluttertongue to know n etudes o r solo pieces.
Finally, negotiation of literature requiring each technique w ill determ ine
practice a n d perform ance concerns of each piece.
Interpretation of com posers' desires through their n o tatio n will be a
focus o f m y perform ance suggestions for each of the five w orks chosen for
study. W here certain am biguities exist, I w ill offer m ore th a n one possible
interpretation rather than dictate an absolute solution. C e rtain problem s
will be addressed for each technique. For example, in the case of the
fluttertongue, som e sources suggest th a t the ability to p ro duce a true
flutter— the rolled 'r '— lies in o u r genetic makeup: 'I t has b e e n pointed
o u t th a t the ability of w ind players to flutter-tongue is m ore hereditary
than acquired, ow ing to the physical incapacity of som e perform ers to trill
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4
w ith the to n g u e/* Since this d e arly does n o t fall w ithin an individual's
ability to control, producing the alternative version m ay be necessary. In
this case, references to such analogies as a n unvoiced gargle, cat's purr, o r
the g uttu ral French 'r ' m ay help in p ro d u cin g the uvular flutter. Even if
the true flutter can be produced, a significant problem is posed by the fact
that a double reed is involved in the so u n d production. The reed
obviously reduces th e space available in the oral cavity for the tongue to
flutter, b u t adjustm ents in tongue placem ent a n d observations o n the
volume and speed o f air required m ay assist its use. Potential lim itations
in term s of the instrum ent's range w ill also be examined.
Regarding problem s w ith singing w hile playing, a relevant issue
involves one's vocal range. C ertainly differing for each individual, this
can pose problem s o f octave transposition a n d /o r use of male falsetto if
necessary. H ere, a com poser's indications need to be explicit, an d m ust
encom pass m ore th a n a single vocal range. Even if a piece w ere intended
for a single p erfo rm er's capabilities, alternative options can provide the
possibility o f m ore performances by other players. Dempster describes this
very point: "Perhaps it w ould be best to com pose 'ossia' parts so that
perform ers of either sex could use double stops the w ay the composer
intended."6 O uzounoff goes one step further in his recom m endation th a t
each perform er's abilities be considered: "O ne m ust nevertheless take into
consideration the vocal possibilities o f each instrum entalist, w ith w hom a
s See note 2 above.
"Stuart Dempster. The Modem Trombone: A Definition of its Idiom ^Berkeley:
University of California Press, 1980), 8.
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5
d o se collaboration is necessary (m y translation)."7 H ow ever, w here a
com poser does not indicate m ore th an one option for vocal parts, the
piece's integrity m ay be affected. Specific intervals w ith in certain octaves
m ig h t be desired by the composer, an d octave transpositions m ight n o t be
w h a t w as intended. Ultimately, the com poser's w ishes as dem onstrated
th ro u g h notation m ust be d e a rly a n d aptly interpreted by the perform er to
serve the purpose of the music.
As a perform er and advocate of contem porary bassoon works,
I feel th a t a reference w ork for fluttertongue and singing while playing can
serve as a bridge to a significant am ount of repertoire. A d e a r and
approachable m ethod for the production of these techniques w ould
encourage perform ers to program m ore contem porary m usic and offer
com posers the opportunity to have relevant pieces perform ed rather th an
avoided.
7D taut tenir compte ndanmoins des possibility vocaJes de chaque instrumentiste avec
lequel une collaboration gtroite est n£cessaire. Ouzounoff, 98.
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CHAPTER 2: FLUTTERTONGUE
Definitions and Descriptions
M any distinctions exist in describing the nature o f fluttertonguing in
a m usical co n tex t As a point of departure, I will refer to general
definitions before turning to sources m ore specific to w in d playing. In the
N ew Grove Dictionary of Music an d M usicians, the term is defined as "A
type of tonguing dem anded b y som e 20th-century com posers in w hich the
instrum entalist rolls the letter V o n the tip of his tongue w hile playing.
The technique is particularly effective o n the flute, b u t it is also applied to
various other w in d instruments."* M oving to The Langu a ge of Tw entieth
C entury Music: A Dictionary o f Term s, w e find that the technique is
credited to use before the tw entieth century: "A type of articulation u sed on
w ind instrum ents (particularly flute, piccolo, and brass) in w hich the
player rolls his tongue, as though saying 'd rrr'. The result is a kind of dry
and rap id trem olo o n a single pitch. Richard Strauss w as am ong the first to
em ploy the technique in Don Quixote (1898) [sic]."9
Regarding sources m ore specific to w ind playing, H ow ell begins his
description of the technique w ith a succinct analogy: "This is the w ind
equivalent o f trem olo on strings; in the case of flute its so u n d is often
indistinguishable from string trem olo in orchestration."10 Penazzi asserts
some details specific to the bassoonist's use of fluttertongue:
'Stanley Sadie, N e w G rove Dictionary of Music and M usicians rtn n rln n Macmillan,
1980), 682.
' Robert Fink and Robert Ricci, The Language of Twentieth Century Music: A Dictionary
of Terms (New York: Schirmer Books, 1975), 31.
10Thomas Howell, The Avant-Garde Flute: A Handbook for Composers and Flutists
(Berkeley: University of California Press, 1974), 25.
6
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7
It is difficult to achieve on the bassoon, [sic] a good fluttertongue effect of the
type common to the flute and brasses because the bassoonist m ust perform two actions
simultaneously: he must exert pressure on the reed w ith his lips in order to maintain
the pitch and at the same tim e flutter his tongue against the opening. The result is
that some sounds, especially in the upper register, cannot be fluttered since in order to
play them at all the lip pressure m ust be considerable. This is true for all instruments
played by inserting a reed o r mouthpiece directly between the lips. This technique
requires a considerable am ount of breath, and can therefore only be used on notes or
phrases that are not too long.11
Penazzi offers a recom m ended range for the use o f fluttertongue,
encom passing B^l th ro u g h C4.u In term s of em ploym ent o f the literal
technique of fluttertonguing (actually rolling o r fluttering th e tip o f the
tongue), it m ay be true th a t notes above C4 cannot be fluttered. However,
repertoire exists th at calls for the technique to be used on h igher pitches,
an d m any sources describe the technique as h av in g m ore th an one m anner
of production.
W hen describing alternative types of fluttertongue, m o st sources
tend to be instrum ent-specific, including those for flute, clarinet, trom bone
an d bassoon. A m ore general reference is A nthony Baines' W o o d w in d
In stru m e n ts an d their H istory, w hich offers the follow ing brief description
of tw o techniques: "Flutter-tonguing, som etim es dem anded from flute and
clarinet, is generally done by trilling the tip o f the tongue (as Italian R), but
it can also be done by m aking the uvula vibrate (as French R ; like a m otor­
bicycle starting up)."13 This definition offers a n ew view point o n effecting
" Sergio Penazzi, n Fagotto- Altre Techniche: Nuove Fonti di Espressione Musicale
(Milano: Ricordi, 1982), 60.
12Throughout this work, I use a system of reference for the range of foe bassoon. Thus,
Bbl is the lowest normal chromatic pitch available on the instrument, w ith successively
higher octaves correspondingly numbered.
11Anthony Baines, Woodwind Instruments and their History fNpw York: W. W. Norton
and Company, 1963), 42.
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8
the resu lt of the technique rath er th an specifying a single, literal m ethod of
production. I feel th a t this is less a question o f m usical ethics th a n one of
honoring a com poser's intentions. Similar to differences in effecting
double- or triple-tonguing, variations in producing the so u n d desired by
the indication o f "fluttertongue" seem a necessary variable to be considered
by the perform er. O uzounoff amplifies m y ow n sentim ents in his
description of the technique: "The fluttertongue is pro d u ced b y the throat
or by the tongue. It is feasible throughout the complete range of the
in stru m en t (m y translation)."14 Stuart Dem pster refers to a t least three
versions of fluttertongue production, one of w hich is m ore com m on to
brass instrum ents th a n w oodw inds: ". . . m ost people k n o w the principles
of how they them selves perform the fluttertongue. Some sa y they use a
tongue m ovem ent (and specify front or back), others say th ey use a throat
action, and still others say they use the voice."15 T hough a tex t geared
tow ard clarinetists, Phillip Rehfeldt's N ew Directions for C larinet not only
describes tw o m anners o f producing this technique, b u t also includes all
w oodw inds in its perform ance capability:
Introduced by Strauss in Don Quixote (1897), flutter tonguing is applicable to
all members of the woodwind family of instruments. For the clarinet, it is produced
either by rolling the tongue on the upper palate, as if pronouncing d-r-r-t; or, since
many clarinetists experience difficulties with the mouthpiece obstructing such
movement, by an uvular undulation in the throat facilitated by raising the back of
the tongue slightly in the m outh. The result of the latter is nearly identical to the
rolling-tongue method, but the pronunciation is more like g-r-r-r.“
14 Le flatterzunge est produit par la gorge ou par la langue. D est realisable sur l'€tendue
complete de l'instrum ent Ouzounoff, 7.
