Notation
Composers use different ways to indicate that you have to play wind tones. Here you’ll find some possibilities.
Stripes
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Some composers use stripes underneath the note. No sound should be used, only air. |
Triangel
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.
Practise
Studying wind tones on the flute is useful for:
– Flexibel embouchure
– Improving sound quality
Picc/alto/bass
This technique can be used on all flutes.
Composers
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.
Repertoire
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) |
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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 |
Sound examples
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: