Harmonic textures: rhythmic-driven multi-layered patterns for baritone saxophone

• Main Author: Smallenbroek, Menne
• Publication Date: 2016
• Format: Master thesis
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/9100
• topic: Baritone saxophone; Extended techniques; Alternate fingerings; Harmonic textures; Saxofone barítono; Técnicas estendidas; Chaves alternativas; Texturas harmónicas

Since its invention, the saxophone family has expanded remarkably in regard to extended performance techniques, with sound itself at its nucleus. In the last decades, these techniques, such as multiphonics, overtones, and bisbigliando, have been documented extensively throughout countless manuals. Be that as it may, there will always be innovative developments that require imaginative documentation. This thesis aims at providing a systematic documentation for a technique, entitled harmonic textures, which explores the left and right hand fingerings as separate entities in order to accomplish a rhythmic-driven texture. I created a diagram with all the possible fingerings for the lowest chromatic scale on the baritone saxophone. These diagrams then served as resource material for both improvisations and arrangements of existing literature. Harmonic textures were developed as a new musical discourse that could be used for new repertoire for baritone saxophone.