’*Dempster, 39.
"P hillip Rehfeldt, New Directions for Clarinet ^Berkeley: U niversity of California
Press, 1994), 63-64.
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9
The obstruction described by Rehfeldt is sim ilar to that produced by a
bassoon reed in the oral cavity.
Three final sources refer to tw o types o f fluttertongue production.
Thomas E. Rainey, Jr. illustrates ranges for "gutteial" [sic] and "rolling"
fluttertongue in The Flute M anual.17 Joan Templar Sm ith's article
describes m anners o f production for each type of fluttertongue:
In general there are two ways In w hich this effect is being produced by
flutists today. One of these ways has been described by Cedi Forsyth as follows:
"The player . . . rolls his tongue thus 'd -r-r-r' w ithout touching his lips" (Cedi
Forsyth, O rchestration [London: MacMillan and Co., Ltd., 1935], 193). This method of
throwing the tip of the tongue into vibration can also be attained through imitating
the tongue movement required in pronouncing an initial Spanish "r" or a Spanish
double "r". A second way in which the flutter-tongue effect is being produced today is
through the use of gargling-Iike movements in the throat1*
Nancy Toff also defines two types o f fluttertongue production: ". . . the
Spanish or dental 'r ', produced by rolling the tip of the tongue on the hard
palate . . . [and] the French 'r ' is m ade by vibration of the uvula against
the back of the tongue. . . / n9 In linguistic term s, the roll created by
fluttering the tongue represents one o f four m ain types of constriction
m ade by the articulators in producing consonants. Producing interm ittent
closure, the roll or trill is defined further: "O ne articulator taps rapidly
against another—typically the tongue tip against the alveolar ridge or the
tongue back against the uvula, in the different kinds of trilled r, heard for
example in m any English, French, a n d G erm an accents."®
17Thomas E. Rainey. Jr.. The Flute M anual: A Comprehensive Text and Resource Book for
Both die Teacher and the Student (Lanham: University Press of America, fine., 1985), 92.
"JoanTemplar Smith, "Fluttertonguing," The Instrumentalist21 (1966): 5,126.
’*Nancy Toff, The Development of the Modem Flute (New York: Taplinger Publishing
Company, 1979), 214-215.
20David Crystal, T he C am bridge E ncyclopedia o f L anguage (C am hrirlge- Cambridge
University Press, 1987), 157.
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10
I feel th a t the ability o f a bassoonist to produce b o th types of
fluttertongue can be very useful depending on the context o f the effect.
R elevant issues in considering the tw o types of fluttertongue include the
availability of space in the oral cavity, tongue placem ent, air speed, volum e
of air needed for reed vibration w hile fluttering, a n d associated effects
u p o n range a n d /o r pitch level. These issues will be exam ined in the
follow ing section and through various exercises.
Approach and Practice Suggestions
In considering both types of fluttertongue, I have devised a step-bystep approach for the bassoonist. The process begins from a neutral point
involving neither the bassoon reed nor the instrum ent. The perform er
flutters the tongue or uvula w ith the lips positioned as if pronouncing 'oo'.
Some analogies which m ay help produce the front fluttertongue include
the Italian 'r ', Spanish 'r r ', and 'd rrr'; the back flutter m ay be helped by the
French 'r ', an unvoiced gargle, or G erm an 'r '; 'g rrr' an d the sound of a cat's
p u rr m ay help either m ethod. Experim entation w ith different flutter
intensities is useful at this stage in order to become accustom ed to
variations in length, placem ent a n d tension of the tongue as well as
requirem ents of air and space in the oral cavity. The next step repeats the
first b u t incorporates norm al breathing and support habits fam iliar to
the player. This provides additional foundation a n d elim inates any
u n w an ted variables at this stage of learning the new technique.
Practice w ith the bassoon reed alone follows. A t first, the initial two
steps are repeated w ith the reed m erely inserted into the embouchure.
V ibration of the reed does n o t yet take place. Focus on norm al breathing
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11
and su p p o rt rem ain key a t this point, as air will exit through the ree d even
though it is n o t vibrating. The next step is to introduce vibration o f the
reed; this represents the p rim ary challenge in applying die technique to the
instrum ent. A djustm ents to sensations discovered in this step w ill be
necessary. The player m ay consider using a m ore focused air stream , faster
air speed, a n d /o r m ore em bouchure pressure th an in norm al playing.
Again, the process w ill be easier if the player m aintains familiar su p p o rt
and breathing habits.
Once the flutter is com bined w ith reed vibration, sim ple exercises
can strengthen the sensation even before add in g the instrum ent. Practicing
long tones at various dynam ic levels, w e can follow tw o sequences o n a
single pitch:
1) begin w ith air only— a d d reed vibration—then a d d flutter—
rem ove flutter— th en rem ove reed vibration— e n d w ith air only
and similarly,
2) begin w ith air only—a d d flutter— then a d d reed vibration—
rem ove reed vibration— th en rem ove flutter— e n d w ith air only
M aintaining a steady p itch level w hile continuing to su p p o rt in a fam iliar
m anner is essential. The ad d itio n of the bocal follows, w ith the p layer
adjusting to changes in air stream a n d resistance. M ore resonance a n d
freer vibration w ill be noticed a t this point. Since the reed an d bocal
combination results in a fairly fixed pitch, m aintenance of a single p itch
may be practiced as described above for the reed alone.
Practice continues in this m anner, w ith further adjustm ents an d
observations noted as the tenor, boot, bass an d bell joints are added. The
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12
player w ill notice th at resonance an d the characteristic bassoon sound
develop m uch m ore after adding the boot jo in t V arious vow el sounds
a n d corresponding shapes in the oral cavity m ay b e u se d to dem onstrate
preferences w ith either type of fluttertongue. M oving the tongue back
slightly to the h a rd palate m ay help produce the fro n t flutter. Changes in
resistance a n d resonance as well as requirem ents o f air a n d support will be
discovered d u rin g this process. W hen the perform er is playing on the
fully-assem bled bassoon (F2 or o p en F), m aintenance o f this single pitch
can serve as a goal of the process as w ell as a fou n d atio n from w hich to
explore the rem ainder of the instrum ent's range.
I find th at using the literal (front) fluttertongue becom es extremely
difficult into the third octave. M aintenance of accurate pitch in this range
requires m ore em bouchure pressure w ith the literal roll. The tendency is
for this m ethod to result in flatter pitch in the h ig h er range. Keeping the
tongue in the center of the h ard palate an d a n 'e e ' vow el shape m ay help
these pitch issues. The action of rolling the tip o f th e tongue also dem ands
a faster airstream of greater volum e th an norm al playing.
As tendencies and lim itations are discovered, the player can practice
specific, single pitches to further experim ent. C onsiderations such as
resistance, support, airstream, sound, attack, release, a n d dynam ic levels
becom e issues to be dealt w ith, as m ay variables in reed requirem ents.
M oving from norm al playing to fluttertongue a n d back again can be
developed d u rin g long-tone practice. The exercises m entioned above for
reed alone can be applied here.
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13
C ontinued discovery in applying fluttertongue can be dem onstrated
th ro u g h use of the technique o n m ore fam iliar m aterial. This can include
scales an d arpeggios, Etudes, and solo pieces already know n by the player.
Since su ch repertoire is already fam iliar, the focus can rem ain o n using the
effect in a m ore m usical context th an the previous isolated exercises. The
player w ill continue to notice differences in m any areas as com pared to
traditional playing. I recom m end the introduction of either the literal or
u v u lar m eth o d singly, later repeating the process using the second type of
flu tterto n g u e.
