Monophonic Techniques for Oboe

C H A P T E R T W O

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Monophonic Techniques

This chapter includes directions for the performance of monophonic, or single-sounding,techniques. Harmonics, alternate timbres, microtones, glissandi and pitch bends, and upper-register fingerings will be discussed. The chart at the end of the book defines all notationaland fingering symbols.

Harmonics

Oboe harmonics are produced by opening an octave key so as to overblow a low note to soundan octave and a fifth higher. For example, the harmonic shown below is fingered D4 with thesecond octave key open, and this produces the pitch A5. Harmonics can produce an etherealand hollow sound. Played quietly and with no vibrato, passages consisting of harmonics cansound ghostly and distant.1

The range of harmonics on the oboe is from F5 to C6. Some pure harmonic fingerings areunstable and unreliable; therefore, slight adjustments are suggested that don’t significantlyalter the timbre. Figure 2-1 shows standard notation for harmonics: put the harmonic symbolabove the note to be heard, not the note to be fingered.

One of the earliest pieces that calls for harmonics is Stefan Wolpe’s Suite im Hexachord foroboe and clarinet, as shown in figure 2-2. Harmonics are sometimes used alternating withnormal fingerings for a subtle shift in timbre as in John Corigliano’s Oboe Concerto, as shownin figure 2-3.

Harmonics need not be thought of as an extended technique to be used only in rare andprecious moments. I frequently use harmonics for standard repertoire when I want a differenttone color or a sound that blends easily for the inner voice of a chord. Note that doubleharmonics are actually a type of multiphonic that will be discussed in chapter 3.

Harmonics are produced using the same principle for all members of the oboe family. Oboed’amore and English horn harmonics have an ethereal and hollow sound quality that is similarto but somewhat richer and darker than the timbre of oboe harmonics. The keywork on thelower horns is usually slightly different from that on an oboe: the lower horns do not have ahole in the G key (called a split G key) or a low B� key, so fingerings using the G half hole orB� keys are inapplicable. In other words, no fingerings that include a half closing on the Gkey (the third key from the top) or with a written ‘‘B�’’ in the center right would be applicable

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Quarter Notes with Overtones (courtesy T.J.)

Figure 2-1 Harmonics notation

Figure 2-2 Wolpe, Suite im Hexachord

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Monophonic Techniques � 9

Figure 2-3 Corigliano, Oboe Concerto

on the English horn or oboe d’amore. Harmonics on the lower horns begin on written F�5, an

octave and a fifth above the instrument’s lowest note.Ingram Marshall’s Dark Waters juxtaposes the lowest and richest tones of the English horn

with light, floating harmonics, as shown in figure 2-4.

Figure 2-4 Marshall, Dark Waters

Alternative Timbre Fingerings

A variety of timbres can be achieved on almost every oboe tone by using alternative fingerings.Perhaps the best-known piece that employs this technique is Berio’s Sequenza VII in whichthe oboist is asked to find five different timbres for a single note (see figure 2-6). Berio suggestsfingerings that range from a standard fingering with a few other keys depressed, to an over-blown octave B, and finally to highly unorthodox fingerings.

Eleanor Hovda uses alternative fingerings to produce a constantly changing, churning, andmoving texture in Record of an Ocean Cliff (see figure 2-7). This effect is mostly achieved byadding and subtracting keys to the standard fingering.2 Jack Vees’s Apocrypha includes alter-nate fingerings, harmonics, and multiphonics emerging from a single tone, all accompaniedby haunting electronic sounds made by recording the resonance of the oboe in a piano (seefigure 2-8). Vees includes specific suggestions for each alternate fingering and multiphonic. Ascore of this entire piece is included in appendix 2, and a recording is on CD track 36.

A variety of notations has been used to indicate alternative fingerings. Sometimes compos-ers simply include a verbal indication (e.g., Hovda); sometimes they include specific sugges-tions for fingerings with an asterisk (e.g., Vees). Elliott Carter wrote the initials ‘‘N S N S NS’’ above a single pitch. ‘‘N’’ indicated the normal fingering, whereas ‘‘S’’ indicated an alteredfingering. He included a footnote to explain his notation (shown in figure 2-9).

