"Gliss" for Trombone Trio, Electric Guitar Trio, and String Trio by Keane Southard

Keane Southard

Gliss for

Trombone Trio Electric Guitar Trio and String Trio

(2021) (Duration: c. 10 mins.)

Instrumentation: Alto Trombone Tenor Trombone (with F attachment) Bass Trombone (with F and Gb attachments) 3 Electric Guitars • Each with ebow, bottleneck slide, plectrum, and volume, distortion, and tremolo pedals Violin (amplified if necessary) Viola (amplified if necessary) Cello (amplified if necessary)

Program notes: Gliss for trombone trio, electric guitar trio, and string trio was commissioned by OSSIA New Music and written in February and March 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic of that year. I have been fascinated by the sound of glissandi—sliding between pitches—for years now. While some instruments, like keyboard instruments and harp, typically can only produce discrete glissandi—a rapid series of discrete fixed pitches, such as sliding along the piano keys, which I’ve explored previously such as in my Prelude No. 3 (Homage to Nancarrow)—continuous glissandi, where a tone passes through all of the microtones between our familiar 12 chromatic pitches, have a particularly unique sound. For this piece I’ve chosen instruments which can performed sustained continuous glissandi (unlike, for example, timpani where you can get a continuous glissando by changing the tuning of the drum with a foot pedal, but once the drum head is struck the tone begins to fade away). While the glissando is a technique that is typically used infrequently as a kind of decoration, I am fascinated by works that make the glissando an important and prominent structural feature, such as in some of the works of Iannis Xenakis, Conlon Nancarrow, and Gloria Coates. For this piece, which features nine instruments all

capable of sustained continuous glissandi, I’ve sought to explore as many different possibilities and textures as I could using this amazing sound. This piece is dedicated to the composer Gloria Coates, who’s music has expanded my understanding of the glissando and its expressive potential. Keane Southard 2021

Performance instructions: 1. Needless to say, glissandi are very important in this work. The whole piece is dependent on performing the glissandi accurately according to the following rules: • All glissandi should be continuous (for the trombones, they should only performed by moving the slide and not through changing partials) and move at as even a speed as possible during the indicated length. Practicing parts individually with metronomes to get used to finding the correct speed needed to reach the destination pitch at the correct time for a glissando is highly recommended. • The starting pitch of each glissando should not be held— the pitch should begin sliding immediately. This also applies to pitches which act as pivots to change the direction of a glissando from ascending to descending or vice versa. These pivot pitches should not be held—the pitch should immediately start sliding in the opposite direction. 2. Some glissandi (such as at letter “B”) are indicated with 16th notes and an open-ended glissando line that has no specific ending pitch. Such glissandi should be as fast as possible and cover as much range as possible within the time of the 16th note. Players should choose a string (guitars and bowed strings) or partial (trombones) that allows for a significant amount of range to be covered.

3. For the electric guitars, it is very important to find the method of changing volume that will give the player the finest control. Ideally, this would be by using a volume pedal. If this method doesn’t give enough control in adjusting volume, then the following methods can be explored: turning on just the neck pickup and adjusting the volume by varying the distance between the ebow and pickup, laying the guitar flat on the player’s lap and setting the ebow on the string while using the right hand to control the guitar’s volume knob, or, as a last resort, using a violin/viola/cello bow for passages that use the highest and lowest strings. 4. While time signatures are used to make coordination between parts easier, in this piece they do not imply meter or any sense of metrical accent. The piece is more akin to notation, such as in Penderecki’s Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, where time is organized without meter but simply with the amount of seconds that elapse between musical events. The tempo marking throughout this work is quarter = 60 (1 second per quarter-note), so that sections can easily be thought of in terms of their length in seconds. 5. This work uses the follow accidentals for quarter-tone divisions:

6. Dynamics in parentheses are given to show what the dynamic level should be in the midst of a long crescendo or diminuendo.

