While working on „Études for a clarinet and a bass clarinet inspired by beatbox and contemporary music literature” it came to me that the notation I had known until now, that is the note in a classic approach, the rhythm and the expressive meaning, are insufficient for the effect I wanted to achieve. The sounds that the beatboxers attain are indescribable by note description because the foundation from which they part is described by designations not used in contemporary music. Therefore I had to create an adequate notation that would reflect the character of my quest. The notation I use is based on the concept of space because the performer reads the intensity of appearance of successive elements of the étude from the distance between them.
The tempo in my notation is paced by the use of a stopwatch. The performance of a given sound sequence in a space of a second means fitting it in very lively, in a space of two seconds – less intensely, in a space of three – even less intensely and so on.
The expression and the dynamics are described by building a 'square', in which the given sound or gesture is inscribed. The 'square' changes depending on the used expression. I will present the change of its shape parting from the inspiration with the concept of 'shout'.
The placement of a gesture, of a sound in the space of a paper sheet is also meaningful for the pitch of performance of a given element. Higher or lower position in relation to the previous element means using an adequate pitch.
Within the notation I use templates, sketches one can fill in, that are helpful in expressing the structures of playing.
On account of creating pieces within the framework of the so called composed education I also write words in the score, phrases pronounced in a certain manner ensuing from the musical meaning of the whole course. It is therefore the so called 'musicalisation of the problem', inscribing the enunciation in the musical course.
The whole of my notation could be described as 'comic book' or 'cartoonish', it contains remarks also concerning the specific interaction with the audience, the dynamic action in space. These elements are ruled by a specific expression, therefore they cannot be written merely by notes.
Each of the written elements of the étude is intended for performance, on the other hand it is meant to be improvised as a performance with the elements I suggest. The performance is switching, repeating, listening and proposing similar musical solutions enclosed in the character of my notation.
Imagination has an enormous meaning in those moments when the musical description precisely merges with the abstract description such as a word term dry or its graphic representation. Then one must imagine the synthesis of those two concepts – the concrete and the abstract - in their mind. I assume that the practice should lead to widening the definition of musical expression and its deformation.
The addition is the resultant of using the imagination in the process of interpretation of the études. Playing the line of a given sequence we get commands of merging it in real-time with another proposed line. I do not see the possibility of writing this situation down by means of a classic notation as a problem of reciprocal interaction of sounds, its inspiration and interpretation emerges. Therefore performing études requires effort not only technical, concerning the performance of certain fragments, but also a creative effort leading to a real insight into the structure of the problem of successive exercises.
The development of these „Études” was partially financed by an Artistic Scholarship granted to me by the Bureau of the City of Warsaw.