1

Twenty Modernist Etudes

For Solo Saxophone

By Josiah Boornazian

Dedication

I dedicate these etudes to my stepfather Dr.

Kenneth Bergevin, who first inspired me to become
a musician and who gave me my first instruction
on saxophone. Thank you for your years of
encouragement and support, and I hope you enjoy
these etudes. I would also like to thank all of my
other mentors, especially David Binney, Gary Pratt,
John Daversa, Dr. Jon Pieslak, Shaugn ODonnell,
Chris Potter, and Donny McCaslin. I would like to
extend special thanks to Miles Osland as well for his
assistance and guidance during publishing.

Introduction

Although I consider myself primarily a jazz

saxophonist, etudes have been an important part
of my musical studies ever since I first picked up the
instrument. I firmly believe that all saxophonists
should make the study of etudes an integral part
of their musical lives, regardless of their stylistic
background and aspirations.
The composition of these etudes grew out of my
desire as a composer to contribute to the ever-growing repertoire of saxophone-centric etudes,
which I have always enjoyed practicing and studying. Overall, these etudes address a wide range of
technical issues and compositional concepts which are highly relevant to contemporary saxophonists
of all stylistic backgrounds. The aim of this book is to provide the modern saxophonist with a means
to develop a diverse set of musical skills while simultaneously sharpening fundamental instrumental
technique.
These etudes emphasize certain specific and necessary skills required of modern saxophonists, such as
the mastery of wide intervallic leaps, the use of extreme registers and dynamic levels, the navigation
of a complex post-tonal pitch language, the use of odd meters and asymmetrical rhythms and phrases,
and the necessity of developing a confident and individualistic approach to musical interpretation
and improvisation. Additionally, these etudes are intended to provide improvisers with samples of
compositional strategies they can deploy while developing improvised solos.
Although each etude addresses relatively specific technical and compositional challenges, these
etudes are nevertheless intended to function as pieces of music worthy in themselves of expressive
performance. Thus they are partially inspired by the tradition of etudes by great composers and
pedagogues such as Chopin and Liszt, whose etudes not only address specific technical challenges but
also are satisfying pieces of music to perform and hear. To this end, some etudes are less strict than
others in adhering to a given guiding compositional principle, whether conceptual or technical, and I
made an effort to allow the music to breathe and develop in its own natural course, wherever it led.
It is perhaps more accurate to call these pieces etude-caprices, then, since they could fit loosely in
either category. Therefore, the concepts each etude addresses, briefly listed below, should be viewed
as very general strategies and principles, not as strict laws which I rigidly followed.

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Etude III: Anchor from 20 Modernist Etudes.
CREDITS
20 Modernist Etudes For Solo Saxophone
All Etudes Composed By Josiah Boornazian
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20 Modernist Etudes Front Cover
The Dance (a 24 by 18 acrylic painting on canvas by Josiah Boornazian)
Cover photo of Josiah Boornazian by Alex Bennett
Page 3 Background Art
California (a 20 by 16 acrylic painting on canvas by Josiah Boornazian)
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CDs By Josiah Boornazian
Live At City College
Josiah Boornazian Quartet
Recorded live at the City College of New York on April 19, 2013.
Intersection
The first complete album release by Josiah Boornazian featuring exclusively original compositions.
All Etudes In 20 Modernist Etudes For Solo Saxophone 2014 by Born-Asian Music, All Rights Reserved
20 Modernist Etudes For Solo Saxophone book 2015 by Saxophone Today, All Rights Reserved