Some composers use the notation ‘‘N O N O N O’’ in which ‘‘N’’ indicates a normal fin-gering and ‘‘O’’ indicates an altered fingering. This indication is potentially confusing andmisleading because a circle above a note usually indicates a harmonic. Takemitsu used thisnotation in Distance (see figure 2-10). Bartolozzi drew note heads with different shapes in his

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Figure 2-5 Fingering chart of harmonics

Figure 2-6 Berio, Sequenza VII

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Figure 2-7 Hovda, Record of an Ocean Cliff

Figure 2-8 Vees, Apocrypha

Figure 2-9 Carter, Sonata for flute, oboe, cello, and harpsichord

Figure 2-10 Takemitsu, Distance

Figure 2-11 Bartolozzi, Concertazioni

Concertazioni (see figure 2-11). In Solo for oboe, Denisov used ‘‘O � O � O �’’ above apitch. ‘‘O’’ indicated the ordinary fingering (not a harmonic!), and ‘‘�’’ indicated the alteredfingering. He also included an explanatory note (see figure 2-12).

Since the notation of alternate fingerings is not standardized, composers should alwaysinclude an explanatory note to make sure their intentions are understood. It is helpful for the

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Figure 2-12 Denisov, Solo

composer to recommend possible fingerings while allowing some flexibility for the individualpreferences of the performer.

Alternate timbres are easily produced on all members of the oboe family. These timbrescan be especially effective on the lower instruments because of their inherent richness of tone.As stated above, the lower horns are usually constructed without a split G key or a B� key, sofingerings noted below that use the G half hole or B� key are inapplicable. However, it is oftenpossible to substitute the B key when the B� key is noted, as shown in figure 2-13.

Figure 2-13 Alternative timbre fingerings

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Figure 2-13 continued

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Quarter Tones and Microtones

When I speak to composers, I often point out that the oboe is naturally a microtonal instru-ment—certain notes on the instrument always need major adjustment, and all of them arevery flexible with minor embouchure changes. As noted in chapter 1, the tuning of the oboe,even for equal temperament, is imperfect and compromised. Quarter tones and smaller inter-vals are relatively easy to play on the oboe. The basic approach is to take the standard finger-ing and either slightly raise or slightly lower it with the addition or subtraction of keys. Forexample, if one plays the standard fingering for a ‘‘G’’ (all the keys of the top joint) and addsthe ‘‘E’’ key (the middle key of the second joint), the pitch will lower. More difficult for mostplayers is the ear training involved in playing microtonal music. Composers from Harry Partchthrough Ben Johnston to the youngest experimenters today have devised widely varying sys-tems of intonation, from 43-tone scales to intervals of 1/3 to 1/8 to 1/12 of a semi-tone. Eachvarying system requires performers to refine and newly train their hearing. Tuners and synthe-sizers can be used to aid in the process. The following musical examples all demand preciseintonation, and the player is aided by the musical context.

In the brief gesture shown, Harvey Sollberger has accompanied the oboe with a piano onthe G and a cello harmonic on a C (see figure 2-14). This juxtaposition of pitches and the

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Figure 2-14 Sollberger, Three or Four Things I Know about the Oboe

oboe’s playing style—forte, pesante, and strongly articulated—highlights the quarter tones.Drake Mabry’s Lament for Astralabe (see figure 2-15) uses quarter tones as a type of ornament.By placing quarter tones next to adjacent tones, he achieves a hyper-chromaticism.

James Tenney’s Critical Band requires very precise intonation from all players (see figure 2-16). Tenney indicates the specific number of cents above or below A 440. This is challenging,but there is always the sound of the fundamental A 440 to tune to. Quarter-tone fingeringsgiven below may be adjusted with the embouchure, and additional keys may be added orremoved to achieve these fingerings.

A variety of notations has been used to indicate quarter-tone and microtonal fingerings.

