Japtax for Prepared Kettledrum
Japtax is a work
for solo percussionist, playing an electronically prepared kettledrum. The electronics are used to expand the
timbral range of the instrument, increasing the number of possible transients
and resonances. Also, the electronics provide additional "ensemble
voices" in the musical structure, including other percussion and spoken
text. There is no direct playback
of prerecorded material, rather, all sounds are played and/or triggered by the
performer. Finally, the underlying
idea for the piece, "an ensemble controlled by one player", is
inspired by John Cage's work in 1946-48 for his Sonatas and Interludes for
Prepared Piano. This work was
revised in 2002.
Zack Settel June 1996/2002
Duration:
approximately
18 minutes
Additional Personnel:
sound
engineer
musician/technician
(coach)
Percussion
Equipment:
1 28"
kettledrum with good variable tuning pedal(Ludwig, Primer, etc.)
1 17"
tamtam w/stand
1 14"
chinese Symbol w/stand
1 14"
crash symbol w/stand
5 temple
blocks w/stand
3 14"
lengths of various light weight chain
1 woodblock
1 aprox.
8 " domed bell (derby hat
shape)
2 temple
bowles
3 crotales
3 cup
bells
1 dampener
(mouse-pad or similar)
1 felt
cloth dampener
2 trap
tables
1 stool
1 music
stand
Mallets:
Timpani
mallets
light
brushes
brass
tip
hard
plastic
Instructions
to the performer
The score calls involves a mix of
structured improvisation and fully notated performance. The durations for the structured
improvisation are not always indicated, as this is left up to the performer to
decide.
Regarding the electronics, most of the details will be explain
during rehearsal. It is useful to
listen to the recording, once you have learned the score, so that the
electronic accompaniment part will be heard clearly, as distinct from the
performed part.
Below is some page-by-page information regarding the score and the
piece:
Page 1.
1.) Striking technique. One mallet slides along the timpani
head, while the other one strikes the sliding mallet. The mallet on the timpani head is slowly slid from the rim
toward the center of the head and back again, as indicated in the score.
2. ) "Pedaled accent on skin means
that, unlike the other strikes in the measure, this note (G) should strike the
skin (head and not other mallet). This is done accented, and while the provided
midi sustain is held down.
3.)
Re. Felt dampening:
The player should not
completely dampen drum-- only partially. When playing with the electronics,
just how much to dampen will be clear.
Please note that the non-standard striking technique described above
applies to the first two systems only .
4.)
Re: pedaled accent: the
accent should occur while the pedal is down; in such a case, the accented note is routed by the computer
to a signal processing module.
Improvising time in this part of the score is around 45". Check recording of piece.
Page 2.
1.)
Pedal is held down to "capture" material being played for the
indicated duration. Note that the pedal release must precede the sharp attacks
which always follow in this section. When the pedal is down, a sharp attack
will trigger recording. When the pedal is up, a sharp attack will trigger
playback of recorded material. Up
to three independent playbacks can sound together.
2.)
In Bar 5,6,7,8 the pedal is up, thus two sharp attacks trigger playback.
Two copies of playback are sounding, as a tight cannon (one delayed by a 16th
note)
3.) System 2, m6-9: What’s happening here is the same as
above in 2), but using different triggering
patterns.
4.) System 3 -> 4, This is an improvised
section using additional instruments (tambourine w/ chain inside) w/ some felt
dampening.
At the bottom of the page, the final phrase
is recorded (note the pedal is down the entire time). The material is distinctive, and should be played as
written. Note that the last note on the page triggers playback of the
recorded phrase.
Page 3.
Improvised section. Basically it's a fast repeating even
triggering pattern, which slows down dramatically, and then speeds up to a
tight roll.
Understanding that the entire phrase will playback, you execute the last trigger on the first system, which
serves to trigger the final playback of the phrase. Knowing the phrase, you can
listen to the play back and strike the last note of the section (following
system) on the downbeat following the end of the phrase. It's done by ear.
Page 4.
1.)
The player
plays in the playback section,
though not at first; rather after a minute or two.
2.) "PS2" is a button on the midi
controller. The piece requires three, PS1,2 and 3 respectively. These kind of
cues will be explained during rehearsal by the “coach”.
The instruments which are supposed to be
placed on the drum head is
indicated above the end of system2 following the text "new
config". Al other
instruments, such as wood blocks, tam-tam etc... are played VERY NEAR (but not
touching) the drum head (refer to
the graphic layout page of the
score.
3.) 5th system: Sharp accents on the drum head trigger playback of the previous material. The transposition
of the playback controlled by the pitch of the sharp accents. From this point through the end of the
piece, the material indicated for
the timpano is to be played along with material (similar to preceding) played
on the instruments near to the drum head (cymbals, tam, blocks etc.).
Section 4
The technique for the Chinese gong (hand
held cymbal of sorts) is difficult to describe. It can be used to tap other
instruments, "cup/slap"
the timpani head. These sounds
resemble at times cooking sounds in the kitchen...
System 5
Regarding time to place the tambourine and
chain on the head: It's a
challenge to maintain a good groove while supplementing the instruments on the
timpani head. But it can be done
(even by the composer).
Beats can always be drooped if need be.
Section 6
The drum head is “empty” at
the start of this section. Further
in (in system 2), a Tibetan bell can be placed on the head, held in place using a drumstick,
pressing the bell somewhat downwards, while striking the bell with another
mallet.
The pedaling controls the quality of
feedback. The feedback is
triggered by a sharp attack. During forty seconds following a trigger, the
feedback slowly attenuates.
In this section, the drum head is extremely
sensitive to modes of vibration. These can be altered by touching the head in
various places, and by imposing
other modes (such as the bell) on top.
Technical
Requirements and Instructions
Equipment:
Computer: Apple G4 Macintosh, min: 1ghz, 250mb RAM, w/ 17" flat
screen monitor
Audio I/O interface: MOTU
824 or similar firewire-based unit
MIDI interface: MIDIMAN or similar USB-based unit
MIDI controller with 2
sustain pedals: Yamaha MCS2 or similar
1 air microphone: 1 Shure sm85 or similar
condenser cardioid micicorphone
1 contact microphone for the kettledrum (e.g. AKG piso-electrice style)
Small on-stage phantom power mixer: MAKIE or similar
Stereo sound system w
subwoofer. and 2 Stage monitors
Small low table for computer,
with score reading lamp
cables:
1
long MIDI cable from performer on stage to computer (or an XLR cable via
microphone, with MIDIà
XLR àMIDI adaptors)
2 audio cables from stage mixer to computer
audio I/O interface
2 audio cables from audio I/O
interface PA system
Electric power bar for on-stage midi
interface + mixer, and for
computer and audio I/O interface.
Electronics Installation time:
approximately
1 hour (about 20 minutes required
for take-down)
On-stage space requirements (for
performer):
15'
X 15' or larger (with adequate lighting for reading the score)
Off-stage space requirements (for
computer/technician):
Room enough for small table next w/equipment, near main
concert hall mixer
Suggested rehearsal requirements:
2 three-hour rehearsals in the concert
space
1 general rehearsal with 15 minute sound
check (total: approximately 35 min.)
Instructions
Instructions
for the sound engineer:
Since
the electronics in the piece include live-mixing and signal processing, it is
preferable to install the equipment near the middle of the concert hall. This
facilitates live mixing during the concert and rehearsals,
where it is possible to "tune" or adjust the piece to the
concert space.
There
are no particular parts of the pieces that require any special attention.
However, it is strongly recommended to include equalization (graphic or
parametric EQ) in the concert configuration in order to attenuate any
resonances that might promote feedback due to open microphones, room
characteristics and the player's proximity to the speakers or monitors; additionally, reverberation can be applied to the electronics if
necessary.
The
stereo output signal from the computer, should be assigned to corresponding
speakers, located on either side of the stage. In non-standard staging
configurations, the speakers should be placed so that the stereo field is maintained.
The
air mic should be placed just inside the kettledrum's rim and approximately 1
inch above the skin. The contact
mic should be placed next to the air mic (see figure below).
In
larger spaces, the percussion
instruments should be amplified (using separate microphones) and assigned to the speakers independently
of the electronics (computer's output); this makes it easier to control the balance of the
instrument and the electronics, which
should be of equal intensity,
or presence.
The
player needs to hear the electronics; thus a mono mix of the computer's output should be sent to the
on-stage monitors for the player;
however in some cases, this may not be necessary if the house
loudspeakers are placed close enough to the player; it's the player's call.
MIDI controller configuration
The
MCS2 (or similar) should have the following MIDI assignments:
global MIDI channel: 16
program buttons: program change 1-8
ps1 button = sys. real-time "start"
message (hex value: 0xFA)
ps2 button = sys. real-time "continue"
message (hex value: 0xFB)
ps3 button = sys. real-time "stop" message
(hex value: 0xFC)
sustain pedal 1 = CTL64
sustain pedal 2 = CTL65
CS1 (control slider) = CTL4
CS2 (control slider) = CTL7
Mod wheel = CTL1
Technical configuration
Percussion configuration
Stage setup
