I’ve recently been geeking out over a book (really it’s the appendix of a book) that has all practical flute multi-phonics written out. \u00a0Yes, that’s correct 1826 different multi-phonics. \u00a0The\u00a0interesting thing about this appendix is that it is hyper specific to the actual frequencies of each pitch, dividing the scale used (from a fundamental pitch, say C, to an octave above) into 31 different tones. \u00a0It also gives a conversion table to users who want to use the pitches in our typical 12 tone division.<\/p>\n
Why am I geeking out over this book? Well my next composition is a piece for Flute and (lightly) Prepared Piano. \u00a0In a sense, this work is a study in how to apply extended techniques, which I have used from very sparingly to not at all. \u00a0The piano’s preparation is sparse in that I apply a few mutes to the piano strings to shift the pitch\u00a0outlaid\u00a0on the piano up two octaves and a major third. \u00a0Essentially, the goal is to get the dampened, glass color change that harmonics give. \u00a0The other preparation is throwing some keys (the kind used to unlock doors) onto the lowest note on the piano, A1, so that when it’s played, we get a jarring,\u00a0metallic\u00a0buzz.<\/p>\n
The work is shaping up to be frenetic and crazed, which is exactly what I’m going for. \u00a0 My current struggle involves figuring out what multi-phonics\u00a0will have ample tone production to be usable if the piano is\u00a0simultaneously\u00a0revving along like clockwork. \u00a0Check out the first use of\u00a0multi-phonics\u00a0in flutes ever<\/em> in Berio’s Sequenza and then listen to some even wilder music with Robert Dick playing:<\/p>\n