Application to Literature: Observations and Suggestions
M iklos M ar os
(b. 1943), A ir pour basson
(1973)
H ungarian-born Sw edish com poser M aros dem ands the use of
fluttertongue in just tw o instances in this piece. The first involves eleven
articulated notes w ithin the range of B1 to E2. The effect is m arked
fortissim o w ith accents on the first tw o notes. N otation for the effect is
dear, b o th m arked "flatter tongue" a n d indicated w ith three slashes above
each note head or through each note stem . O ne b reath indication is
p ro v id ed, a n d from the th ird th ro u g h eleventh notes a rhythm ic
acceleration is notated. This case is preceded b y a sustained forte D4 and
leads to groups of articulated pitches ranging from F2 toD*3. M oving the
em bouchure slightly tow ard the tip o f the reed an d switching to an 'oo'
vow el can help the transition from D4 to the fluttered Bl.
The second example in the piece occurs a t the top of page tw o and
involves four articulated notes in d u d in g the pitches B l and C* 1
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14
exclusively. This second instance, again m arked fortissim o, m ay require a
slight pause before its initiation due to the playing w hich im m ediately
precedes it: the indication is to "blow into a trum pet m outhpiece or
som ething similar; p lay in the low register!"21 T hough a b rea th m ark
follows this notation a n d precedes the second instance o f fluttertonguing,
the composer does n o t indicate w hether playing w ith the tru m p e t
m outhpiece is to occur o n the bassoon itself, thus necessitating a
substitution of m outhpiece for reed, or separate from the instrum ent.
Either way, it is assum ed th a t replacing the reed or placing the m outhpiece
do w n before starting the fluttertongued Bl w ill take a few seconds' time.
This example leads directly to a sustained piano A3 in conjunction w ith a
sung piano D3, offset b y a breath indication.
Patrice M estral (b. 1945), Bloc V pour basson solo (1982)
The first four instances of fluttertongue in this w o rk are very clear.
All occur on the pitch C l a n d the composer indicates th a t the notes are
fluttered by "Flatt.", a w avering sustained line, and a "Z " above the
notehead a n d /o r stem . A subsequent example occurs in line four on the
pitch C*2. Though n o "Z " is present, I also interpret this note as fluttered
due to its relative length a n d indication w ith a w avering sustain line. At
the en d of line four, another fluttered note is clear, yet its clef seem s illdefined; it appears a t th e e n d of a line notated entirely in tenor clef, though
this w ould sound G1 rath e r th an C l as prefigured by the first four examples
in the piece. In term s of its proxim ity to these instances of fluttered C l, I
21Miklds M am s. Air pour basson (Stockholm: A6 Nordiska M usikforlaget/Edition
Wilhelm Hansen, 1976), 1.
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15
also in te rp ret this note as C l, thus in bass clef. The flutters o n C l m ay be
m ore easily produced w ith an 'o o ' vow el sound.
The final line of page one is prim arily text indications by the
com poser w hich dem and of the perform er a long im provisation (the
entire len g th of the breath) w ith alternation o f fluttertongue, voice, a n d
roule so u n d s.22 Obviously, this instance o f fluttertongue represents a
highly variable context dem onstrating an infinite possibility o f
interpretation.
Subsequent examples of fluttertongue in the w ork occur o n page
three, lines five and six. Here, the perform er is required to sing a n d flutter
while playing a trem olo betw een C2 a n d E2. This follows a sequence of
articulated, repeated multiphonics a n d brief vocal shouts of "A h ta",
resum ing the m ultiphonic articulations im m ediately after the instance of
sin g /flu tter/tre m o lo . I recom mend practicing each pair of effects (sing and
flutter, flutter and tremolo, sing a n d trem olo) before practicing the three
together. Focusing on an 'ee' vow el for the sung notes m ay help, h i line
six, the com bination of singing an d trem olo returns, though th e indication
of "Flatt." is om itted. It m ay be an editorial error or intentional reduction
of effects as this section of the piece is sonically relaxing in preparation for
the follow ing section.
A single instance of fluttertongue is found on page four, line four. It
occurs o n a sustained C3 and is clearly indicated by both "Flatt." a n d a "Z"
un d er the notehead, as seen near the opening of the piece. W h at is less
22Roul6 or rolled sounds occur on single pitches and may be produced in two ways: specific
fingerings alone or specific fingerings with various adjustments in the throat, larynx, and
embouchure pressure.
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clear is the context a n d indications w ritten ju st below the staff w here the
flu ttered C3 appears. The composer has indications for roul£ sounds from
the beginning o f this line, w ith indications for keys to be added or rem oved
to p ro d u ce d the desired route effects. A n occurrence of a route B2
JL
im m ediately precedes the fluttered C3, a n d a n indication of "+ Do 2"
ap p ears ju st before a n d sim ultaneous w ith the flutter. I see this key
indication as belonging exclusively to the route B2 a n d n o t the fluttered C3,
as ad d itio n of "D o*2" w o u ld change the flu ttered pitch to C^3.
The final three instances of fluttertongue in the w ork appear o n
p ag e five, lines five a n d six. Here, M estral is ag ain v ery clear in indicating
th at the fluttertongue take place by w riting "Flatt.", "Z " and returning to
the w avering sustain line. A notable variable here is pitch, as M estral
indicates "son le + aigu", w hich will vary from player to player.23 T he
h ighest possible pitch th a t can be fluttered m ay be qualified by the use of
te e th on the reed a n d /o r a n 'e e' vowel. The context of these final three
fluttertongued notes includes a sustained £>4 w ith slow ly controlled
vibrato as well as a sequence of im provised n o tes follow ing a schematic
representation o n the staff. The flutters so u n d as isolates in this context.
Scott R. M eister (b. 1950), Fantasm i fo r solo bassoon (1987)
E ight instances of fluttertongue occur in this w ork, which is divided
into five m ovem ents. In the first m ovem ent, "Incantagioni", the initial
exam ple follows a sequence o f sustained pitches a n d a crescendo from
p ian o to forte; a group of four grace notes connects the sustained pattern to
23 the highest sound (my translation). Patrice M estral, Bloc V pour basson solo (Paris:
Durand S. A. Editions Musicales, 1983), 5.
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17
a fluttertongued G2, w hich is indicated both by "fltg." an d a w avering line
over the pictorial d uration of the note. The second instance occurs again at
forte b u t encom passes a repeating p attern o f notes in th e range o f
2-E3.
The final instance in this m ovem ent is sim ilar to the first in range and
context: G^2 a t forte following a group o f four grace notes. H ere, however
the fluttered note leads directly to a specified m ultiphonic before a breath is
indicated.
In the second m ovem ent, "Vibrazioni", three notes are fluttered and
are also sim ilar in their context and presentation. T he fluttered pitches of
FI (line one), A3 (line three) and B3 (lines three to four) are all articulated,
m arked b y accents, a n d define syncopated rhythm s. Their duration is
relatively sim ilar (2.5,3.75, and 2.25 beats respectively) an d each is followed
by silence notated in different ways: a n eighth rest, a general pause, and a
breath m ark. N otable in the effect o f the fluttered notes in this m ovem ent
is the use of alum inum foil over the bassoon bell, ad d in g to the percussive
nature o f fluttering as well as lending to the m ovem ent's title.
N o fluttertongue is called for in the th ird o r fifth m ovem ents,
th o u g h tw o final instances may be seen in the fo u rth m ovem ent,
"Frenesia". The first occurs on a D^3 half note tie d from a n unfluttered
eighth note a t the sam e pitch level, fortepiano grow ing to fortississimo.
The final exam ple dem ands the m ost continuous flu tter in the entire
piece. Beginning at the bottom of page four an d continuing across m ost of
the next line, this sequence encompasses a descending schem e in the range
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18
of B4-A^l. Begun a t quarter note= 80, a slow acceleration is notated
throughout, culm inating in a sforzando-piano grow ing to a fortississimo
o n C2. D uring this final crescendo, the player is instructed to insert a
second (extra) reed into the em bouchure. I interpret this indication and its
appearance in the score to m ean that vibration o f the second reed begins
du rin g the sustained, fluttered C2—lending visual an d sonic support to the
title of the m ovem ent.
C hristfried Schm idt (b. 1932), Solo fu r Fagott (1982)
N ineteen examples o f fluttertongue m ay be found in this piece,
w hich is divided into five sections (A-E) of differing tem po indications.
I find it interesting in the case of this piece that each exam ple is defined by
a single fluttered note— no m elism atic flutters are present.
