Conjuring up a third with two voices

What's worse than a recorder? Two! - One of the things addressed in this joke is the fact that intonation on the recorder is difficult and complicated with two, because there is always something "buzzing, whirring, chirping or humming along", as it says in the preface to the Trios for two is called. One reason for this can be found in the specific overtone spectrum of the recorder. When two (especially high) recorders play together, at least one so-called combination tone is produced. While one usually simply tries to intonate the two recorders reasonably well together, Adrian Wehlte makes use of precisely this principle. His notated duos, when intoned completely pure, produce a combination tone that exactly matches the two notes played; the duo becomes a trio.

The booklet with a progressive level of difficulty is intended as a practical guide to intonation security by consciously perceiving combination notes. These are therefore notated in a further staff as a virtual third voice, which fits in with the two upper voices in terms of compositional technique and results in a real trio of two. When the duo is recorded, it becomes audible that the third voice not only exists as an acoustic phenomenon in the ears of the musicians, but is actually present in sound. Three of the duos present a puzzle in which the invisible third voice combination produces a familiar melody.

Explanations of the overtone series and the combination and difference tones round off the booklet; if you want to know more, you can go to forum.floeno.de or discuss this phenomenon on the discussion platform.

The Trios for two is available in an edition for two soprano recorders (oboes or clarinets) and for two alto recorders (transverse flutes), whereby the booklets contain the same exercises and original compositions.

Adrian Wehlte: Trios zu zweit; Edition for 2 soprano recorders: EFL 1221; for 2 alto recorders or transverse flutes: EFL 1220; € 12.50 each; Edition Floeno, Dinkelsbühl