Keane Southard/Spindrift Pages Email: keane.southard@hotmail.com Website: keanesouthard.instantencore.com

Commissioned by OSSIA New Music Dedicated to Gloria Coates

Gliss Alto Trombone

Tenor Trombone

  

q = 60 sempre



   

 

  



   

   Bass Trombone  



 pp

    

 

     

  

     

   Electric Guitar 3    

Electric Guitar 1



Keane Southard

  



  



  

  

 

  



  

  

 

  



  









  



 

  



 

non vib. IV change bow as needed

 pp

 



non vib. III change bow as needed

Viola

   

  

 

     

  

 

pp non vib. IV change bow as needed

Violoncello

   

p pp with ebow (plectrum also held in r.h. fingers) with bottleneck slide sempre

  

    

 



pp p with ebow (plectrum also held in r.h. fingers) with bottleneck slide sempre

Violin

 

   

pp p with ebow (plectrum also held in r.h. fingers) with bottleneck slide sempre

Electric Guitar 2

 





2 6

 A. Tbn.    mp



Tbn.

 mp

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1



  mp

     pp

 



    mf

   

 mf

   pp

      f

       





 



  

     



    

  

     



  

 

  

  

  



 

 

  

  





  

Vla.

Vc.



 

E. Gtr. 2

Vln.

   

    mp

E. Gtr. 3

  



  mp



 

 



 



  

      









 

  

 



 mf

  pp



   f



  

      



  

     



    A. Tbn.    

A      



    

     



      B. Tbn.  

     



Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1

      ff

E. Gtr. 2

   



ppp

E. Gtr. 3

    

    Vln.      ff

Vla.

   

    Vc.  

 ff



with ebow

 

     

 with ebow  

      ppp



  ppp

     

ppp

  ppp

ppp

 

ppp



ppp



ppp

 with ebow  ppp

(change bow as needed)



ppp

  

ppp

(change bow as needed)    ppp



tongue triplets while glissing

3 3   3 A. Tbn.            





ppp

                    

Tbn.



ppp

                    tongue triplets while glissing

B. Tbn.





  







ppp

pluck with plectrum in rhythm while sustaining with ebow

E. Gtr. 1

pluck with plectrum in rhythm while sustaining with ebow

                              

E. Gtr. 2

pluck with plectrum in rhythm while sustaining with ebow E. Gtr. 3

  

     simile Vln.                          f                         

Vla.

Vc.



simile                          f

B            

 A. Tbn.   

ppp



Tbn.

ppp

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1



 







        

  

ff (with ebow only)



 Vln. 



      



ff sub.





ppp



with plectrum medium distortion with ebow no distortion





  

  

              ppp

with ebow

with plectrum with ebow medium distortion no distortion

ppp

(with ebow only)

no distortion           

(with ebow only)

ppp

E. Gtr. 3

ff sub.

ff with plectrum medium distortion

   

E. Gtr. 2

        

 



      III

ff sub.

pp sul tasto



sul tasto            IV

              

Vla.

ppp

Vc.



            ppp

ff sub. IV

ff sub.

sul tasto             

6 21

sneak breaths as needed flt. (norm.)

 A. Tbn.   

Tbn.

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1





sneak breaths as needed flt. (norm.)



 



sneak breaths as needed (norm.) flt.



    

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3



 

 

    



  



 

























 









  

tremolo pedal (speed: fast) (tremolo off)

 



tremolo pedal (speed: fast) (tremolo off)

 



tremolo pedal (speed: fast) (tremolo off)

 



 

 





 





 





 













 





 











 

(change bow as needed)





(change bow as needed)

Vc.





 (change bow as needed) Vln.      Vla.



7 26

 A. Tbn.    

Tbn.

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1





 



 







 









 

 



 





 Vln. 

Vla.

Vc.



  

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3

 







 



 



 



 



 



 



 





 



 









 

 



  

 



 



 



  

 

 



 

 



 



 

 



 

 



 

 



  



 

 



 

 



  f









f (sul tasto)









 



 



(sul tasto)



norm.



 



 



(sul tasto)

 

norm.

C           A. Tbn.   33

 

Tbn.

            



 



B. Tbn.

             ff

with plectrum medium distortion

E. Gtr. 1

             ff with plectrum medium distortion

E. Gtr. 2

             ff with plectrum medium distortion

      E. Gtr. 3        ff

  p

 





 

ff IV

      Vc.             ff

     



molto sul pont. slow wide vibrato

  p

 







   





molto sul pont. slow wide vibrato



      

with ebow slow wide vibrato













with ebow slow wide vibrato

                

Vla.



 

slow wide vibrato with slide

     Vln.                 ff

      

slow wide vibrato with slide



      



f p molto sul pont. slow wide vibrato p

    









D 38

  non vib. A. Tbn.    ppp

Tbn.

    

ppp

      

 

  B. Tbn.  

non vib.

ppp

non vib.

E. Gtr. 1



   no distortion   ppp non vib. no distortion







ppp

non vib.





ppp





ppp



ppp

  

 pp



ppp

  E. Gtr. 3    





ppp non vib. no distortion ppp

ppp

non vib. (change bow as needed) IV norm.

Vln.

  



ppp



ppp

non vib. (change bow as needed) III norm.

Vla.

  





ppp

non vib. II norm.

(change bow as needed)

  Vc.







ppp



ppp





ppp



ppp



ppp







ppp

E. Gtr. 2

   

ppp

 mp

 mp

 mp

 mp



ppp



ppp



 A. Tbn.  

ppp

    

Tbn.

ppp

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1



 

ppp

  

ppp

E. Gtr. 2

 

ppp

E. Gtr. 3

 

ppp

Vln.

 



ppp Vla.

 

ppp

 Vc.





    

 mf

ppp

  mf

 mf

 mf

 mf







ppp



ppp



ppp



ppp



ppp



 

ppp



ppp



 f

 f



    

ppp



ppp



ppp



ppp



ppp



 ff

 ff

 ff

 ff







ppp



 

ppp



ppp



ppp



ppp



ppp



ppp



ppp



ppp



ppp



ppp





51 E              A. Tbn.       

ff sub.

Tbn.

  

 







      





ff sub. medium distortion



E. Gtr. 2

     











          3

with plectrum, medium distortion

 

ff sub.

E. Gtr. 1

      

      

                B. Tbn.  



    



 





      

with plectrum, medium distortion

E. Gtr. 3









    

 

ff sub. III sul pont.

                 Vln.        





    





                Vc.         







ff sub.



sul pont. Vla.



sul pont. I

ff sub.



 

F   A. Tbn.       



      



      



  



 



  



Tbn.

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3

con sord. norm. II

   Vln.  



(change bow as needed)



ff dim poco a poco until m. 75 con sord. norm. II

Vla.

  



(change bow as needed)

(f)



ff dim poco a poco until m. 75

 Vc.   

con sord. norm. I



(f)

(change bow as needed)

ff dim poco a poco until m. 75



(f)

A. Tbn.

 











Tbn.

B. Tbn.



with ebow no distortion

E. Gtr. 1



 





 





ff dim poco a poco until m. 75 with ebow no distortion

E. Gtr. 2







  



ff dim poco a poco until m. 75 with ebow no distortion

E. Gtr. 3

Vln.

Vla.

Vc.





   





  





ff dim poco a poco until m. 75

 (mf)



 (mf)



 (mf)

 A. Tbn. 





 

con sord. sneak breaths as needed



Tbn.





B. Tbn.







 

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3

Vln.

Vla.