Figure 2-15 Mabry, Lament for Astralabe

Three approaches are shown in figure 2-17. Figure 2-18 shows a precise chart, indicating centsand relation of pitches to a fundamental pitch for Harry Partch’s 43-tone scale using BenJohnston’s notation.

In reading quarter-tone music, I prefer the notation using arrows on accidentals because itis the most intuitive. This is the notation used in Shinohara’s Reflexion, Holliger’s Studie II,and Sollberger’s Three or Four Things I Know about the Oboe to name only a few examples.However, if smaller intervals are desired, this system is limited.

The quarter-tone fingering chart in figure 2-19 begins with an E�4 and ends with a G�

6. Itis possible to play quarter tones lower or higher than those listed; however, these notes arevery unstable and require substantial embouchure adjustment. The following list includes fin-gerings that produce approximately true quarter tones with little embouchure adjustment.Because of the wide variety of potential tuning systems, it is difficult to list all the possiblefingerings to produce all the permutations of pitch that might be called for. Instead, I presenthere a group of stable and reliable quarter-tone fingerings that can be altered by adding orsubtracting keys, by putting more or less reed in the mouth, or by tightening or loosening theembouchure.3

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Figure 2-16 Tenney, Critical Band

Quarter tones and microtones are as easy to produce on the English horn and oboe d’amoreas on the oboe. Their pitch flexibility is also limited in the extreme low and high registers.As stated above, the lower horns usually do not have a split G key or a B� key; therefore,fingerings using the G half hole or B� key are inapplicable, but the B key can sometimes besubstituted for the B� key.

Glissandi and Pitch Bends

One of the great ecstatic experiences of all times comes in hearing the sound of BizmallahKhan glissing over an octave on his shenai, the North Indian quadruple-reed cousin of theoboe. A reason this gliss sounds so extraordinary is that the shenai has no keys. The best oboeto produce a glissando is the open-hole or ring-model oboe, but this instrument is rarely usedtoday because its intonation is poor. So we are left with the standard oboe in which glissandiare very difficult to achieve with consistency over an extended range. In addition, it is notpossible to achieve a true gliss over the break, which is C5 to C�

5. To move between thesenotes, one must go from a fingering with only the two index fingers depressed to a fingeringwith all the fingers down. If a gliss over these notes is necessary, the player needs to alter hisor her embouchure in the method described below for pitch bends when crossing the break.It is difficult to achieve this smoothly.

The most effective glissando is achieved by gradually sliding fingers off the hole, then off

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Figure 2-17 Three approaches to quarter-tone notation: (a) Bartolozzi, (b) Veale, and (c) Wildberger

the key, raising the pitch gradually. This is the technique used in the passage from Pender-ecki’s Cappriccio shown in figure 2-20. Penderecki asks the oboist to go just over the break inthe upper register to the C�

6. This can be achieved by using a trill fingering to play a C� withthe first finger of the right hand (see figure 2-21). It is easier to achieve an upward gliss thana downward gliss because it is easier to gradually remove fingers from the holes and keys thanit is to gradually cover and lower the keys. Ascending glissandi tend to sound convincing,whereas descending glissandi can sometimes sound ‘‘note-y.’’

While true glissandi are difficult to produce well on the oboe, pitch bends are easy to pro-duce due to the nature of the reed and the embouchure. In most registers it is easy to bendthe pitch down at least a semi-tone. This is achieved by relaxing the embouchure and/orpulling the reed out of the mouth slightly. This is most effective in the moderate to high range

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Figure 2-18 Ben Johnston’s notation of 43-tone scale

(G5 to F6) and least effective in the extreme low range (below E4). The extreme high range(above F6) can be effective, but these notes are unstable and might crack.

It is possible to bend a pitch up a semi-tone by tightening the embouchure and/or puttingmore reed in the mouth (also by sliding off the hole when possible). Oboists are more limitedin bending the pitch upwards than in bending it downwards. Once again, the extreme highand low ranges present the greatest difficulties.

