Ice Bubbles (2023) - Pitch Sets (demo)

Full description

Ice Bubbles (2023) involves a series of 12 action-notation pitch sets, which are generated in real-time and read by the performer on an iPad. These pitch sets focus on how overtones are played, They were programmed into the Decibel ScorePlayer, and appear in canvas mode - alongside synchronised visual density cues from the gradient map (score video).

In performance, the pitch sets appear as a sequence of randomised slides, each lasting 10-15 seconds. The performer responds to these in real-time, integrating the pitch material in combination with the synchronised visual density cues from the gradient map (light blue, blue, purple, pink, aluminium foil). Sounds can be repeated, varied in order, and motivically developed in response to the shifting water density, through improvisation and electronic manipulation.

Pitch set parameters:

The four strings of the double bass are arranged vertically in the score image frame: from lowest (E string - left) to highest (G string - right). The recommended scordatura is E-A-Db-G, creating subtle tonal variation to emphasise timbre rather than prescribed pitch output. Partial numbers appear inside the coloured shapes, indicating nodal string placement. Blue circles denote a left-handed pluck and pink rectangles indicate a right handed pluck. Highlighted pink strings represent open strings, to be plucked with the right hand. The dotted orange line represents the halfway point of the fingerboard, placed directly above the second overtone. Directional orange arrows guide the performer through the intended pitch sequence. In some instances, the performer may choose to bow specific overtones to vary the timbre - particularly during sections marked with blue gradients which symbolise thinner ice, subject to more fluidity.

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Please note: this video is a demo from a screen recording of an earlier performance. In each iteration of this work, the performer interprets generative pitch information in real-time, which allows each performance to evolve differently.

Score Programming (Decibel ScorePlayer): Aaron Wyatt