Category Archives: Saxophone Solo

The goal of these etudes is to help students gain technical command of multiphonics and to become familiar with the phrasing, interpretation and notation of contemporary music. Multiphonics, or the simultaneous production of more then one note, are an important element of the new experimental style know as musique contemporaine, or contemporary music. The following studies are not a compressive listing of multiphonics, rather they introduced them progressively in a musical context. Technical mastery of multiophonics will require students to gain fluency in two areas. The simpler task is to learn the often awkward cross-fingerings characteristic of multiphonics. This is just a question of practicing individual multiphonics as they are encountered. More challenging is learning how to make multiphonics speak which will require a mastery of voicing, the correct placement of everything behind the lips, including the tongue, oral cavity, soft palate and throat. The best way to accomplish this is to become fluent in harmonics or overtones. A series of exercises on harmonics have been provided as preliminary studies. In addition to helping produce multiphonics the study of harmonics will also facilitate altissimo and a general improvement in sound production. If harmonics and multiphonics speak it is a good indication that proper embouchure, air support and voicing are being used.