In section A, m arked quarter note = ca. 132, the first three flutters are
sim ilar in duration and dynam ic context. A B^3 a t forte for one quarter
note, F^3 at fortissimo for a dotted eighth, and C*1 again at fortissimo for a
q uarter note are each clearly notated w ith three slashes th ro u g h the note
stem. The context o f each exam ple poses slightly different perform ance
challenges. The first represents a n isolated forte quarter note which
follows a rhythm ic an d dynam ic dim inution, leading to a n isolated B1 at
piano. The second an d th ird examples dem onstrate m ore progression in
their placem ent w ithin events. Each occurs w ithin a loud context and
leads directly into m ultiphonics of varying duration. The final example of
this section represents a different type of challenge in its range. Occurring
a t fortissimo, a half note E4 is fluttered w ith its context involving a
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19
glissando from C *4 to E4, w hich is su stain ed for a quarter note before
changing to th e flutter. La this case, I recom m end using the u v u lar ro ll
d u e to th e extrem e range o f the d em an d ed flutter. It is perhaps a sm all
consolation th a t the E4 is su stained briefly before the flutter is a d d ed , b u t
this does allow fo r a m ore secure in itiatio n o f the effect. The follow ing
section (B) contains no instances o f fluttertongue.
M oving to section C, w hich has an identical tem po m arking as the
first section, w e encounter nine flu ttere d pitches— the m ost in any section
of the piece. Each is indicated a t th e h ig h dynam ic levels of forte o r
fortissim o, w ith one also specifying sforzando, an effect w hich m ay o r m ay
not be clear in context. Large register leaps tend to offset flu ttered notes in
this section, th o u g h the isolated m an n er in w hich Schm idt p resen ts them
m akes th is an issue o f little concern. In line three of the section, tw o
successive pitches are fluttered— the o nly instance in the entire w o rk—
tho u gh they are still separately articu lated . The range of the nine flu ttered
pitches is fairly low in this section. A ll b u t one occur w ithin B ^l-A ^2, the
exception b eing B^4.
In section D, m arked w ith the piece's slow est tem po o f q u a rte r = ca.
40, a single flu ttered note is to be found. O ccurring at B3, this instance is
notable in its dynam ic indication o f m ezzopiano. If the perform er h ad
been u sin g a tongue roll for m any o f th e previous exam ples, this m ig h t be
a case to consider a uvular roll. The dynam ic context is the p rim ary reason
for m y recom m endation here.
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F our final exam ples m ay be seen in section E, m arked quarter = ca.
100. Encom passing a ran g e o f D l-G *3, these instances are again notated a t
h ig h dynam ic levels w ith on e exception an d one qualification. The first is
m arked sforzando-piano grow ing to forte. H ere, S chm idt does not notate
flu tterto n g u e in his p rev io u s m anner, rath er choosing to specify frullato.
I also see this as an in stance o f fluttertongue, th o u g h a ro u te sound is also
possible. H ow ever, as th e piece w as com posed specifically for the H eckel
system bassoon and n o t th e Buffet system basson, i t seem s unlikely th at a
roule so u n d w as in ten d ed . A sforzando is specified in th e second exam ple
o f th is section, an d ag ain I qu estion w hether this m ig h t be perceived in its
context o f rhythm ic acceleration an d dynam ic grow th.
P atrick K avanaugh, D ebussy Variations N o. 7 (1977)
In exam ining the u se o f fluttertongue in th is w ork, I w ill treat each
o f the fifteen exam ples individually. Due to the v isu al a n d notational
com plexity of the score, I hope th a t this m ay be a clearer m anner of
describing how the com poser uses this technique. Jon Beebe aptly describes
K avanaugh's style o f n o tation: "three strata; one o f p lay in g the bassoon,
one o f hum m ing o r singing, an d one of key-slap p ercu ssio n effects are
com bined and contrasted in an often very com plex polyphony."24 The piece
is com posed o f eleven system s o f strata, each visually separated by boldface
h o rizo n tal lines. In m ore trad itio n al notation, each system of three strata
m ight be considered as a single staff.
“ jonP. BppHp. Music for Unaccompanied Solo Bassoon (Tefferson. N orth Carolina:
McFarland & Company, Inc., 1990), 35.
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21
The first exam ple of system o n e begins im m ediately a t th e opening
of the piece. T h is fluttertongue occurs o n a fingered C2, th o u g h th e
com poser specifies "W SO" o r w in d so u n d only—th u s, m erely the
percussive effect o f th e flu tterto n g u e is h eard . The flu tter beg ins in the
in stru m en t a n d th e play er is in stru c te d to continue, m ov in g o u t o f the
in stru m en t w h ile hum m ing begins. A t th e sam e tim e, k ey p ercu ssion
occurs. A s th is p ercussion en ds, th e h u m m in g continues a n d th e flu tter
returns to 'in ' th e bassoon, th o u g h still as w in d so u nd only. The second
exam ple follow s a b reath ind icatio n a n d is ag ain defined as w in d so u n d
only. The in itia tio n o f this flu tter ap p ears to be sim ultaneous w ith a new
articu lation o f hum m ing. D uring th is flu tter, the perform er m oves o u t of
the bassoon, co n tin u in g bo th flu tte r a n d h u m w hile in tro d u cin g key
percussion. T his leads directly in to a fing ered trem olo o f a perfect fo urth
(C2-F2), d u rin g w h ich the next flu tte r begins in conjunction w ith
hum m ing, key percussion, an d m o v in g o u t o f the bassoon. This th ird
flu tter continues th ro u g h a brief sequence o f key percussion, w hich end
sim u ltan eo u sly . The last exam ple o f th is system begins w h ile m oving into
the bassoon. H ere, hum m ing co ntin u es from the p rev iou s exam ple, key
percussion re tu rn s a n d follow s in to th e n ex t system .
A single flu tter occurs in th e second system . H ere, key percussion
continues a n d th e flu tter begins d u rin g a sequence o f e ig h t "W SO" notes
ranging from C2-F2, leading d irectly to a n instance o f hum m ing. The first
case o f a flu tter o n a played note (as op p o sed to "W SO") can be seen in the
th ird system . H ere, a com bination o f effects again occurs: a su stain ed C2 is
colored w ith p e d al trills (tim bre trills, here produced by trillin g the B^l and
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B1 keys), a n d b y a d d in g the flutter. Also in d icated b y K avanaugh is an
effect he refers to as "th um p tone", w hich is described in the perform ance
directions b y th e com poser: "w ithin the bracketed areas, reduce lip pressure
to create a rep e ate d 'th u m p in g ' or 'p o p p in g ' so u n d o n th e indicated pitches,
w hether th ey exact 12-tone pitches o r grap hic lines, involving a
com bination w ith glissando."25 W hat the com poser requests here is n o t
entirely d ear.
Two fu rth e r instances o f fluttertongue m ay b e seen in th is system .
The next occurs d u rin g a sequence o f key p ercu ssio n an d is m arked
"WSO"; th e in itia tio n o f a played C l appears to be in d u d e d in this flutter,
though the p itc h continues once the flutter en d s. A n ascending glissando
from this C l arriv es a t C4 (next system , follow ing page) and involves
"thum p to n e" ag ain as w ell as a brief instance of fluttertongue. Specific
pitches are n o t ind icated , though a range o f C2-G3 seem s approxim ate.
System s fo u r an d five each contain one exam ple o f the technique.
Tow ard the e n d o f system four, a flu tter o u t o f the bassoon m oves in w hile
key percussio n progresses. W hen the key actio n sto p s, the flutter
continues a n d involves the pitches of C2 a n d C l, w h ich sustains after the
flutter ends. In system five, the perform er com pletes a playing sequence,
holds the fin g erin g o f C2 w hile hum m ing first in th e n o u t of the bassoon.
H ere, a flu tter is ad d ed an d the player m oves back in to the instrum ent; a
fluttered trill from C2-D^2 and hum m ing occur sim ultaneously for a b rief
tim e before th e hum m ing ends and the flu ttered trill continues. There are
25Patrick Kavanaugh, Debussy Variations No. 7 fNew York: Pembroke Music Co., Inc.,
1977), 2.
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no exam ples o f fluttertongue in system s six, seven o r eig h t, a n d o nly one
instance m ay be seen in system n in e. H ere, a m ultiphonic so u n d s, A^3 is
isolated from it an d sustained as a single pitch. The flu tter is th e n applied
before h um m ing is ad d ed an d th e A^3 ascends to C4.
System ten features tw o flu tters. The first begins d u rin g a sequence
of key p ercu ssio n and m odifies a n action of blow ing in to th e bassoon
("W SO") w hile m oving o u t of th e instrum ent. M idw ay th ro u g h the
in d icated flu tter, hum m ing also begins into the bassoon a n d continues out
of it. In the sam e phrase, a second flu tter begins o u t o f th e b assoon and
continues in w hile a second layer o f key percussion is a d d ed an d the
hum m ing continues. This second flu tter follow s into n o rm al playing
(range o f B^l-C2), w hile all p rev io us key percussion a n d h u m m ing ends.
The final tw o instances o f fluttertongue occur in system eleven. The
first m odifies a sustained A3 w hich is raised by a q u arter tone. D uring this
flu tter, an indication o f "W SO" is notated. I in terp ret th is to m ean th at the
p itch is first sustained, th en flu ttered , th en stopped (only th e flu tter
sounds), th en the pitch returns a n d the flutter stops. It seem s m isleading
in its n o tatio n o f a sustained p itch m arking during th e course o f the
flu ttered "W SO", as the p itch itself does n o t sustain— m erely th e fingering
does. A final flutter is m arked d u rin g a sustained C3 a t the e n d o f the
piece, h ere coupled w ith a hu m low in the perform er's vocal range.
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CHAPTER 3: SINGING WHILE PLAYING
Definitions and Descriptions
Singing w hile playing the bassoon com bines norm al p lay in g w ith
activation o f th e vocal chords to produce tw o sounds. The technique m ay
be expressed in notation as specific pitches (determ inate) o r in a m ore
variable, g rap h ic m anner (indeterm inate). O ne concern is im m ediately
evident, as the m o u th and o ral cavity are engaged in specific tasks to
produce "n o rm al" sounds o n th e in strum ent. A dding vibration o f th e
vocal chords resu lts in a hum m ed so u n d as the m outh is essentially closed
to play norm ally.
In considering various sources w h ich describe the technique,
references ten d to be instrum ent-specific. In the case of a m ore general
source, G ardner R ead describes singing w hile playing in term s of its literal
d efinition as a ty pe of m ultiphonic so u n d production:
The concept of multiphonics also includes sung and hummed pitches
superimposed on blown tones. That is, the wind player is asked to sing or hum
either the same pitch he is blowing or a different note, thus creating a simple two­
voiced polyphony w ith two distinct timbres. The brass instruments as well as the
woodwinds are capable of utilizing this technique; indeed, multiphonics for the
brasses are limited to this type of multiple-tone production and thus to two-note
structures only.1*
A second relev an t consideration w ith th is technique involves n o tatio n .
H ow ard R isatti recom m ends the vocal n o tatio n to be in the form o f a n 'x ':
"In strum en t plays regular note, and voice sings approxim ate note sh o w n
by the 'x '."27 D avid Cope offers another m ethod, specifying, "vocal p a rt
**Read, 151 (see note 2 above).
27Howard Risatti, New Music Vocabulary: A Guide to Notational Signs for
Contemporary Music (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1975), 149.
24
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25
alw ays a sq uare note"9 This versio n is p erh ap s easier to re a d as w ell as
m ore accurate in its rhythm ic rep resen tation . K urt Stone p resen ts tw o
fu rth er possibilities: "To indicate hum m ed pitches,, sm all n o tes sh ou ld be
u sed , alon g w ith the verbal d irectio n h u m . (The in stru m en tal notes
rem ain full-sized.) If specific octave p ositions for the hu m m ed pitches are
d esired , a n d if such pitches are v ery far from the in stru m en tal ones, an
extra cue-sized staff should be added."® N ancy Toff offers fo u r notational
variants: su n g pitches indicated in norm al notation w ith a n "S " nex t to
the n o te, a n "x" for the sung p itch , a square notehead for th e su n g pitch,
an d a su n g p itch in w hich the n o teh ead includes a n in tern al do t.30
M oving to sources w hich are m ore instrum ent-specific, w e find
descriptions for clarinet, flute, trom bone an d bassoon. In P hillip R ehfeldt's
N ew D irections for C larinet, th e au th o r describes effecting specific vocal
pitches: "A lthough producing precise pitches . . . generally requires
considerable practice, the technique req u ired for this effect is n o t difficult as
long as th e th ro a t m uscles are relaxed."31 In sources aim ed to w ard flutists,
Thom as H ow ell credits the existence of th is effect and describes its use for
the flu tist:
** David Cope, "Contemporary Notation in Music," The Instrumentalist 30 (1976): 10,32.
a Kurt stone. Music Notation in the Twentieth Century: A Practical Guidebook (New
York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1980), 188.
“ Toff, 234.
*’ Rehfeldt, 68.
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26
This technique was introduced by popular and jazz musicians such as Herbie
Mann. Though simultaneous singing and playing produces combinatorial tones that
are distinctly heard, the effect is not nearly as striking as in such instruments as
trombone, in which the vocal, embouchure and resultant sounds cannot be dis­
tinguished by the listener With flute the voice remains a distinct quality, partly
because the embouchure formation is external to the instrum ent and partly because of
the flute's relative lack of overtones.32
Stokes an d C on do n echo the cred it described b y H ow ell: "The technique
of singing a n d playing is relatively new , b u t is n ow used in b oth
contem porary jazz (e.g., Roland K irk, Ian A nderson) and advanced
contem porary m usic. The sung an d p lay e d lines can m ove to g ether or
in d ep en d en tly , a n d should be w ritten as su ch."33 N ancy Toff also credits
jazz players fo r the introduction o f singing w hile playing the flute:
"M ore com m only, the player m ay be req u ired to sin g and play
sim u ltan eo u sly . This technique w as in tro d u ced by jazz flutist H erbie
M ann an d is q u ite com m on in jazz a n d p o p u lar m usic. It is extrem ely
difficult to perform . . . ."** A final exam ple for the flu tist's use o f th is
technique is th a t of Thom as E. Rainey, Jr.:
Although used a lot in jazz, contemporary composers have begun to use the
special effect of singing into the flute w ith relative success. Basically, this technique
involves the singing and playing of notes simultaneously. With practice, it is possible
to sing a line completely independent of the notated music. This singing is basically a
hum produced by keeping the vocal chords tight enough so that they vibrate as air
passes them on its way to the flute.15
R ainey's exam ple dem onstrates the technique in notation of su ng p arts
w ith "x" n o teh ead s, as seen previously.
“ Howell, 30.
“ Sheridon W. Stokes and Richard A. Condon, Special Effects for Flute fCalifomia: Trio
Associates, 1976), 8.
14Toff, 217.
“ Rainey, Jr., 180.
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A rth u r W eisberg, w ell-know n as a perform ing bassoonist, offers a
rather general d escrip tio n o f the technique: "There is also a n ew technique
w hich involves hum m ing a p articu lar note w hile p lay ing e ith e r the same
note or another. This w ill produce either the tw o notes, o r a gu rg lin g
noise, or even three d ifferen t notes. A v ery interesting technique is to
hum , using a glissando, w hich causes a changing series o f effects."36
W eisberg's observations m ay prove to be a useful basic guide fo r one's
initial trials w ith the technique. A source specifically describing the
technique as it applies to the bassoon is th a t of Stanley P etrulis: "U sing this
technique, com bination tones can be produced w hich form ch ord s of
several tones. H ow ever, this is a technique th at has no t been explored to
any extent because it is very difficult to control and is rath er h a rd on the
th roat."37 T hough probably accurate a t the tim e, the assertion th a t the
technique h a d n 't been explored w as to be disproven less th an a decade later
by A lexandre O uzounoff.
O uzounoff pro v ides a m ore useful and com prehensive description
of this technique as it applies to the bassoon than any other source located
by this author. H is "advice for bassoonists" w ill be referenced in the
follow ing section of th is w ork. The text in this section o f O uzoim off's
w ork is brief yet thorough, com m enting o n such concerns as m anner of
production, no tatio n a n d vocal practice:
**Arthur Weisberg. The A rt of Wind Playing (New York: Schirmer Books, 1993), 115.
17Stanley Duris Petrulis, A Stylistic and Performance Analysis of Three Contemporary
Compositions for the Bassoon which use New Performance Techniques. (Bloomington:
Indiana University, 1977), 119.
