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Wind tones

All there is to know about Wind tones

About Wind tones

Wind sounds are sounds on the flute with additional air. It is possible to play only wind sounds or wind sounds combined with regular sound.

Flute Colors: having fun with extended techniques
to help flutists gain better control

Flute Colors: having fun with extended techniques
to help flutists gain better control

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Sheet music

Adding extended techniques like Wind tones to your every day flute studies improves your overall flute control.

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Notation

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.

 

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)
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:

 

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