      

(f)



 





dim poco a poco (f) until m. 75



(mp)



(mf)

(mp)



 

(mf)

 (mp)

 

 (mp)

Vc.

dim poco a poco (f) until m. 75

(mf)

(f)



con sord. sneak breaths as needed



dim poco a poco (f) until m. 75

con sord. sneak breaths as needed







(mp)

15 70

 A. Tbn. 







(mf)



Tbn.







(mf)

B. Tbn.





 (mf)

(p)



(p)

 (mp)

       flt.

 (mp)



flt.

 (mp)

     

      flt.

(p)

tremolo pedal (speed: fast)

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3

Vln.

Vla.

Vc.

      

        

 (p)

tremolo pedal (speed: fast)

             



(p) tremolo pedal (speed: fast)



(p)

 (p)

        

          

                 

                pp

G   A. Tbn.  

Tbn.

 





  ff

  B. Tbn. 









        







  



       



          



with plectrum low distortion

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

    

 

ff with plectrum low distortion

       

ff low distortion

E. Gtr. 3



 Vln. 

  

senza sord. II



 



       

senza sord. Vla.

 



senza sord. Vc.

 





ff with ebow (low distortion)

  





 

with plectrum













        

 









 



         ff

   ff









H   A. Tbn.   79

Tbn.



  

   

     

ppp with ebow (low distortion)

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

  



ppp

B. Tbn.



 

 



 pp

ppp





ppp with ebow (low distortion)

  E. Gtr. 3    

ppp

  Vln.  

(change bow as needed)



  



   



ppp







 

ppp







 



ppp



ppp

 

 

III (change bow as needed)

ppp

    

ppp

IV (change bow as needed)

Vc.

ppp



ppp

Vla.

 

 pp





     

ppp

  







ppp

  



 



ppp

 



84   A. Tbn. 

Tbn.



  p

B. Tbn.

    pp

E. Gtr. 1

 









      pp

   

 



  

 

  Vln. 

  p

 

  



 



Vla.

Vc.

   pp

   p

       



 











 





 







 





 p







 





 

E. Gtr. 3



    







E. Gtr. 2



 

  



 





  A. Tbn.  90

Tbn.





 



 mf

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

Vla.

      mf

        



 ff











 

 

 



  

 





   

   mp

 mf

 



 



 





 





 f



 

 mf



  

















 







    

Vc.

   





Vln.





E. Gtr. 3

     

         B. Tbn.  

 

   

 ff

 ff

 f

 

95    A. Tbn.  



Tbn.

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

 

        



  



  Vln.  

Vla.

 ff

  





fff



fff

 



 fff



fff

 ff



 

   















        

(II)







fff





fff

  Vc.  



fff

    

 fff

E. Gtr. 3





fff

 

  

(change bow as needed)









 



 p



(change bow as needed)



21 97

 A. Tbn. 



Tbn.





B. Tbn.







with ebow medium distortion

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3







Vc.





 with ebow low distortion



 Vln.  Vla.



 















 3



                        bow as needed)  (change                  p

           

22 99

 A. Tbn. 



senza sord.





Tbn.





 



senza sord. p

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2





 

 









 Vln. 

Vla.

Vc.

 







 



 





 



with ebow high distortion

E. Gtr. 3

 

 









 3



                                          3

           

23 101



 A. Tbn.  

Tbn.

  

B. Tbn.

 

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3

Vln.

Vla.

Vc.

   



 





 



 



 











 



 



senza sord.







 

 

 









                          3

                3

           

    A. Tbn.     103

Tbn.

      ff

B. Tbn.

       

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3

   



 

flt.



p sub.



 

con sord.

 











 

p sub.

flt.

p sub.





 

 

flt.

con sord.

     

  

     

    ff

 



    







 3





           

       Vln.  ff

Vla.



E. Gtr. 1



con sord.

       ff

     Vc.   ff

I                   ff I                ff I

 ff



            

 

106

 A. Tbn.   

 

ff sub.

Tbn.

