Date of Last Revision
2023-05-02 14:19:28
Major
Music - Woodwinds Performance
Degree Name
Bachelor of Music
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2015
Abstract
Contemporary classical music often pushes the boundaries of how instruments should be played and what kinds of sounds they should produce. A great deal of contemporary music requires the player to utilize playing techniques that may seem very strange and difficult to those who are unfamiliar with them. These unusual practices, known as extended techniques, can include playing in extreme ranges, manipulating pitches in particular ways, and applying abnormal articulations. While once seen as a sort of novelty, these extended techniques are becoming increasingly essential to the contemporary musician. This is especially true of the saxophonist.
While nearly every other major instrument was developed gradually over extremely long periods of time, the saxophone was explicitly invented in 1841. As such, a relatively high percentage of saxophone literature was written in the twentieth century and beyond. It is this contemporary literature that frequently demands the use of the aforementioned extended techniques. It is crucial for the modern saxophonist to have at least a basic understanding of these techniques in order to approach much of this literature. This project discusses the implication of several extended techniques that commonly occur throughout the saxophone repertoire. The extended techniques covered include playing in the altissimo register, pitch bending, double tonguing, flutter tonguing, slap tonguing, growling, playing multiphonic pitches, and circular breathing.
Research Sponsor
Dr. Todd A. Gaffke
First Reader
Dr. Kristina B. Jones
Second Reader
Ms. Cynthia Cioffari
Recommended Citation
Bokman, Tyler R., "Understanding and Implementing Extended Saxophone Techniques" (2015). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 178.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/178