60

Using harmonics to facilitate the highest (Altissimo) register

N.B Do not teach the following if the embouchure is formed incorrectly.

Provided the embouchure is formed correctly this technique can be very useful.
Try to play high D without the speaker or register key. This is similar to the description
in the section on articulation, in which the tongue moves down the reed to produce the
high notes more readily.
This is easily achieved by taking in a little too much mouthpiece and blowing a very fast
stream of air with a high tongue, tip lifted. By relaxing the side muscle pressure and
lowering the tongue one can play the note we expect to get with no fingers i.e. open G.
Repeat this exercise several times. Effectively we are learning to pivot the lip on the
cusp of the opening of the facing curve and the intersecting point of the reed.
Area around which the bottom lip pivots to obtain harmonics


The lip produces harmonics on the cusp
of the facing curve where reed and
mouthpiece meet. In the same way a

novice squeaks, by inserting too much

mouthpiece and without realising is

sounding a harmonic.

With practice the almost imperceptible
pivoting movement of the lip on the cusp
combined with subtle tongue position

changes will be able to produce several

harmonics on one fingering. Changes of

airspeed also create different harmonics
when combined with different tongue and

lip positions Experiment  its fun!


Once mastered, this ability to sound the high D can be developed for many other
notes. Later in this book you will find harmonics exercises that develop this ability
and you will see that the fundamental note being  overblown  in the manner
described above may produce several notes in different registers.

Multiphonics

Different combinations of fingerings, lip pressure, tongue position and airspeed
produce multiple notes on the same fingering simultaneously. These sounds are
multiphonics. They are based on harmonics and can be effective tools for the
th
composer. The technique needs a great deal of practise and is mainly used in 20
century music and later. An excellent book on this subject was written by Bruno
Bartolozzi published in 1967 by Oxford University Press and is called  New Sounds
for Woodwinds  .
This book illustrates numerous multiphonic sounds and  chords  .
Since then several other books on  Avant Garde  techniques have been written.
Chords can also be produced by singing down th e clarinet and playing
simultaneously, this technique is sometimes used in modern jazz and is very effective
and flautists in the jazz world use it frequently.
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