Posts

Showing posts from January, 2009

Audio Freeze - From Melody to Harmony

Image
On my August 2008 post entitled A Free Tutorial on Spectral Sound Processing Using Max/MSP and Jitter , Alex asked: " I was wondering if you also put "Melody to Harmony" patch on line ". Good news, the patch is online! It is called 6-melody-to-harmony and free to download on this page: Jean-François Charles' Max MSP Jitter patches (link updated 01/12/2010) . A multiple freeze With this patch, you can freeze a note, then add other notes, thus creating a frozen chord. There is no limit on the number of notes that you can freeze: it doesn't take more resources to freeze 100 notes than 2. By freezing successive notes of a melody, you transform it into harmony, in real time. This patch uses the Max MSP FFT capabilities, while spectral data is stored and computed within Jitter matrices. Max 4 version of the patch? Antonio commented " pity some patches are for version 5 only " ; that's right, some of the most recent patches are only compatible

13/60 - Play Along 3 - Energy and Multiphonics

Image
Listen to 13/60 on last.fm One type of clarinet multiphonic is called "split tones". In the duet Play Along 3 , I use the most common root pitch for split tones on the Bb clarinet: the lowest note of the instrument, a written E. The first time I played this particular multiphonic in concert was during the première of Javier Torres Maldonado 's great piece Hemisferios Artificiales . We created this work for flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, and violoncello in February 2002 in Strasbourg. Ivan Fedele was the composition professor, and Armand Angster was leading the rehearsals. First, I had a hard time figuring out how to play this multiphonic sound, but in the end, the concert was great. One breath If you use this study in your teaching, it may be fun to play it in one breath. It may also be fun to watch this video of the fascinating trumpeter Raphael Mendez . For the "one breath" section, watch from 3:03 on. Your dedicated clarinet study As Pla

Formula Composition in Lapalu

Image
I just finished a provisional version of Lapalu , a new work for viola and live electronics. In this composition, I used the musical formula technique. Lapalu musical formula Here is the manuscript of the Lapalu formula. You can read the four limbs of the formula, each inhabited by a particular musical character. I composed part of this formula after recording Garth Knox . I could then incorporate elements of his musical language. For instance, he ended the improvisation session with circular bowing, that he seemed to enjoy quite a lot: this is why I use this nice sound quality in the last bar. First projection of the formula On the next picture, you can see the how the Lapalu formula unfolds over the first section of the piece. In formula composition, musical material is not developed , but rather spread, unfolded . Each limb of the formula contaminates its character to the corresponding section. Each section contains one or more projection of the whole formula. Here, the first

12/60 - Play Along 2 - Quarter Tones and Swing

Image
This study could be a first introduction to microtones for clarinet students. It's a playful short etude dedicated to Lionel Liebe, a former clarinet student of mine who took part to 60/60 . Have fun with the quarter tones (and no, you don't need a quarter tone clarinet to play this tune)! Listen to 12/60 on last.fm Performers are Petra Stump and Heinz-Peter Linshalm. They recorded several albums. Online, you can get Pierluigi Billone: 1+1=1 More clarinet quarter tones For advanced students, a great clarinet solo with quarter tones is If by Pascal Dusapin . I was lucky to learn it with Armand Angster at Conservatoire de Strasbourg . I highly recommend to meet and learn from him!