CHAPTER 5 - Etudes & Exercises

Alternate Fingerings and Microtones: conjunct microtonal segments, trills, and pedal trills

The Matsuo “Hirai V” Etude consists of descending microtonal passages from D5 to E quarter-tone 4 (a total of 39 pitches). These microtones are not equidistant, and range from quarter tones to twelfth tones in intervals. This etude can help one prepare to play Matsuo's Distraction for Clarinet and Piano (1987), and his Hirai V for clarinet, piano, and orchestra (1992). These works only use a portion of these microtonal sequences (A-sharp 5 to E quarter-tone 4).

In this etude, the rhythmic motion is constant – generally in sixteenth notes, with occasional division in 3, 5, or 6 notes per beat. The microtonal sequences are often set in 4-6 note chromatic patterns – the beginning and ending involve patterns as long as 39 pitches, including ascending motion. Two exercises prove to be especially helpful to learn this etude. One is to overlap 4-note patterns by three notes, in order to master the most difficult fingering changes by playing them on a variety of accented and unaccented beats or parts of beats.

Exercise #33 (click on music for mp3)

One may also gradually chain notes together, and create uneven rhythmic patterns, to make these practice phrases longer.

Exercise #34 (click on music for mp3)

click on Etude for mp3:

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