Wind tones

Composers use different ways to indicate that you have to play wind tones. Here you’ll find some possibilities.

 

Stripes

Some composers use stripes underneath the note. No sound should be used, only air.

Triangel

	Some composers use a triangel as a notehead to indicate you should play a wind tone without sound.
	If there is written a note underneath the triangel you should use a combination of sound and wind tone.

Wind tones without sound. The height of the note indicates which note should be played.

 

Wind tones with sound. The height of the regular notehead indicates which note should be played.

Other possibilities

Most of the time composers add a page of instructions with their compositions. Sometimes composers just write in the score what they want to hear.

This notes should be played with flute sound and wind sound.

Studying wind tones on the flute is useful for:
– Flexibel embouchure
– Improving sound quality  

This technique can be used on all flutes.

Level:

General:		Becomes more difficult:
This technique is easy to realize as a seperate technique.		If alternated with regular sound very quickly.

Notes:

If only used air, this technique can only be used in the first octave from B to d#”. If you want to use a combination of air and sound, then you can use any tone.

Composer:		Title:	Album:			Publisher:	Other techniques:
Ahumada, Gabriel	*1968	Etude	Flute update	3	Flute solo	Walter Wretschitsch & Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien	Keyclicks, Slap tongue
Augustin, Maria	*1980	Zeitauflauf	Flute update	3	Flute solo	Walter Wretschitsch & Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien	Sing & play
Cutler, David	*1971	Pinstriped Tomatoes	Postcards	3	Flute solo	Universal Edition (UE 33661)	Harmonics, Sing & play, Flatterzunge, Glissando/ tonebending
Gottsche-Niessner, Friedgunt	*1954	Der traurige Tanzbar und die lustige Tanzmaus	Musikalische Kurzgeschichten	3	3 flutes	Zimmermann (ZM 32370)	Sing & play, Glissando/ tonebending
Gottsche-Niessner, Friedgund	*1954	Die Elefanten	Eine kleine Tiersuite	3	3 flutes	Zimmermann (ZM 32360)
Gottsche-Niessner, Friedgund	*1954	Ein fahrt mit der Bergbahn	Musikalische Kurzgeschichten	3	3 flutes	Zimmermann (ZM 32370)
Gottsche-Niessner, Friedgund	*1954	Nachtfaltergedanken		3	Flute solo	Zimmermann (ZM 34960)	Bamboo tones, Harmonic, Slap tongue
Holliger, Heinz	*1939	“(t)air(e)”		3	Flute solo	Ars Viva Verlag (AVV 133)	Whistletones, Sing & play, Jetwhistle, keyclicks, Slap tongue, Quartertones
Huber, Nicolaus, A.	*1939	First play Mozart (1993)		3	Flute solo	Edition Breitkopf 9094	Quartertones
Najfar, Reza	*1960	From the other stars	Flute update	3	Flute solo	Walter Wretschitsch & Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien	Harmonics, Keyclicks, Flatterzunge
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Drigo’s dream		3	Flute, piano	Zimmermann (ZM 34510)	Multiphonics, Bamboo tones, Harmonics, Sing & play, Keyclicks, Glissando/ tonebending
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Honami		3	Flute solo	Zimmermann (ZM 30730)	Whistletones, Multiphonics, Bamboo tones, Sing & play, Flatterzunge
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Jungle Dance		3	Flute solo, 5 flutes, 2 basflutes, 3 bottles, birdflute	Zimmermann (ZM 31430)	Sing & play
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Just a short version		3	2 flutes, piccolo, alto flute	Zimmermann (ZM 2988)	Multiphonics, Bamboo tones, Harmonics, Flatterzunge, Glissando/ tonebending
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Kaurokami	Made in Japan	3	Flute solo, CD	Zimmermann (ZM 34950)	Sing & play
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Kojo-no-Tsuki	Made in Japan	3	Flute solo, CD	Zimmermann (ZM 34950)
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Studie no. 1: Windtones	For the contemporary flutist	3	Flute solo	Zimmermann (ZM 29700)
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Studie no. 4: Bamboo tones	For the contemporary flutist	3	Flute solo	Zimmermann (ZM 29700)	Bamboo tones
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Studie no. 5: Multiphonics	For the contemporary flutist	3	Flute solo	Zimmermann (ZM 29700)	Harmonics, Flatterzunge
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Studie no. 9: Diverse	For the contemporary flutist	3	Flute solo	Zimmermann (ZM 29700)	Keyclicks, Jetwhistle
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Wind-trio	For the younger flutist	3	3 flutes	Zimmermann (ZM 307880)
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Working Song	Flute Update	3	2 Flutes	Walter Wretschitsch & Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien	Flatterzunge, Slap tongue
Offermans, Wil	*1957	Yume-Kaze	Made in Japan	3	Flute solo, CD	Zimmermann (ZM 34950)	Sing & play, Flatterzunge
Piazolla, Astor	1921-1992	The Nightclub	Histoire du Tango	2	Flute, guitar	Editions Henri Lemoine	Flatterzunge
Stockhausen, Karlheinz	1928-2007	Susani’s echo		3	Flute solo	Stockhausen Verlag (Werk nr. 3. ex 58,5)	Sing & play, Flatterzunge, Glissando/ tonebending, Quartertones
Stockhausen, Karlheinz	1928-2007	Xi		3	(Alto)flute solo	Stockhausen Verlag (Werk nr. 3. ex 55)	Sing & play, Flatterzunge, Glissando/ tonebending, Quartertones
Takemitsu, Toru	*1930	Voice		3	Flute solo	Salabert Editions	Multiphonics, Sing & play, Keyclicks, Quartertones
Veldhuis, Jacob ter	*1951	Lipstick	Images	3	Flute/Altoflute solo, tape	Donemus (DON 320)	Sing & play, Flatterzunge
Wagendristel, Alexander	*1965	Three dances	Flute update	3	Flute solo	Walter Wretschitsch & Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien	Multiphonics, Harmonics, Jetwhistle, Keyclicks, Flatterzunge, Slap tongue

Books

Author:	Title:	Publisher:	Other techniques:
Levine, Carin Mitropoulos-Bott, Christina	The techniques of Flute Playing	Bärenreiter	Whistletones, Multiphonics, Harmonics, Sing & play, Jetwhistle, Keyclicks, Flatterzunge, Glissando/tonebending, Slap tongue, Quartertones, Trumpet embouchure

Here you can listen to two examples of windtones. I’m playing Zoom Tube by Ian Clark and Xi by Stockhausen.

Windtones without sound:

With and without sound: