xen wind instruments

Drew Skyfyre wrote:

> >From what I understand, many players achieve different tunings
> by using various fingerings. From this list, I know this has been
> done on flute and bassoon. To which other wind instruments has this
> approach been applied ? And, what types of tunings are possible ?

> Is there a good source of info out there for someone wanting
> to write parts for these instruments ? Though ultimately it would
> require personally working with the people who are to actually
> perform the parts, to fine tune the writing to match their actual
> physical abilities.

Sorry not to have time for more detailed help right now.

Here are some sources:

Pitch: for the International Microtonalist, Vol. 1, No. 4, Spring
1990.

Microtonality Manual, co-produced by the Centre for Microtonal
Music and the SPNM (Society for the Promotion of New Music, London),
July 1991

Robert Dick, The Other Flute - A Performance Manual of Contemporary
Techniques, Multiple Breath Music Company, 1989;

Thomas Howell, The Avant-Garde Flute: A Handbook for Composers and
Flutists, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1974;

Peter Veale, et al., The Techniques of Oboe Playing: A Compendium
with Additional Remarks on the Oboe d'Amore and the Cor Anglais,
B=E4renreiter, 1995;

Philip Rehfeldt, New Directions for the Clarinet, University of
California Press, 1994;

Gerald James Farmer, Multiphonics and other Contemporary Clarinet
Techniques, Rochester, New York, Shall-u-mo Publications, 1982.

The issue of Pitch - gives an extensive list of special fingerings
for orchestral woodwinds (also the recorder and horn) covering a
number of alternative tunings - including just intonations,
quarter-tones, and even 31-ET and 72-ET for some instruments. Johnny
Reinhard will surely tell you more.

The orger references are not just about alternative tunings. Where
they are, there is an emphasis on quarter-tones in each of these
manuals except Pitch. Rehfeldt also deals with eighth-tones.

Also see my refercne to the new manualk for 1/4 tones for recorder
posted here not long back.

Patrick O-L

Hi,

In TD-1484 I wrote :
>Has anyone here tried using "intelligent" harmonisers,
>such as Eventide's H-3000, etc. to achieve microtonality with
>guitars ? I read somewhere that these things have a finetune parameter
>for the harmony part, in cents. (Of course I could be wrong, and the
>fine tune resolution could be much coarser.)

Well, I was wrong (I think). Turns out most harmonizers have only
a "master" fine tuning. Individual intervals can only be set to std.
12-tet intervals.

-Drew