Extended Technique

Undergod

What extended technique have you all experimented with on your instruments? What are your favourite extended techniques, and favourite works featuring extended techniques?

As I mentioned in the other thread, I've been known to put my clarinet together without some of the middle sections, though I think it might not be entirely healthy, and I've messed around with multiphonics and chords. Microtones are very difficult on my clarinet.

This site has some interesting information on extended technique for most orchestral instruments.

Setun

Yeah I've tried out similar techniques on the sax. I like multiphonics if controlled correctly, then they can sound amazing. Actually if you listen to John Coltrane's Interstellar Space he uses a lot of the tenor sax extended technique on that - altissimo, multiphonics, overtones etc. It's a duet between him and Rashied Ali on drumkit. Quite experimental tbh!

JC 2K3

I'm a recorder player, and despite it's erroneous perception as a "toy" or kids'/beginners' instrument, there're some great modern pieces and experimental techniques for it.

The first piece I played that really introduced me to experimental recorder techniques was Music for a Bird by H.M. Linde.

Astonishingly, I actually found a video of some guy playing it online: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=29231926

My favourite techique, which is included in that piece, is playing "chords". Now they're not really chords, as they're only 2 notes played simultaneously, and there aren't that many intervals possible. Basically if you blow in a certain way with a certain fingering, you can hear the sound of 2 notes. Tbh, in most cases, I'd equate it with controlled feedback from an electric guitar. I think it sounds really cool.

I also like flutter tonguing(making a "purring" sound rather than blowing normally, which creates a tremolo effect), other blowing variations(for example, making a deep "sighing" sound), glissando(I think this counts, since it's a bit unusual on recorder, you slide your fingers on/off the holes slowly), vibrato(again, a bit unusual on the recorder. There are various techniques, from regulating breath to placing your hand over the labium(top of the recorder) and moving it back and forth(you can see this several times in the video)) and humming a different note while playing a certain note.

I played a piece in the past also called "Monomania" which had no blowing, just an evolving series of tapping the holes, was pretty interesting, if a little quiet.

Undergod

The recorder is a pretty horrible instrument sometimes becuase it's so abused. There's some pretty cool repetoire out there in early music and stuff, but I've not heard any modern works for it. I'll check that video out.

Flutter tonguing is another one I've tried, but I have yet to practice it enough to be able to say much about it. It feels really weird though.

There are some works for clarinet and sax I think that have key-clacking, like tapping the holes... seemed a bit lame to me, tbh.

Edit: That's an interesting vid, some cool techniques there. How difficult are those chords? In my experience, some of the extended technique requires you to unlearn proper technique, and that's well annoying.

JC 2K3

Undergod wrote: »

The recorder is a pretty horrible instrument sometimes becuase it's so abused

True,some videos on youtube make my blood boil when I watch them. ("Hey look, I can play Jingle Bells on the recorder with my nose!")

Undergod wrote: »

How difficult are those chords?

Pretty easy, depends on the chord though. They're basically fingerings which produce one note when you blow soft and another when you blow hard, so when you blow between hard and soft, both are audiable.

Undergod wrote: »

In my experience, some of the extended technique requires you to unlearn proper technique, and that's well annoying.

True to a certain extent, you've just gotta make sure you don't develop any habits that might creep into your more conventional playing.

darklow

i play the BBflat tuba and extended techniques sound great on it coz of the size of it, especially multiphonics. look up Fnugg on Youtube to see it done properly by oystein baadsvik. 3rds and 5ths sound the best, 4ths are a bit muddy, once you get it in tune it sounds great, it jst takes a while to get it right.
taking slides out is another way to get cool sounds, particularly the middle valve slide, as you can jst buzz tunes out and glissando like a trombone!
playing the mouthpiece on its own is good 2, i played a mouthpiece duet with another BBflat tuba player in a church before a wedding, got a few funny looks tho