     

 

ff sub.

with plectrum al fine (tremolos with plectrum) high distortion

E. Gtr. 1

 

   

 

 

E. Gtr. 2

 

  3

 

 

 

 

 



 

 



E. Gtr. 3

 

sul pont.

  Vln.   

       

I sul pont.

Vla.

        ff

I sul pont. Vc.









 

 

 

   

       

       3 

  

   

 

 

       

   

     

    3

     



              



 

    3

    3



 

  3

with plectrum al fine (tremolos with plectrum) high distortion

    



 



with plectrum al fine (tremolos with plectrum) high distortion

 

 

 

 

ff sub.

B. Tbn.

 



 



 



       

   

          3 



              

 

J   A. Tbn.      





      





       





108

Tbn.

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1

     



 



 



 



 



 



 

E. Gtr. 2

     



 medium distortion         mf



 



 

 low distortion     

      E. Gtr. 3   



      Vln.  





     





     Vc.   





Vla.





 



27 111

 A. Tbn. 







Tbn.

 



B. Tbn.











E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3



   

 



Vln.

  

Vla.

Vc.

 

  

  

 

I norm. II



 

 

  

  



  

   

   

  



 

 



  







norm.

 

 

  

   

  

I II

 p

 

  

 







   3





28 113

 A. Tbn. 





 



 

Tbn.



  p

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3

Vln.

Vla.





  

  



  

  





  



 

I norm. II



  





  

  

   

   

     

  



  

 

   3

 3

   

 3



   

   



 



  



  

 

  





  

  Vc. 



   

    





  



115



 A. Tbn.  

 





 

 

Tbn.



E. Gtr. 1





 

E. Gtr. 3



  







Vla.

Vc.





  



  

 3

   



  

  

  



  

  

 



   3

 

   3

 3

   



 



 

  

    

  



 

 

  



  



 

  





 

  Vln.    

 

 

E. Gtr. 2



    



B. Tbn.

 3

  



 

117

A. Tbn.

  







Tbn.





senza sord.





B. Tbn.





senza sord.







E. Gtr. 1



E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3



 





Vla.







Vc.





 

 high distortion     







 



high distortion





  



 



 

  

 

  

  

  

  



  

  

   3

 







 



 





    



 

Vln.













   3

 3

   

 3

  

 

119

senza sord.

 A. Tbn.  



 



 









Tbn.



 





 





B. Tbn.





  









E. Gtr. 1

   

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3

Vln.



  

   





 

 

III IV

    





 

  

 3





  

 

  

II III

 

 3

 

  





 3

   3

 

 3



  

    

  

  

 

  





  

  

Vc.





 

  

 

Vla.







  

  

 

   



III IV

  



121

32 A. Tbn.



L       

 

  

fff dim poco (ff) a poco



Tbn.

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1



E. Gtr. 3



 





   

    

Vla.



Vc.









  

   

fff dim poco (ff) a poco

            



  

fff dim poco a poco



     

  

  

fff dim poco a poco



  

       

fff dim poco a poco

  I  II     

(ff)

 

I II

  

  3

 3

 

  

I II

  

(ff)

dim poco fff a poco (ff)



(ff)

fff dim poco (ff) a poco

  



 



   



  

III IV

Vln.





  

   



 

E. Gtr. 2

      



II III

   3

   II III

fff dim poco (ff) a poco



fff dim poco (ff) a poco

 

   3

    A. Tbn. 

    

124



Tbn.

(f)

  

  

(f)

B. Tbn.



         

(f)

E. Gtr. 3

 (f)

(mf)

(f)



 

    

(mf)

  

(mp)



(mf)

(f)

(mf)





  

    



 



     



 



  p

(p)

  

 II  III  



 

    (mp)

(p)

 

   

   

  

   

(mf)

   



III IV

(f)

(mp)



(mp)

    



Vla.

   

(mf)

   

(mp)

   

III IV

 Vln. 

Vc.

