Blue
for electric guitar and up to eight alto clarinets
Instructions
Electric guitar
The electric guitar is in standard tuning and it performs five recurring chordal fields. Each chord is played as a sustained resonance with a long decay and delay tail. The performer should allow the sound to disappear naturally before introducing the following chord. The chords should aim for the clean sound. Avoid playing both E strings if available.
The harmonic cycle:
- C3 + E3 + D4 (Cadd9)
- F3 + A3 + D4 (F6/Dm7 colour)
- G3 + B♭3 + D4 (G minor)
- E3 + G3 + C4 (C/E)
- A3 + C4 + E4 (Am)
The complete cycle is repeated twenty times.
The electric guitar should remain continuous and resonant, functioning as a harmonic foundation rather than a rhythmic instrument. The additional reverb and/or delay effects can be added in order to extend the physical duration of each chord but only if the room ambience is low.
Alto clarinet(s)
The alto clarinet(s) perform independently. Each instrument selects one pitch from the following collection:
E3, F3, G3, G♯3, A3, B♭3, C4, D4
Each tone is sustained for a duration between five and eight seconds, followed by silence lasting between ten and twenty seconds. This process is repeated up until the electric guitar ends its cycle. At that moment allow the natural decay of the instruments’ sound.
The entrances of the clarinet(s) should not be synchronized. Each instrument follows its own internal timing, creating an unstable field of overlapping tones and silences.
The dynamic character of the clarinets should remain restrained. Each tone should emerge gradually, maintain a stable presence, and dissolve slowly. The transition from sound to silence is considered part of the musical material.
Recreated and rewrote 31st July, 2026