Ten etudes for modular synthesizers

PREFACE

Synthesisers are coming back! Some might argue that they never left us, and that is certainly true. Nevertheless, it is impossible to deny that the interest in these marvelous musical instruments has increased over more recent times. Why? It may be that our fascination for digital interfaces and software has reached its peak long ago, and that many are now looking for more manual approaches to the making of electronic sounds. Makers of musical instruments, usually very sensitive to market demand, have responded quickly to these interests by developing and placing on shelves an impressive variety of synthesisers. If that is the case, the resurgence of interest in synthesizers, specifically analogue synthesisers, should not come as a surprise. The magic of synthesisers lies in the fact that they allow us to touch sounds with our hands. They enable a direct and physical link between electricity, our hands and sound. And it is unnecessary to stress the importance of handiness for music and all arts in general.
What goes amiss in this context is a serious consideration of the pedagogical hurdles that go along the learning of these, often imposing, devices.
There are many books available that explore the working mechanisms of the modules that make up a synthesizer. When we consult any of these books, we will quickly become familiar with the technology and technical terminology required to understand their operation. Thus, we learn with relatively ease what a VCO, VCA, ENV, as well as a wealth of other acronyms, are and do. However, what is their application to a musical context? How do we use them in a performance? Is there a means to approach their learning in a more concrete, practical, and contextual manner?
Following the established tradition of any serious music school, we have decided to adopt the form of the etude. An etude is a short, self-contained musical piece that encapsulates theoretical, technical, and performative challenges. It is a pedagogical tool that keeps in constant relation practice and theory and, for that reason, it has remained the prime choice in pedagogical contexts, in history as much as today.
This approach, of course, comes with many difficulties. Not the least of all is the well-known issue of notating for electronic instruments. While the literature has provided some examples (e.g. Allen Strange’s influential 1972 book, Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls), no standard is in place. This fluidity of approaches, often focusing on the representation of the synthesisers’ patches, has left unchallenged the production of little music etudes, so important in music education.
In this collection of etudes, our approach gravitates towards the use of graphical scoring. In this effort, we do not intend to propose a universal standard. Graphical scoring simply enabled us to link, sufficiently clearly and directly, the relative character of a patch with a description of the gestural repertoire required for the execution of the etude. This way, the etude fulfills its pedagogical mission.
This book is thus dedicated to students who, under the guidance of their educators, are making their initial steps into the realm of synthesisers.