Jack Vees’s Tattooed Barbie employs both upper- and lower-pitch bends effectively (see fig-ure 2-22). The composer has indicated that he wants the oboe to sound like a lead rock androll electric guitar when playing this section, and the oboist plays through a guitar effects boxthat alters and distorts the oboe sound. By his use of graphic notation, the composer leavesthe specific degree of bend up to the individual player. In the performance of this piece, I useboth pitch bends and glissandi for the greatest flexibility, smoothness, and amount of pitchchange.

In Byzantium, Christos Hatzis treats the pitch bend as an ornament (see figure 2-23). Hehas indicated that he wants exactly a whole step bend. This is possible to achieve in themoderately high register. He has chosen a good note, the high C�, for this effect. It would beharder one octave lower and virtually impossible two octaves lower.

In the fifth movement of George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children, the oboist is asked toplay a passage ‘‘timidly, with a sense of loneliness,’’ as shown in figure 2-24. The pitch bendsused here create a forlorn sigh, and the composer’s indication of rubato and ritard helps theoboist get the most out of this simple gesture. Crumb also wrote this phrase in the best registerto achieve this effect.

In improvisational performances, I have sometimes mixed glissandi, pitch bends, and fluttertongue. This produces a very distorted sound but an effective gliss. A straight line that linksthe starting pitch and ending pitch is the standard notation for glissandi (e.g., Penderecki’sCapriccio). Pitch bends are also indicated with ascending or descending lines to the desiredpitch (e.g., Hatzis’s Byzantium) or simply with a line indicating the general direction (e.g.,Vees’s Tattooed Barbie).

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Figure 2-19 Quarter-tone fingering chart

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Figure 2-20 Penderecki, Capriccio

Figure 2-21 High C� trill fingering

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Figure 2-22 Vees, Tattooed Barbie

Figure 2-23 Hatzis, Byzantium

Figure 2-24 Crumb, Ancient Voices of Children

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Figure 2-25 Chart of glissandi and pitch bends

Indications above regarding glissandi and pitch bends are generally applicable to theEnglish horn and oboe d’amore. Because of the covered hole on the G key, smooth glissandifrom a fingered G to A are more difficult than on the oboe. See figure 2-25 for a chart ofglissandi and pitch bends.

Upper-Register Fingerings

Composers who explore the oboe stratosphere must proceed with caution! Extremely highnotes (e.g., B�

6 or higher) are often unstable with respect to attack and intonation, and theirtimbre is almost never full and resonant. Many instruments and the human voice sound louderand more strident in the upper register, but the oboe tends to be quieter and thinner in theupper register. I have often been frustrated by passages that culminate in a very high note(e.g., A6 or higher) when the composer clearly hoped to achieve a forceful, heroic, and trium-phant effect. It is the acoustical nature of the oboe to sound somewhat unsubstantial in theupper register, and that should be kept in mind when the composer is writing a dazzlingclimax.

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High Notes (courtesy T.J.)

The following list begins with a C�, the first note that is beyond the range of the octavekeys. (Actually, a C� is an overblown F�, a D is an overblown G, etc.) Players may need to puttheir teeth directly on the reed in order to produce the highest pitches indicated. Not alloboes have a third octave key, but this key is helpful in the execution of some very high notes.If you don’t have a third octave key, the first octave key and greater embouchure pressure canbe used to execute many of these fingerings.

Musical examples that call for the English horn or oboe d’amore to play above a writtenG6 are rare, and it is harder to produce extreme high notes on these instruments than on theoboe. Nevertheless, most of the indicated fingerings are applicable. If a player is having troubleexecuting high notes on either of the lower horns, it is recommended that he or she try thefingerings on a variety of bocals. Slight variations in the instrument’s bore or angle of thebocal make enormous differences in pitch and response. Refer to figure 2-26 for upper-registerfingering charts.

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Figure 2-26 Upper-register fingering charts

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Notes

1. Listen to Vees’s Apocrypha on the enclosed CD and follow the score in appendix 2 for an effectivemusical application of harmonics.

2. A recording of this piece is included on Hovda’s CD, Coastal Traces, OO Disc �0029.3. For additional microtonal fingering charts, see Singer’s Metodo per Oboe or Veale’s The Techniques of

Oboe Playing.

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Monophonic Techniques for Oboe