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The use of the voice in instrumental playing requires some practice of the
proper voice in which to sing, lb allow the sound of the voice to pass, it suffices to
open the upper lip slightly and to carefully apportion the output of air between the
bassoon and the voice. A notation on two staves (voice notated in bass clef on die
upper staff) is preferable because it allows d ear and distinct reading of the two parts
(my translation).3*
O uzounoff continues, ad v isin g com posers to avoid w ritin g in w hich the
bassoon p a rt is extrem ely h ig h and the vocal p a rt is extrem ely low. W riting
in w hich b o th p arts are v ery h ig h is also discouraged, th o u g h i t is "possible
nonetheless (m y tran slatio n )".39
Approach and Practice Suggestions
Before em barking o n a step-by-step approach to the practice o f
singing w hile playing, an issue of im portance is w orth discussing: vocal
range. N aturally varying from one perform er to the next, th e vocal range
of an individual m ay determ ine w hether or n o t a com poser's in ten tio ns
for the technique are m et. A perform er w ho is unable to sin g requested
pitches (w hether too high o r too low for their vocal range) m ay assum e
th a t an octave displacem ent is a fair interpretation. The com poser m ay
disagree w ith this d efault actio n of the perform er. It is m y o p in io n th a t the
responsibility lies first w ith th e com poser, then w ith the perform er, to
clearly represen t an d produce th e desired result. Several sources exam ined
earlier also refer to this as a n issue w orth consideration. G ard n er Read
addresses the point:
” L'utilisation de la voix dans le jeu instrumental nlcessite un peu de pratique de sa
propre voix en tant que chanteur. Pour laisser passer le son de la voix il suffit d'entrouvrir
Igg&rement la fevre sup6rieure et de bien doser la repartition du debit d 'air entre le basson et
la voix. Une notation sur deux portees (voix notee en def de fa sur la portee superieure) est
preferable car elle permet une lecture daire et distincte des deux parties. Ouzounoff, 98.
“ possible neanmoins. Ibid.
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There is one further problem for the notater of multiphonics that include
hummed or sung pitches,, albeit a minor one: to be realistic, two vocal pitches ought to
be indicated, one for a high (or female) voice and another at the lower octave for a
low (male) voice. This is no token gesture to Women's liberation but is a m atter of
compositional accuracy; the register relationship of the vocal to the blown tones will
naturally vary according to the gender of the performer.40
I feel th a t consideration should be g iv en to the capabilities o f in d iv id u al
vocal ranges rath er th a n a p erfo rm er's gender: S tuart D em pster offers a
few solutions for th e trom bonist:
Women will discover that many works have parts written too low for their
voices, and the woman player must try octave displacement or other compromises in
order to perform some of them. For instance, I occasionally find a piece that is out of
my vocal range as well, but I have discovered that reversing the parts (the voice
below the lip) will generally solve the problem.41
K urt Stone is still m ore forgiving in his choice o f descriptive w ords:
"the octave position fo r hum m ed ton es sh o u ld be left to the perform er,
since vocal ranges v ary greatly."42 Stokes an d C ondon su p p o rt these view s:
"The range of notes su n g is lim ited only by the vocal range of the
p erfo rm er, and includes the falsetto."43 In recom m ending a vocal range
effective w ith characteristics o f th e flu te, Thom as H ow ell raises another
p o in t "it is w ise to keep the vocal ran g e in the area com m on to fem ale
altos an d sopranos (c^ to d ^ roughly), unless the com position is in ten d ed
for a specific perform er exclusively."44 H ow ell's qualification is notable in
th a t w hile a specific perform er's abilities m ay be show cased, m uch of the
40Read, 152 (see note 2 above).
41Dempster, 7.
42Stone, 188.
43Stokes and Condon, 8.
44Howell, 30.
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d riv in g force b eh in d m y project is th e id ea o f m aking this type o f
co m p o sitio n accessible to m any perform ers.
A s described above in d ie sectio n o n fluttertongue, I recom m end a
step-by-step app ro ach to the app licatio n o f singing w hile playing. H ere
again, th e p ro d u ctio n of this technique b egins from a n eu tral p o in t
re q u irin g n e ith er th e bassoon ree d n o r th e instrum ent. The p erfo rm er
first sin g s in a com fortable range a n d in a norm al m anner. Singing the
syllable 'o o ' a n d consciously forcing a larg er airstream o u t of th e m o u th is
th e n ex t step . The ad ditio n o f the b asso o n reed logically follow s, though
w ith o u t v ib ratio n ; m erely singing (hum m ing) w ith th e reed p erch ed
b etw een th e lip s is sufficient. Now, focusing o n a larger exiting airstream
m ay be ad d ed .
T he nex t step represents the essen tial challenge w ith the technique
o f sin g in g w hile playing the bassoon: a d d in g vibration of the reed. A t this
p oint, th e perform er can facilitate th is n ew sensation by relying o n the
in ten sity a n d su p p o rt of the airstream rath e r than the fact th at tw o sounds
are n o w b ein g produced. O nce the p erfo rm er realizes the ability to produce
b oth a su n g an d played pitch o n th e reed , sim ple exercises can streng th en
th e tech n iq u e before adding th e in stru m en t. We m ay again practice long
tones o f d ifferen t dynam ic levels, follow ing tw o sequences:
1) b eg in w ith air only—a d d su n g note— then ad d reed vibration—
rem o v e reed vibration— th en rem ove sung note— en d w ith a ir only
an d sim ilarly,
2) b eg in w ith air only—a d d reed v ib ra tio n - th en ad d su n g n o te rem o v e su n g note— th en rem ove ree d vibration— en d w ith air only
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S ustaining a p a ir o f tones w ith consistent pitch w hile retain in g
fam iliar su p p o rt is essential to dev elo p m ent o f this technique. The
ad d itio n o f th e bocal follow s, w ith th e p erfo rm er adjusting to new
dem ands o f resistance a n d /o r airstream as necessary. H ere, it m ay be
helpful to beg in considering issues o f balance, as the voice w ill ten d to be
softer th an the so u n d o f th e in stru m en t itself. Practice continues w ith the
perform er n o tin g fu rth er ad justm ents as th e tenor, boot, bass an d bell
joints are ad d ed . A gain, changes in resistance, resonance, an d airstream
requirem ents w ill be experienced, as w ell as fu rth er concerns o f balance. It
is im p o rtan t for each perform er to b e fam iliar w ith their ow n com fortable
vocal range d u rin g th e course o f these exercises.
A t this p oint, practice th ro u g h o u t a p lay e r's vocal range can be
explored w hile sustain in g F2 o n th e in strum ent. D em ands o f the effect can
be dem onstrated by repeating th is la st step w ith m uch higher an d low er
played pitches. I recom m end exercises sim ilar to those fo und in
O u zo u n o ff's concise description o f the technique for the next level o f
challenge: singing specific pitches w h ile p layin g other specific pitches.45
In considering application to literatu re, I recom m end practicing the
vocal p arts separately, then follow ing the ap p ro ach steps above. T his w ork
process can ap p ly to both specific a n d aleatoric vocal lines since the physical
considerations of the effect w ill continue to develop. This m ethod resu lts
in the sam e ty pe o f physical m em ory th a t assists m onophonic play in g of
the bassoon.
45See note 3 above.
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Application to Literature: Observations and Suggestions
M iklos M aros (b. 1943), A ir pour basson (1973)
Singing w hile p lay in g is called for in four places in th is w ork, h i
system seven, the first instance is fo und follow ing ascending glissandi
from D3 to circa F3. This is convenient in th at th e first su n g an d played
pitch is a u niso n D3. H ere, the voice rem ains fixed on D3 w hile the
bassoon ascends from th e unison to circa A3. The vocal p a rt is m arked
m ezzoforte w hile the p lay ed p a rt is slightly low er in dynam ic at
m ezzopiano. This is a sensible no tatio n as the voice tend s to have som e
difficulty in projecting th ro u g h the instrum ent. Follow ing a b reath
indication, the voice an d bassoon together articulate the perfect fifth of
D 3/A 3 at the sam e dynam ic levels as before. H ere, the p layed A3 rem ains
constant w hile the voice descends in glissando to circa G l.
