_________FIRST PUNCHBENJAMIN D. TAYLOR

contrabass and electroacoustic sounds

commissioned by Yann Dubost

2011

many thanks to Yann Dubost

This commission was funded in part byThe MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music and The Graduate College at Bowling Green State University

Instrumentation

Contrabass and electroacoustic sounds

Duration

7'30''

Program NoteThe first punch is everything. It represents a conclusion of thought ! an end to analyzing personalmotivation, estimating an opponent's strengths and weaknesses, playing out scenarios of strategies andpositions, surveying surroundings, calculating odds of winning ! ultimately putting into action a series ofelectronic impulses sent from the brain to a few thousand muscle fibers. That's a lot that happens in a fewseconds. Cinematographers reflect an awareness of the hyper-mental and hyper-physical state required tosurvive in a fight by using effects like replay, slow motion, freeze, and flashback to ''stretch'' time. Theseeffects allow film makers to portray the multitude of thoughts and events that happen in a two secondwindow over the course of a several minute scene. This composition, First Punch, is a musical depictionof the hyper-mental and hyper-physical state of a fighter. Using similar techniques to those mentionedabove, this piece ''stretches'' time to reflect the many (and varied) thoughts and emotions that a fighterexperiences in the last few seconds before the first punch is thrown.

Performance Notes Concerning Electroacoustic Sounds! This piece is to be performed with the CD accompaniment found in the back of this score. The

performer gives a cue to an audio technician to press ''play'' on the CD player so that the CD and liveperformance start exactly together.

! The bass should be amplified in order to balance with the electronics. The amplified bass soundshould come through the same speakers as the electroacoustic sounds.

! The balance of live bass with electronics should be equal at their loudest dynamic levels. Thebeginning of the piece is an appropriate sound check. This is one of the loudest moments in the piece,and it should be gripping and intense but not uncomfortable to audience members.

! Although timing indications are notated throughout the score, a stopwatch should not be used inperformance. In the early stages of rehearsal the performer should become familiar with the electroniccues described at each time indication. Once the performer has identified the audible cues it will nolonger be necessary to watch the time.

Diagram of Typical Performance Setup

Notation Legend(At the first appearance of each symbol in the score, a written reminder will be given.)

Hold for about 6 seconds (take bows as necessary).

Rest for about 6 seconds.

Variable fermata. Hold for as long as necessary until electronic cue is reached. Time above fermatarepresents approximate duration in an ideal performance (take bows as necessary). When a variable

fermata is above many events, events may be repeated as necessary until cue is reached.

Time indications in a solid box represent important electronic cues. The performer must line upwith the track at these times. A thick barline will always be under the time indication showing theexact point the electronic cue is heard.

Time indications in a dashed box represent approximate time elapsed. These are to be used asguideposts in rehearsal.

Approximate duration of material

senza misura

Mute all four strings by lightly placing left hand on strings.

Notation Legend (cont.)

o = lightly touching string (harmonic)+ = string fully pressed to fingerboard = string is only partially pressed to create a buzzy sound = the arrow means a gradual transition between two states

Sul tasto extreme is so high up the fingerboard that the right hand is almost touching the lefthand.

Scratch string with fingernail of thumb by pinching the string between your first finger and thumb. Above the line is sul ponticello. Below the line is sul tasto extreme. If no string isspecified, any string may be used.

Scratch 4 strings with fingernails of 4 fingers on right hand.

Random pizzicato executed with three fingers of the right hand on all four strings. Alwaysmuted by the left hand. Above the line is sul ponticello. Below the line is sul tasto extreme.

Tap front body of bass. Score will identify whether to tap with fingers, fingernails, or knuckles.

Slap style. The boxed noteheads denote to slap the open strings percussively against thefingerboard. Hands are placed in the middle of the fingerboard with the right hand over theoctave harmonics. This will allow the right hand hits to ring more. R and L above the notes denotewhich hand to use. Let ring always unless mute is specified by a symbol, in which case thestrings are immediately dampened by the striking hand (like a dead stroke).

Similar to above, this is a slap on the low E string but should be executed in the ordinary pizzicatoposition on the fingerboard. The string should percussively hit the wood and make a nasty rattlesound.

Scratch the front body of the bass with fingernails in a circular motion.

Fingernail pizzicato

hammer-on = Bring finger down very hard so that the string hits the wood of the fingerboard at the written

pitch. The string will resonate two pitches.

thumb slap = Strike string percussively with side of thumb so the string hits the wood of the fingerboard.

quasi guitara = Strum with thumb.

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BENJAMIN D. TAYLOR (b.1983)(ASCAP)

©2011. All Rights Reserved by Benjamin Taylor, Bowling Green, Ohio.benjamintaylormusic.com

FIRST PUNCHCommissioned by Yann Dubost

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