Peter Sheridan: News-Articles

First Published in Flute Focus Article July 2008
www.flutefocus.com
Click here to read the article (PDF).

Composer and flutist Hilary Taggart is composing a new set of Concert Etudes for Mr. Sheridan's Low Flutes. Ms. Taggart's music is challenging, deligtful, and filled with evocative images. She has composed several books of musically rich studies, and a set of pieces
for flute and piano titled 'Reflections'. Her music is printed through Pan Educational music.

http://www.spartanpress.co.uk/spweb/publications.php?q=Hilary+taggart

An exciting recording and publishing project, of nine new commissions for the Low Flutes.
A stong and vital addition to the growing repertoire of for low flutes.

Compositions:

Gary Schocker (NY)
'Small Sonata for a Large Flute' (2008)
'Duets' for C Flute and Bass Flute
www.garyschocker.com

Alex Shapiro (WA)
"Below" for Contrabass Flute and Electronics (2008)
(Explorations of tones and breath)
www.alexshapiro.org

Andrew Downes (UK)
'Sonata for Contrabass Flute and Piano' (2009)
www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~downlyn/

Pat Neher (AZ)
'City Vignettes'for Contrabass Flute, Double Bass and Piano (2008)
www.patrickneher.com/

Adrienne Albert (CA)
'Duo for Low Flutes' (2008)
www.adriennealbert.com

Vinny Golia (CA)
'Suite' for Contrabass Flute and Percussion (2008)
www.vinnygolia.com

Dennis Vaughan (AU)
Chamber Songs for Contrabass Flute and Voice (2008)

www.amcoz.com.au/composers/composer.asp?id=701

Craig Ross (AU)
'Minitures for Monster Flutes'
(2008)
www.trumpetguild.org/news/news07/667atgconf.html

Sheridon Stokes (CA)
'Irish in the Lowlands' Bass and Contrabass Flutes (2008)
http://www.music.ucla.edu/People/Faculty%20bios/SStokes.html

A vibrant and varied album of music for multiple flutes and piano.The CD features Sonatines by William Matthias and Claude Arrieu, alongside beautiful transcriptions for the lower flutes. Peter is joined by the talented Los Angeles pianist, composer and arranger John Sawoski.
Go to the Listen tab, for previews.

Playing the Low Flutes can truly be a challenge! These instruments have the same fingerings, and even look similar (for the most part) to the C Flute, but they are certainly tubes of a different nature. Players need to slightly reshape the embouchure (relax the opening of the lips, and allow a bit of the upper lip to hang over the tone hole), allowing a more open volume of air to pass through the lips, yet remain slow in air speed. Another technique is to allow the lower lip to be placed partly in the tone hole itself, of course this will assist with changing the angle of the air stream, and may help with bringing a bit of edge to the low tones.

In my opinion, the greatest challenge is not the physical aspect of playing, yet this can be most demanding for some, but rather aural (hearing). One needs to reshape their hearing when playing the larger flutes, and understand that the richest pitches are from another world, the 'bass clef!' A low C on the Bass flute, only one octave lower than the C Flute, is in actuality, quite a different quality and tone color, just by basic laws of physics- it resonates at a slower rate, it has a wider frequency band and is clearly filled with all sorts of harmonic partials! Embrace that sound and amplify it as much as you can. Just look at the tubing of the bass or Contrabass flutes, your tiny airstream from your pursed lips, has a long (and wide) way to travel.

Sometimes I hear doublers on the lower instruments, playing with a closed off, hollow sound. They may even struggle to find those low pearls on the alto or bass. Allowing the ears to realize that these lower instruments are transposing, and only with the use of the ears and acknowledgement of pitch placemnet, will one find the core sound of the lower flutes. This of course takes time, and I myself, am still learning this, after years of playing bass flute in a professional flute quartet. Playing the cello part of a Mozart string quartet is no simple feat, trust me!