The second an d th ird exam ples m ay be fo und in system s ten and
eleven. Exam ple tw o follow s four fluttertongued notes in th e low est range
of the instru m en t an d refers to the perfect fifth described above: voice at
D3, bassoon a t A3. H ere, th e dynam ic level is piano in b o th p arts, an d the
bassoon line descends in glissando to F*3. Follow ing a b rief m ultiphonic,
the th ird exam ple also refers to previous m aterial, this tim e of the sung
and played u nison D3. In th is instance, both parts are n o tated a t piano an d
expand ou tw ard th ro u g h glissandi to the octave F2/F3. The final exam ple
of the technique in th is piece is found in system fourteen, w here the fivenote m otive of the open in g returns. It is now doubled a t th e low er octave
by the voice. This vocal doubling repeats after the statem ent of the
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doubled motive,, th is tim e alone. It is unclear w hether th is instance o f
voice alone sh o u ld b e projected th ro u g h th e in stru m en t o r freely; no
dynam ics are expressly indicated in this exam ple. I fin d it in terestin g th a t
all exam ples of the technique in this piece have the voice a t o r below the
pitch level of the bassoon, and a separate staff for the voice is p ro v id ed .
Patrice M estral (b. 1945), Bloc V pour basson solo (1982)
The first exam ple of M estral's use o f singing w h ile p lay in g is
presented in an aleatoric context. The final system o f p ag e one is m ade up
of text directions b y the com poser w hich request th a t th e p erform er
im provise for the en tire length o f the breath. Inspired b y th e w ritten
designs in system s th ree and four, the play er is to include flu tterto n g u e,
voice and roule so u n d s in this im provisation. T hough n o t expressly
dem anded, it is reasonable to consider th a t the use o f th e voice here m ay be
coupled w ith playing a t the sam e tim e.
M ore explicit exam ples o f singing w hile playing are to be fo u nd later
in the w ork. O n page three, tw o nearly identical cases m ay be seen. H ere,
the voice sings B3 tw ice w hile the perform er plays a trem olo betw een C2
and E2. M estral also requests the use o f fluttertongue here. Follow ing tw o
m easures later, the second case om its th e fluttertongue a n d req u ires one
sung B3. These exam ples occur in a context full of u n u su al sounds: rap id ,
articulated m ultiphonics lead to vocal shouts of "A h ta " ju st before these
exam ples.
In a d ifferent m ood, four fu rth er instances o f th e technique m ay be
seen o n page four. H ere, the com poser indicates m uch slow er m otion in
tem po indication (Tr£s lent), note values and tim e d u ra tio n fo r the first
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th ree system s. The tech niq u e begins in system th ree, w here th e vocal line
follow s the pitches D2-D^2-B^2-E2-F2. M estral avoids m ajor in terv als
betw een the voice a n d b assoon, calling for th e trito n e, perfect fo u rth ,
u niso n , m inor second a n d m in o r seventh. This context dem ands a h ig h
level of pitch aw areness fo r th e perform er to produce su ch intervals. T h at
th e tem po is slow allow s fo r quick pitch adjustm ents as needed in
perform ance. M oving to system five, w e can see th a t M estral again favors
sim ilar intervals: m inor n in th , octave, trito n e an d m inor second. H ere,
th e vocal line involves th e tw o pitches of D^3 and G2. System s six and
seven each require a single use of the technique. Singing only an F2, th e
perform er plays a m inor second and trito n e below , th e n a trito n e below a
su n g G2.
The final exam ple in th e piece occurs a t the en d o f page five. In th e
la st system of the w ork, M estral indicates fo u r m easures o f continuous
six teen th notes w ith o u t noteheads. Based o n the com poser's footnote a t
th e o u tset of the piece w h ere sim ilar n o tatio n is seen, the perform er is to
"continue, approxim ately follow ing the giv en schem e . . . (m y
tra n sla tio n )"46 This poses less of a question th an M estral's indication of
"vocal" over the entire system . A horizontal arrow continues to the rig h t
o ver these four m easures, th o u g h no p itch indications or "given schem es"
a p p ear for the vocal p art. It is possible to in te rp ret this as m erely vocal,
w ith the voice follow ing th e schem e of sixteenths. A lso conceivable is th a t
th e voice sim ply sustains a p itch above the played sixteenths. A m ore
**continuer en suivant, approximativement le dessin propose. . . Mestral, 5.
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challenging possibility is th a t b o th voice and bassoon follow th e design of
the notes given. The requ ests o f th e com poser seem in d efin ite here, thus
placing th e responsibility o n the perform er to in terp ret a n d express the
n o tatio n p ro v id ed .
Scott R. M eister (b. 1950), F antasm i fo r solo bassoon (1987)
A five-m ovem ent w o rk , F antasm i calls for singing w h ile playing in
the final th ree m ovem ents. M ovem ent three, "S eduta sp iritic a", includes
four exam ples o f the technique. T hree of these are nearly id en tical and
q uite brief. B eginning in system four, an angular m otive occurs twice.
H ere, a dim in ished tw elfth (El-B^3) is specified for an e ig h th note o f
d uration . P itch location b y th e perform er is challenging g iv en th at only
one note is su n g and th a t th e preceding m otive is very disjunct. System
five dem ands a slightly d ifferen t effect. A unison D^3 is n o tated here w ith
the ad d ed req uest of singing slightly o u t o f tune, as in dicated b y a w avering
line u n d er th e sung pitch. The final system of th is m ovem ent retu rn s to
the an g u lar m otive described above, here w ith slightly d ifferen t rhythm ic
notation.
M ovem ent four, "F renesia", features a single exam ple o f the
technique. In system four, a u nison C2 occurs a t pianissim o a n d M eister
again specifies singing slig htly o u t o f tune w ith the played pitch. M any
o ther vocal so u nd s are p resen t in th is m ovem ent, inclu d ing a box of
n o tatio n rep resentin g choices for im provisation. The fin al m ovem ent,
" V apori", calls for three fu rth er uses of singing w hile playing. The first
tw o are coupled w ith a m ultiphonic com prised of G2-A2-E3-F3, for w hich
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M eister suggests a fingering. In the first exam ple, a played pitch o f A2
connects to th is m ultiphonic, a t w hich p o in t th e A2 is sim ultaneously
sung for seven seconds. In the follow ing system , a su n g G2 connects to the
sam e m ultiphonic a n d continues as a sep arate line th ro u g h E3 an d F3 for a
total o f n ineteen seconds. This alone req u ires practice, b u t M eister also
indicates several dynam ic changes, placing fu rth er dem ands o n the control
of the airstream . A final exam ple is seen ju st after this point, w here a
unison E2 (voice slightly ou t of tune) grow s in dynam ic tow ard a flourish
of played notes w hich end the phrase. M eister is careful and explicit in his
instructions for su n g parts, noting th a t th ey m ay occur in any octave.
C h ristfried S chm idt (b. 1932), Solo fu r F a g ott (1982)
T hough m any instances of vocalization ap pear in this piece, ju st
four of these involve singing w ith concurrent playing. Three cases occur
in section A , an d Schm idt indicates th a t the n o tatio n o f pitches w ith Xheads m eans "su n g into the m outhpiece (m y translation)"47. The first
exam ple is fo und in system four, w here over a fortissim o sequence of
played E ^l pitches there is a sung m otive o f E^-F-F-G^-F-G^F-F-E^, all in
the second octave. A rhythm ic palindrom e is also superim posed. System
nine o f section A offers the next exam ple, w here a group of four eighth
notes repeats in stringendo to a fortissim o B ^l. Schm idt again has the
voice in m otion (B3-G*2) over a stationary played A l. A crescendo tow ard
the en d of the six statem ents of this m otive accom panies the acceleration.
47ins Mundstuck singen. Christfried Schmidt. Solo fur Fagott fin Hanchen, Dieter, ed.,
Zeitgenossische Musik fur Fagott Solo. Leipzig: VEB Deutscher Verlag fur Musik, 1986), 77.
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The final system o f th is section includes th e o nly exam ple o f
aleatoric singing w hile p lay in g to be found in the w ork. A sustained B 1
serves as the fo u n d atio n for th ree nonspecific vocal lines. The first tw o
lines basically descend a n d th e final line ascends before descending,
arriv in g o n B^2, here specified b y an X -notehead. The play ed B^l
continues beyond the su n g line an d leads to a b rief p ause betw een sections
A an d B.
The last system o f section D represents the final exam ple of the
technique in this piece. Schm idt rem ains consistent in keeping one line
unchanging an d one lin e in m otion, th o u g h here th e vocal line ap pears
below the played line a n d in a separate staff. A su stain ed F* 2 leads into the
exam ple, w ith th is p itch continuing as a trill w hile the voice sings B2
below it. A played five-note m otive follow s, th en the d u e t resum es for
three note pairs: B 2/F *2, B 2/C ^2, B 2/F*2. Beyond th e challenge of
k eeping the sung B2 consistent, each o f the four p airs o f notes found here
is articu lated an d sep arated b y rests. This represents an o p p ortun ity for
the perform er to practice isolated pairs o f brief notes fo r precision o f p itch
a n d articulation.
