12 Moons Solo Project Day 118
Date: 04/28/2013
Instrument: Tenor saxophone
Location: The rec room of my childhood home in Edmonds, WA
This is an energy piece exploring the wide angles possible with vibrato. Traditionally vibrato on the saxophone is accomplished with either a slight tensing and releasing of pressure in the embouchure or through gentle fluctuations in air flow. This improvisation uses the former paired with pliable fingerings that allow the pitches to bend in either direction much further than traditional notes.
The improvisation was recorded at maximum volume, and I attempted to stay in the upper register throughout the piece. It had an ascending shape overall that made reference to a handful of specific two-note pitch combinations.
F–Eb
F: (Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave, Low Bb // (Right Hand) High F# key
Eb: Same as above, remove the High F# key
Gb–F
Gb: (Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Octave, Low Bb // (Right Hand) High F# key, Side Bb
F: Same as above, remove the Side Bb
Ab–G
Ab: (Left Hand) B key, Octave, Low Bb // (Right Hand) High F# key, Side Bb
G: Same as above, also put down the A key in the left Hand
A–Ab
A: (Left Hand) C key, Octave, Low Bb // (Right Hand) High F# key, Side Bb, Side C
Ab: Same as above, remove Side C
The other pitches, clusters and wide intervals were explored by opening and closing the palm keys in combination with the above fingerings, plus wily exploration with embouchure motion, or ad hoc fingerings to explore new sounds.
-Neil
The image accompanying today’s post is a “light beam with a curve.”