So a good concept to formulate is: Train the ears to accept and work in these lower frequencies.
Practice singing in bass clef. Even ladies can do this, as I can sing a soprano high C, as it is my ear that allows the sound to come out, not my brilliant vocal technique.

One will find that this key concept of aural understanding will lead to a sound and color that is most desireable on any of the low flutes (Alto, Bass, or Contra Bass).

The Low Flutes (Alto, Bass and Contrabass) are unique in the issues to air quantity, air speed, and embouchure angle. These instruments all require much more air to excite their wider longer body tubing, a slower air speed and possibly a closer angle to the back wall of the embouchure tone hole.

AIR QUANTITY

The quantity of the air used to play the contrabass flute well, sompared to the flute is almost double. Really! You need to fill up the lungs, drop the diaphragm and extend the intercoastal muscles of the rib cage. This manner of breathing and inhalation will allow your low flute to sing like a cello with a fine bow. Also do not neglect the chest cavity. As a fine Opera Tenor once stated, Älways leave the chest up and open....ready to do it's job." Well there are varying degrees of this technique, but please use in moderation, as an overuse can cause problems with your back and neck.
The basic concept: fill your body with so much air, then top it up with even more. Overtime your can here some dramtic tonal changes in the quality of your sound and musical phrasing.

SPEED QUALITY

The air speed on the low flutes will be slower and the embouchure will be a bit wider in shape. I set my blowing in a reverse psychology and convince myself that as I blow out my air in coming in. A great method to slow down and control the air speed of your embouchure.

EMBOUCHURE ANGLE

As Music Teachers, we have all experienced new students, who are reluctant readers of music notation. Some students truly believe they are not able to read the notes on the page fast enough. Musical notation is only a graphic representation of sound. Music reading is not difficult or even impossible, it only takes work and discipline. Here is a little tick to work with: Always and forever, read one, two, or even three notes ahead of where you are playing. Practice, by having a friend or fellow musician cover the notes you are playing, hence motivating the eye to look ahead. The note that is sounding is NOT important, as far as reading, it is the note or series of notes that follow. Look ahead, and read like a PRO. let me know if it works for you.

"Reading is Everything in a Musical Education..." P. Sheridan

The flutist embouchure is truly a miraculous mechanism. With numerous muscle groups controlling size, and motion, it is no wonder there are so many variations of embouchures.
There are two main functions of the embouchure:

1) guide the airstream
2) control airflow.

Of course there is a fine balance which needs to take place between the lips. Too tight and the tone suffers harmonic richness, too loose and the tone is diffused and unfocused.
Here are a few tips that work for me, when I am focusing awareness on my Embouchure Emissions:

-Allow teeth to remain open. This creates more space in your mouth and allows a full stream of air to flow into your flute.

-Think about applying a bit of tension to the corners of your mouth. If applied correctly, you should have a rounded opening in the center, with relaxed lips to control airflow efficiently.

-The more air you supply the flute, the embouchure will work less. Control not only comes from the lips, but can be monitored by the diaphragm.

-Use your ears to shape your embouchure, not just your eyes. Yes, we have all been told to study our embouchure in the mirror, but inspire yourself to also use the aural sense as well. I have seen CRAZY embouchure formations, that produce stunningly beautiful sounds. I have also noticed perfect embouchure formations that produce dull, uninteresting sounds.
It is all relative, as Einstein taught us!

-Experiment with your embouchure, it is fun. You can find some pretty cool sounds it you allow yourself to explore the possibilities. Try it, you may find a position you were not aware of.

For a closer look at the mechanics of the embouchure, read the: "Illustrated Method for Flute," by Sheridon Stokes.


"

As a young flutist in the US, I had often read about a mysterious T-shaped flute named the Pinschofon, titled after it's designer and flutist Thomas Pinschof. I finally have had a chance to play this most interesting low flute, and can proudly say, I am a fan of it's beautiful lyrical tone and agility.

