John McMurtery Website

Singing While Playing Ex. 1 Play Movie George Crumb, Vox Balanae (opening)

The technique of singing and playing the flute simultaneously was pioneered by jazz musicians and developed by composers seeking not only new sounds for the instrument, but ways to utilize the flute as a polyphonic instrument. It is produced by forming a normal flute embouchure and literally singing through it. Several possibilities exist for singing and playing simultaneously: singing pitches different from flute notes; singing pitches in unison with fingered notes; or singing in octaves with the sounding flute pitches. The latter two are most effective because the resonance of the tube is enhanced by the frequency of the vibrating vocal cords. The example is one of the most famous in contemporary music: the opening of George Crumb's Vox Balanae. Although Crumb specifies the passage to be sung an octave below the written flute line, it may be performed in unison to accommodate female performers. The excerpt also features the technique of covering the embouchure hole completely and singing through the flute while fingering specific pitches (notated in the top line).

Singing While Playing Ex. 2 Play MovieOfer Ben-Amots, Avis Urbanus (p.2 staff 3)

The technique of singing and playing the flute simultaneously was pioneered by jazz musicians and developed by composers seeking not only new sounds for the instrument, but ways to utilize the flute as a polyphonic instrument. It is produced by forming a normal flute embouchure and literally singing through it. Several possibilities exist for singing and playing simultaneously: singing pitches different from flute notes; singing pitches in unison with fingered notes; or singing in octaves with the sounding flute pitches. The latter two are most effective because the resonance of the tube is enhanced by the frequency of the vibrating vocal cords. This example, from Ofer Ben-Amots’ Avis Urbanus, contains a unique use of singing and playing. The flutist sustains a single note, while singing the highest pitch possible for the voice and bending the pitch downward. Because of an acoustical phenomenon known as "resultant tones," the listener hears two simultaneous glissandi, one upward, and the other downward. Ben-Amots’ notation clearly reflects the resultant sound.

Multiphonics Play MovieEdward Taylor, Voices in the Night (VIII, mm. 19-24)

Another technique for creating polyphony on a flute is through use of multiphonics, two or more notes sounded simultaneously. These require the flutist to possess extremely precise control of the embouchure and airstream, as well as the memorization of nonstandard fingerings. Further limitations exist: not all combinations of notes are possible, some work only at specific dynamic levels, and the ease of production can vary greatly from instrument to instrument. Composers should first consult one of the sources listed in the bibliography, and then work with a performer, before employing multiphonics into a work. Also, performers find it extremely helpful if composers specify the fingerings to be used. This passage from Edward Taylor's Voices in the Night illustrates an effective use of multiphonics.

Artificial Polyphony Play MovieJames Romig, Sonnet 2 (m. 21-4)

Another device composers use to create polyphony is based on an aural illusion. In James Romig's Sonnet 2, the following performance note appears in the score: "To create the illusion of sustained sound in the lower voice, the staccato note in the upper voice is to be played as quickly as possible before returning to the lower note." If the performer is successful in creating continuity in the two separate lines, the resultant effect is like a flute duet. The technique works best in reverberant acoustical spaces.