Description of used instruments

1. Alto Saxophone

• Has a warm sound colour
• Range from Bb3 to F6 (written) . Considering that the alto saxophone is a transposing instrument in E-flat, which means that every played note sound one major sixth lower than written, the actual range goes from Db3 to Ab5
• Techniques : Slap, Alla tromba, tongue ram, air-tone, sub-tone, singing and playing.

2. Bassoon

• Sound characteristics : mellow, smooth, nasal, delicate
• Range from Bb1 to Eb5
• Techniques : Single tonguing, double/ triple tonguing, flutter tonguing, slap tongue, trills, multiphonics, key slaps, vibrato   (1)

3. Clarinet

• Sound characteristics : melodic, dark, dramatic
• Range from D3 to F6
• Techniques : Single tonguing, double tonguing, flutter tonguing, trils , tremolo, multiphonics, pitch bending, glissando   (2)

4. Contrabass flute

•  Sound characteristics : Warm, gentle
• Range from D#3 to G4
• Techniques :  (similar to western concert flute) Key slapping, mulitiphonics, whisper tones, pitch bending, trills, glissando, vibrato

5. Didgeridoo

• Sound characteristics : deep, vibrating, strong
• Range : The ranges vary depending on the size of the instrument, one can furthermore only give a rough frequency range ( which would be from around 32 Hertz to around 165 Hertz ) rather than a defined pitched range.   (3)

6. English horn

• Sound characteristics : powerful, melancholy, vocal, warm
• Range from E3 to A5
• Techniques: Single tonguing, double tonguing, flutter tonguing, trills, tremolo, vibrato  (4)

7.Oboe

• Sound characteristics : clear, bright, strong
• Range from Bb3 to G6
• Techniques: flageolet, Single tonguing, double/triple tonguing, flutter tonguing, tremolo, multiphonics, glissando, tooth embouchure, key slap, slap tongue,  (5)

8.Pan flute

• Sound characteristics : calm, smooth, light
• Range: depending on the size usually going over to octaves
• Techniques: Vibroato, flutter tonguing, pitch bending,

9.Piccolo

• Sound characteristics : delicate, bright, shrill
• Range from D5 to C8
• Techniques: Single tonguing, vibrato, double/triple tonguing, flutter tonguing, trills, tremolo,   (6)

Recorder

• Sound characteristics : delicate, shrill, bright
• Range:  Depending on the type of recorder ( soprano, alto, tenor or bass) range varies but usually consists two octaves plus one note
• Techniques: vibrato, glissando

Tarogato

• Sound characteristics : Warm, smooth, calming
• Range: Bb3 to C6
• Techniques: (similar to alto saxophone) : Slap, Alla tromba, tongue ram, air-tone, sub-tone, singing and playing.

Western concert flute

• Sound characteristics : Aery, bright, soft
• Range from B3 to C7
• Techniques: Key slapping, mulitiphonics, whisper tones, pitch bending, trills, glissando, vibrato (7)

 

 

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References :

1)Vienna Symphonic Library, (2018), Bassoon – Playing techniques (online) Available at : https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Bassoon/Playing_Techniques

2) Vienna Symphonic Library, (2018), Clarinet – Playing techniques (online) Available at : https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Clarinet_in_Bb/Playing_Techniques

3) Didijshop, (2016), Physics of the didgeridoo (online) Available at : https://www.didjshop.com/physicsDidj.html

4)Vienna Symphonic Library, (2018), English horn – Playing techniques (online) Available at : https://www.vsl.co.at/en/English_horn/Sound_Characteristics/

5)Vienna Symphonic Library, (2018), Oboe – Playing techniques (online) Available at : https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Oboe/Playing_Techniques

6)Vienna Symphonic Library, (2018), Piccolo – Playing techniques (online) Available at : https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Piccolo/Sound_Characteristics/

7)Vienna Symphonic Library, (2018), Concert flute –  Playing techniques (online) Available at : https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Concert_flute/Playing_Techniques/