Tension Studies (2010)

samuel carl adams t e n s i o n s t u d i e s I: tension study II: petroleum days for paul dresher 2010 – 2011 | revised 2013 Copyright

Performance Instructions:

General notes:

These studies can be played in any order. Because of their similar pace and temperament, they do not have to be performed contiguously.

Percussion:

The percussion playing is idiomatic with the exception of the pitch bending of the vibraphone. This technique can be executed by dragging a hard plastic beater, partially covered with mole skin, across the length of the bar while exciting the bar with a yarn mallet.

The sustain pedals on both vibraphones should be weighted down by a heavy object or disengaged so that the instrument has maximum decay for both studies.

Player 2's vibraphone should be powered for the use of very slow vibrato (study # 2 only).

The sizzle cymbals should have very long decays (preferably longer than 8 seconds).

If a concert snare is used, it should be tuned to a high B or C. A 'popcorn' or piccolo snare can also be used.

Notes for sticking:

Note heads indicate which beater to use. A round note head, for example, indicates a yarn mallet, and an X note head indicates a wood stick. There are two exceptions to this:

In study # 1: For better legibility, round note heads for wood sticks are used in percussion 1 from letter M to the end. This is indicated in the score.

In study # 2: Percussion 2's almglocken, although struck by yarn mallets, is indicated with a diamond note head so as not to interfere with vibraphone notes on chromatic staff. This is indicated in the score. Percussion 1's brake drum are also notated this way on 3-line staff.

Guitar:

The first study calls for the detuning and retuning of the instrument in specific rhythmic durations. For some events, the amount to which the guitar should be detuned is relatively indeterminate (i.e. 1/8th of a peg), and for others, the amount is very specific (i.e. D#). Each study has a corresponding patch, which can run through either the amplifier or a PA system. The patch changes are indicated in the score by numbers and can easily be triggered with a MIDI foot switch. To acquire patches, contact the composer directly. In the first study, there are 10 discrete patch changes; in the second there are 41 that ‘scroll’ by triggering the same MIDI number. The guitarist should aim to achieve a clean tone so that the subtleties of the processing can be heard.

Notes on electronics:

Each patch has a performable ‘toplevel,’ which can be accessed by opening the .maxpat file in presentation mode. Performance instructions are indicated in each file.

Technical Setup and Requirements:

• It is suggested that the guitarist controls and triggers the electronics.

• For larger halls, amplification of the percussion (especially the vibraphones) is suggested.

loudspeaker / PA

XLR or TS mono balanced (1/4”) (guitar dry signal)

mixer

loudspeaker / PA

2 TS mono balanced (from outputs 1 and 2) (guitar processed signal and electronics) (1/4”)

TS instrument unbalanced (1/4”)

line splitter

electric guitar

TS instrument unbalanced (1/4”)

MIDI foot pedal

perc. I

max/msp

laptop

amplifier

audio interface

mic(s) mic(s)

perc. II

XLR XLR USB USB/Firewire

XLR/NL4 XLR/NL4

Suggested Percussion Setup:

player I

sizzle

vibraphone

player II

bass drum

(audience)

palmglocken ref. mounted

required beaters: required beaters:

• hard plastic mallet with moleskin

• two (2) medium yarn vib. mallets

• large triangle beater

• wire brush

• two (2) hard yarn vib. mallets

• two (2) wood sticks

• metal hammer

• hard plastic mallet with moleskin

• two (2) medium yarn vib. mallets

• large triangle beater

• wire brush

• two (2) hard yarn vib. Mallets

• soft bass drum beater

sizzle sizzle snare

kick drum kick drum brake drum B4 C#4 F#4 C#5

Copyright © 2010 Samuel Adams Music (BMI) q = 60 f mp p mf pp pp mf (pp sim.) 11 mp pp sim. mf pp  1 [0] [-1/8] [-1/8] (no attack) [0] [0] [+1/16] [+1/16] [-1/16]  [-1/16] (no attack) [0]  Samuel Carl Adams (b. 1985) I : t e n s i o n s t u d y t e n s i o n s t u d i e s   Electric Guitar          Vibraphone (Motor Off) med. yarn mallet bend with moleskin beater  Sizzle Cymbal SD / Break Dr. Kick Drum  Vibraphone (Motor Off)  Sizzle Cymbal Bass Drum Kick Drum med. yarn mallet  [0] [+1/8]  [+1/8] [0]            sim. D#: moleskin beater      pitch bend yarn and moleskin    Unauthorized copying or reproduction of this music is forbidden by law and may result in criminal or civil action                                                                                                                                                                                    

Tension Studies SCORE

22 mf p mf p mp mf 33 close to bridge mf mp [0] [-1/8] [0]                 moleskin           moleskin                                                                                                                                                                   

2

A 44 mf mf p f f mf mp p mf p pp pp sim. mf mf p pp pp sim. 54 mf mf ff mf ff pp [0] [-1/8] [0]  [0] no attack [-1/8]                           [0] [-1/8]  [-1/8] [0]            triangle beater slow cont. scrape   rip off (l.v.)    triangle beater slow cont. scrape  rip off (l.v.)                                                                                                                                                                                       Tension Studies SCORE 3

Tension Studies SCORE

64 f p p mf pp sim. mf pp mf pp sim. B 75 mf f p mf mp f p mf mp mf mp pp mf          sim.      [0] [-1/8] [0] [-1/8] [0]                   triangle beater  yarn     yarn                                                                                                                                                                            

4

86 mp mf mf mf f mf p mp pp p mf mf 96 mf mf mp mf p mf p mf p mf mp p mp [0] no attack [-1/4]              rip off (l.v.)  yarn         [-1/4] [0]        legato      bend sim.    moleskin                                                                                                                                                                                           Tension Studies SCORE 5

Tension Studies SCORE

107 f mf (mf) mp mf mp mf mf mp p C 119 mp f mf f sub. pp p p pp f mp f sub. mf pp p mp [0] no attack [-1/8] [0]              moleskin   [0]  [D§] 2          played pitches    moleskin         bend                                                                                                                                                                                   

6

130 mf mp espr. f f mp p mf p mf p 141 mf etc. mf precise mf p mf mf p mf        triangle beater scrape rip off (l.v.)  yarn  (all same lengths)     RH between pegs and nut     LH             yarn  moleskin (snare off) yarn    triangle beater cont. scrape  rip off (l.v.)  yarn                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Tension Studies SCORE 7

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