Preliminary Exercises & Études in Contemporary Techniques for Clarinet

From the composer:
"The sound resources of woodwind instruments became significantly expanded during the second half of the twentieth century. Among numerous unconventional techniques composers have used are multiphonics (production of more than one audible tone simultaneously), quarter tones, timbre variation, glissando, portamento, vibrato manipulation, non-traditional methods of attack and release, percussive effects, vocal sounds, and air sounds. Once the peculiarities of a few experimenters and jazz musicians, unconventional sounds have become accepted as viable material for contemporary serious composition.

The purpose of this volume is to provide material that may assist the clarinetist in developing flexibility with some of the non-traditional techniques often required in the performance of contemporary music. The exercises and etudes contained here deal principally with three techniques that typically involve unconventional fingerings—variation of timbre, quarter-tone production, and the performance of multiple sonorities, or multiphonics. Fingering diagrams are included throughout this study material to guide the clarinetist in producing the various sounds as they occur in the notation, as is generally the case with most literature utilizing such techniques. A key to the fingering diagrams, which are designed to be as practical and immediately communicative to the performer as possible, is provided.

The material in this volume is divided into three basic sections. The first deal with timbre variation, the second with quarter tones, and the third with multiphonics. There is no set, prescribed manner as to how one should proceed through the book; one might work in all three sections simultaneously, or go from the beginning to the end in the order printed. In the event one would choose to do the latter, the effectiveness of this course might be enhanced by the fact that the first section (timbre variation) presents primarily a technical challenge (i.e., getting used to reading the fingering diagrams at sight), the second (quarter tones) adds more of an aural challenge, and the third (multiphonics) additionally introduce a much greater challenge to the performer's tone-production flexibility.

For the fairly advanced student who possesses good basic playing habits, the material in this volume may be able to serve as appropriate introduction to the unconventional sounds involved. In my own teaching experience, utilizing many of these exercises and etudes in this way, I have even had students present some of the etudes in informal studio class performances, providing a good introductory experience in performing with sounds that are generally quite new to them.

There is an important warning I feel must be rendered to the student clarinetist who may be approaching unconventional techniques such as these for the first time. I suggest that material such as this is not something to be dealing with unless there already exists, presumably through more traditional studies and disciplines, a reasonable degree of solidification of basic clarinet tone production and technique. Particularly with regard to the study of multiphonics, these unconventional sound often involve significant and complex deviations from normal tone-production habits—potentially healthy deviations in the context of a well-established, disciplined technique, but potentially unhealthy deviations if undertaken before fundamentals are solidified.. The student who lacks consistency and good habits with basic aspects, such as proper breathing and abdominal support, embouchure and articulation, would be well advised to delay studies in unconventional sounds until a later time.

Best wishes, and, by all means, enjoy the study and performance of these fascinating sounds!”