P atrick K avanaugh, D ebussy Variations N o. 7 (1977)
The first exam ple of singing w hile playing in th is piece is found in
system three, w here norm al playing begins. U p u n til this point,
K avanaugh specifies a ll bassoon sounds as key percussion or "W SO"—
w in d so und only. In system three, a played C l rises w ith in a tw o-octave
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diagram m atic p itc h reference betw een B ^l an d B^3. N ear the e n d o f th is
graphic line, a sim ilar vocal layer, occurring in the m iddle-to- h ig h reg ister
o f the perform er, is superim posed. The voice continues d u rin g a b rief
break in playing, w hich resum es a t a h ig h er p itch level a n d descends
concurrently w ith the vocal part.
A m ore b rief exam ple occurs in system four, w hich b egins the nex t
page. H ere, th e context is described alm ost entirely by C octaves in the
bassoon part: C4, C l, C3, then C2. D uring a sustained C l, the voice enters
on C3 an d sustain s w hile the p layed p itc h m oves to C2. The voice th en
follow s a graphic descent w hile the bassoon m oves to a su stain ed C l,
during w hich the voice descends to a drop-off. Exam ple three follow s in
the next system , w here a long section o f relatively norm al p lay in g ends on
a flourish a t C2. The voice th en joins a n d takes over, m oving o u t o f th e
instrum ent, a d d in g a fluttertongue, an d m oving back in to th e bassoon,
w here for a m om ent a sung descent accom panies a played trill o f C2-D^2.
The next th ree system s o f the piece do n o t include any sin g in g w hile
playing. As m en tio n ed earlier, system s seven and eig h t in clu d e the longest
sections o f relativ ely trad itio nal playing fou n d in the w ork. T he technique
returns again in system nine (second from the top o f the final page) w here
a rhythm ic canon betw een bassoon and voice can be seen. T hro u g h four
notes, the p lay ed p a rt ascends from E l to B^2 w hile the sun g p a rt descends
from E3 to C *3. L ater in this system a p layed A^3 is joined by a sun g C3
and w hile b o th p arts grow louder, the played line ascends to C4, notated as
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39
a grace note to a su stain ed C l. H ere again, the voice takes over from the
bassoon and follow s a graphic schem e sim ilar to the one seen earlier in
th is system .
Two exam ples o f singing w hile playing can b e seen in the final
system o f th e piece. T he first is n o t only b rief in d u ratio n , b u t also
m inim al in p itch content. H ere, a played A3 (raised b y a quarter tone) is
jo ined by the voice a n octave low er; the vocal p a rt en d s w hile the played
p a rt continues. The la st statem ent of the piece show s th e bassoon
sustainin g a C3, d u rin g w hich the voice enters an d ascends gradually, th en
descends a n d su stain s low in the vocal register. H ere, th e played C3 is
em bellished w ith a b rie f fluttertongue before the line ascends quickly
u p w ard , ending w ith a n accent as high as possible in th e played register.
T he vocal line th en descends quickly, ending w ith a n accent as low as
possible in th e p e rfo rm er's range. A punctuation o f key percussion m arks
th is event a n d closes th e w ork.
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CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSION
A dvanced p lay in g techniques such as flu tterto n g u e a n d singing
w hile play ing have been req u ested b y com posers for several decades.
In fact, the u se o f flutterto ng u e in the context o f W estern a rt m usic has
been docum ented since th e e n d o f th e n ineteenth century, h i spite of this,
com paratively little info rm atio n is available concerning th eir production.
For perform ers un v ersed in these techniques, m any pieces m ay n o t be at
th eir disposal. W ithout ad d itio n al know ledge, th is rep erto ire w ill not gain
perform ances b y these players.
D evelopm ent o f new er p lay in g techniques benefits perform ers by
ad d in g to th eir abilities. O ther techniques such as m ultiple-tonguing,
expansion o f dynam ic range, circular breathing, an d extrem es of register
m u st also be developed in a sim ilar m anner. A ll o f these tools can allow
players to p resen t new rep erto ire, benefiting com posers th ro u g h exposure
and perform ance. W orking directly w ith com posers o n the use o f new er
p laying techniques can be an ad d itio n al goal an d ap plication for the
p erform er. A udience m em bers can also benefit b y experiencing new w orks
and sensations.
A p erfo rm er's responsibility extends beyond pro d u cin g new er
playing techniques to include in terp retatio n o f com posers' notation.
W hen questions o f in terp retatio n becom e ev id en t, th e perform er m ust
devise options to determ ine w h a t is practical and serves the com poser's
m usical intentions.
D evelopm ent o f any advanced p lay in g technique can
also encourage a perform er to continue exploring new a n d challenging
rep erto ire.
40
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REFERENCES
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Beebe, Jon P. M usic for U naccom panied Solo Bassoon: A n A nnotated
B ibliography. Jefferson, NC: M cFarland an d C om pany, Inc., 1990.
Cope, D avid. "C ontem porary N otation in M usic." In The In stru m e n ta list
XXX/10 (1976), 32.
_______ . N ew D irections in M usic. 6th ed . M adison: B row n and
B enchm ark P ublishers, 1993.
Crystal. David. The C am bridge Encyclopedia o f Langu a ge. Cambridge:
C am bridge U niversity Press, 1987.
Dem pster, Stuart. The M odem Trom bone: A D efinition o f its Idiom .
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Dick, Robert. The O th er Flute: A Perform ance M anual o f C ontem porary
T echniques. London: O xford U niversity Press, 1975.
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N ew York: Schirm er Books, 1975.
G illette, John C arroll. A n A nnotated B ibliography of W orks for
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B loom ington, 1976.
H anchen, D ieter, ed. Zeitgenossische M usik fu r F agott Solo. Leipzig: VEB
D eutscher V erlag fu r M usik, 1986.
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42
Lipp, C harles. N ew C om positional Techniques fo r th e Bassoon. DMA
d issertatio n . U niversity o f Illinois a t C ham paign-U rbana, 1982.
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M usicale. M ilano: R icordi, 1982.
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(D ecem ber 1966), 71-72.
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W eisberg, A rthur. The A rt o f W ind Playing. N ew York: Schirm er Books,
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Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
V ITA
B assoonist Steve Vacchi holds degrees from th e E astm an School of
M usic at th e U niversity o f R ochester (Bachelor o f M usic, high distinction),
The H a rtt School a t th e U niversity o f H artford (M aster o f M usic), an d
L ouisiana S tate U niversity (D octor o f M usical A rts). H e also stu d ied a t Yale
U n iv ersity . H is teachers have included Rebecca E ldredge, C harles R obert
R eiriert, M atthew R uggiero, K. D avid Van H oesen, S tep h en M axym , Frank
M orelli a n d W illiam L udw ig. A n advocate o f co ntem porary m usic, he has
perform ed in nineteen countries and recorded for A rgo, BMG Classics,
C ortana, C entaur, NM C, Sony Classical and Im agine R ecords. O riginally
from R hode Island, he has w orked w ith such o rch estras as the Rochester
P hilharm onic, Florida O rchestra, N ew H aven Sym phony, Baton Rouge
Sym phony a n d N ew W orld Sym phony.
Steve has perform ed a t conventions o f th e Internatio n al D ouble
Reed Society (Tallahassee), K ansas M usic T eachers' A ssociation (Topeka)
an d M usic T eachers' N ational A ssociation (D allas). Since 1996, he has
been the A ssistant Professor o f Bassoon a t W ichita S tate U niversity, the
P rincipal B assoonist o f the W ichita Sym phony O rchestra, and a m em ber
of the L ieurance W oodw ind Q uintet.
44
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DOCTORAL EXAMINATION AND DISSERTATION REPORT
Candidate:
Steve Vacchi
Major Plaid:
Music
Title of Diaaartatioa:
An Examination of Two Contemporary Techniques
in Five Works for Solo Bassoon:
Descriptions and Performance Suggestions
Approved:
it
or thel Graduate School
EXAMINING COMMITTEE:
cSjtriJi
Pate of Kraaination:
June 26, 1997
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.