  

     

(f)

E. Gtr. 2

(mf)

   

(f)

E. Gtr. 1

   

(mp)





(mp)

  

III IV

(mp)

 p



    p

(p)

    pp

34 126

  A. Tbn.   Tbn.

M 



 



    

 B. Tbn.    E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3

Vln.

Vla.

Vc.

 

        







(with plectrum high distortion)

 

 



   



    







(with plectrum high distortion)



 



  



 







  



  

    





 







ppp



 pp



(pp)

 



 



  

  







  

129

 A. Tbn.  



 pp

 

Tbn.





    

 



  

E. Gtr. 1





E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3

  

   

 Vln.   







 





(with plectrum high distortion)





 



   





 

 pp

  









  

  Vc. 

 mp

Vla.





  



 





  



  

 mp

B. Tbn.





 



 









 mp





 pp

 

  A. Tbn.  131

  



  



 





 

 





B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1





E. Gtr. 3

Vln.



       

 



 









  





 







    Vc. 

 

 mp



 f

 





     



  







 



 

 f

  

Vla.

 

E. Gtr. 2

  



 

  

Tbn.







  



132

 A. Tbn.   

Tbn.







     



 Vln.    



  







 



Vc.





 



  



 

 

  







  



  





 



 





   



  



Vla.

  



 



 





   

E. Gtr. 3

 

 B. Tbn.  

E. Gtr. 2



E. Gtr. 1



 mp

 f



  

  

  f



  



133

 A. Tbn.  

  



Tbn.

fff

B. Tbn.



    fff

E. Gtr. 1

 



fff



Vla.

  

Vc.



 pp



  











 









fff



      

 

fff

 

 fff

   f

    





    fff



    

    

   



fff

Vln.



fff

      

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3





fff

     

    

 



  





      

   



 



   fff

  fff

 

  

 

 

     fff



fff

    



fff



 fff

 A. Tbn.   

Tbn.

   



134





 

fff



   



  



 

Vla.

Vc.





 



  f



 





  



 









    

fff



   



fff

   

    



 mp

        fff







fff

  

fff

  

fff

 Vln.   





fff

              





     

fff

E. Gtr. 3





fff

E. Gtr. 2

  

fff

         B. Tbn. 

E. Gtr. 1



  



 f

       fff

  

  

fff

       fff

 



 







  

 fff



N   A. Tbn.    135

           



Tbn.

     



       



B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

    

    

     







 E. Gtr. 3   

Vln.

Vla.

Vc.





 

                



   

  

  

  

  













  

  

  



 





  ff













 

  

 



  



 

 

 

     

  

     

  

                     A. Tbn. 136

Tbn.

B. Tbn.

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

E. Gtr. 3

Vln.

Vla.

Vc.





                   



                   



   

      

  

       

  

     

  

     

  

     

  

     

  

     

  

     

  

     

  

     



             

137

  A. Tbn.  

Tbn.

 

 B. Tbn.  

E. Gtr. 1

E. Gtr. 2

 

       

   

  

  

  Vln.      

  Vc.  

 

   fff

  

   

 

  

ffff Wild improvisation with glissandi!

   fff

  

 

ffff

Wild improvisation on strings + with glissandi!

   fff



ffff

Wild improvisation on strings + with glissandi!

       

                    

   

    

 

fff

ffff

Wild improvisation with glissandi!

   fff

  

ffff Wild improvisation with glissandi!

   fff

  

(suddenly silence)

  

(suddenly silence)

  

(suddenly silence)

  

(suddenly silence)

  

(suddenly silence)

  

(suddenly silence)

  

ffff Wild improvisation with glissandi!

fff

(suddenly silence)

ffff Wild improvisation on strings + with glissandi!

fff

 

ffff Wild improvisation with glissandi!

fff

          

 E. Gtr. 3    

Vla.

   

  

Wild improvisation with glissandi!

ffff

(suddenly silence)

  

(suddenly silence)

  