The quality of the tone is a cross combination, to my ears, of an alto and bass flute. The Pinschofon truly sings like a viola, and has a unigue range, dropping down to a low G, two octaves below middle C, which is one more octave than the alto flute, hence the difference in color. The design is slightly altered from the traditional (modern) Boehm system, as this instrument has two additional keys next to the G# key, and a pair of RH thumb plate keys for the low Ab and G. What a musical treat, to finally play one of these legendary flutes, after years of reading about it's existence.

Thank you Thomas for your wonderful creativity. Have a listen to one of my melodies played on this fabulous flute.
For more info visit:
http://www.web-arts.com.au/MUSOS/TP.html

BASS FLUTE

Vivienne Olive: "..Is The Flower Of The Heart Of Man..."(1972)

A solo work that is proportionally based on the time and date of the Hiroshima Attack 815681945.
Many dynamic and melodic colors. Furore Editions (Kassel)

Frank Michael Beyer: Echo (1985)

Solo work set in four movements, with outer movements based around chorale like quarter tone chants. Good for a spacial setting. Third movement set in a duo score for great dramatic and dynamic effect of compund like melodic material. Challenging to pull-off in performance. Bote & Bock (Berlin)

Daniel Kessner: Priere et Scherzo (2000)

A challenging and exciting six minute composition for Bass Flute and Piano. Includes some air/breath sounds and fluid scale passages. Perfect on any recital program, and has some of those familiar French overtones, with of course, an American twist.
Published by Theodore Front Musical Literature
http://www.csun.edu/~vcoao04c/daniel.html

Daniel Kessner: Seven Studies In Melodic Expression (1991)

A fantastic set of melodic explorations for the Low Flutes, that expand the concepts and control of musical expressions. All etudes are excellent individual performance pieces.
Publisher: Theodore Front Music

Dominik Karski: Glimmer
(Duo for Alto and Bass Flute)
A sonic treat, with pages of quarter tone clashes, pitch glissandi, timbral trills and rich harmonic overtone patterns. A neat well written manuscript, but a challenge to play accurrate.
http://www.amcoz.com.au/opac/name.aspx?id=4374


CONTRABASS FLUTE

Felix Werder: Opening! (1987)

Solo composition for Contrabass flute (in G), but a virtuosic challenge for C Contrabass flute. Some demanding rhythmic passages with wide intervalic leaps. Exciting to play and fun to listen to. Published through Australian Music Center.

C. POTTER: Alto and Bass Resource Book (Falls House Press)
A short pamphlet containing reliable alternate fingerings, helpful playing tips, intonation issuses and repertoire (mostly transcriptions). A
good source for trouble shooting problems.

C. LEVINE: The Techniques of Flute Playing II (Picc., Alf, and Bfl)
Strong resource for a serious approach to contemporary musical techniques. List of Bass flute timbral trills and multiphonic fingerings.
(Barenreiter)

The following list contains music books I have enjoyed over the years. Some are more technical than others, and some are just down right "Good Reads."
Another words, inspire the muses within us all. Enjoy!

"In Defence of "Classical Music," Andrew Ford
A wonderful and personal account of the power and verve that Classical music can possess for some. Mr. Ford a well known composer, critic, and radio personality throughout Australia. Many passionate and thought- provoking points about the art of 'listening.'

"The Joy of Music," Leonard Bernstein. Passionate written dialogues and essays, collected from his memorable Omnibus Television Series. Something for everyone who is enthusiastic about Concert Music. I have used it as a resource in Music Appreciation classes to great success.

"Early Modernism:" Literature, Music, and Painting in Europe 1900-1916. A strong resource for any musician, artist, writer, etc. interested in this fascinating period of radical change. A bit technical at times, but wonderful artistic cross references to all the arts of the period.

"The Classical Style," Charles Rosen. An in-depth read of what truly makes the music of the Classical Period so unique. Rather technical for non-musicians, but if you can wade through, you and your ears will be greatly rewarded. An excellent chapter on the development of the Symphony, and how the form grew rather organically.