Click Blue Etude Title Links To Instantly Access Page 1 Of Each Etude

The Etudes
I. Shifting Shapes and Colors, pp. 6-7
This etude melodically outlinines various harmonies and explores subsequent possibilities for voice-leading,
while dealing with odd meters and unpredictable meter changes and phrase lengths.
II. Octagon, pp. 8-9
Inspired by composers such as Bartok and Stravinsky, this etude deploys the octatonic (or diminished) scale
and explores the various quasi-tonal structures that can be derived from it. It also provides various rhythmic
approaches to phrasing and subdividing in a compound meter.
III. Anchor, pp. 10-12
This etude uses various pedal points in different registers and then builds and develops melodies and implied
harmonies around the pedal points.
IV. Terraces, pp. 13-14
This etude, which requires the performer to improvise based on given parameters in
the second half of the piece, focuses on the melodic and harmonic possibilities of the major triad with diatonic
fourth added, also known as the major-second minor tetrachord, or pitch class set class (0237).
V. Hot Walk, p. 15
This etude again features odd meters and unpredictable meter changes and phrase lengths. The pitch content
for the first half utilizes the dominant seventh chord, the major-second minor tetrachord, and the so-called
Kumoi pentachords, or set classes (0368), (0237), (01368), and (02578) respectively. The second half uses 3-4
note chromatic clusters, or set classes (012) and (0123).
VI. Rue 87, 02:39AM, pp. 16-17
Inspired by Webern and Schoenberg, this etude deals with the intervals of a half step and a minor third, creating
the famous major-minor trichord, or set class (014). It also features rhythmic displacement and odd phrase
lengths.
VII. Eastern Dreams, pp. 18-19
One of the more challenging etudes in the collection, this piece employs various types of melodic decoration and
multiphonics, and is inspired by music from various eastern cultures including Hindustani, Arabic, Armenian,
and Eastern European music.
VIII. Firearms, pp. 20-22
This etudes pitch content is derived from combining two triads a half-step apart. The resulting melodies are
related to the augmented hexatonic scale and set classes (013478) and (014578).
IX. Phoning it In, pp. 23-25
This relatively long etude focuses on melodically outlining various harmonies and exploring subsequent
possibilities for voice-leading, while also dealing with odd meters and unpredictable meter changes and phrase
lengths. This etude is designed to help saxophonists work toward the mastery of chromatically transposed thirds,
triads, and seventh chords and various types of trills.
X. Stream, pp. 26-27
This flowingly lyrical etude focuses on melodic sequences which are diatonic, yet which modulate and are
transposed in highly chromatic manner. This piece also addresses odd meters and unpredictable meter changes
and phrase lengths.

Click Blue Etude Title Links To Instantly Access Page 1 Of Each Etude

The Etudes, contd

XI. Me = Jimi, pp. 28-29
This highly rhythmic and syncopated etude features swing rhythms, melodies that explore the altissimo register,
octave displacement, sudden dynamic changes, wide intervallic leaps, odd meters, and unpredictable meter
changes and phrase lengths.
XII. 12 West, pp. 30-32
This highly chromatic 12-tone etude deploys variations of one specific tone row
throughout the piece (the row guiding the composition was borrowed from Weberns Kinderstueck, 1924). It
features melodies that explore many of the same concepts as etude XI.
XIII. 7th Heaven?, pp. 33-35
As the title suggests, this etude focuses on melodically outlining various types of seventh chords (and the
interval of a seventh, as well as its inversion) and exploring subsequent possibilities for voice-leading, while also
addressing wide intervallic leaps.
XIV. Ruhe, pp. 36-37
This etude is centered on the tritone and the Lydian mode. It also features wide
intervals and rapidly switches between duplet- and triplet-based rhythms.
XV. Lost Cause, Cause Lost, pp. 38-39
This etude features a chromatic yet lyrical pitch language and primarily focuses on pitting two contrasting
musical ideas against each other: lyrical melodies and harmonies versus single pitches repeated rapidly.
XVI. Gypsy Rant, pp. 40-41
This light, whimsical etude was written with the sounds of the augmented major triad, the diminished triad, and
the minor triad with a major seventh tetrachord, or (0148), in mind.
XVII. In Wien, In der Nacht, pp. 42-44
Inspired by Bergs 1935 Violin Concerto, this etude focuses on melodically outlining various harmonies and
exploring subsequent possibilities for voice-leading, while dealing with odd meters and unpredictable meter
changes and phrase lengths. Wide intervals, particularly fifths and sixths are especially emphasized, as are
expansively arpeggiated chords.
XVIII. Romanze (Quasi-Passacaglia), pp. 45-47
As the title suggests, this romantic-style piece features various sections which insistently repeat an underlying
harmonic structure, as in a traditional passacaglia. However, this is by no stretch a strict passacaglia, hence
quasi.
XIX. Sounded, pp. 48-49
This etude is very loosely written with sonata form in mind.
XX. Nascent Independent Nations, pp. 50-51
This highly rhythmic etude centers on the interval of the fourth and its inversion, the fifth, while exploring the
many melodic, motivic, and harmonic possibilities these intervals can imply. This piece is also very syncopated
and features many hemiolas, odd meters, and unpredictable meter changes and phrase lengths.

Click Here To Return To Etude Index Page 4

I. Shifting Shapes and Colors

Introspective,
Tempo is elastic throughout
q = 64

Josiah Boornazian

cresc...

q = 100

q = 250-300

q = 160

q = 80

e
l
p
m

a
S

11

cresc...

15

accel.

rit.

19

23

a tempo

cresc...

27

31

36

rit.
rit.
accel.

accel.

sub.

I. Shifting Shapes and Colors 2014 Born-Asian Music, All Rights Reserved, Used By Permission Published By Saxophone Today

Click Here To Return To Etude Index Page 4

II. Octagon
II.
Octagon
Driving; intense
q116-120

Josiah Boornazian

13

19

Sam

ple

25

30

cresc...

cresc...

35

41

47

II. Octagon 2014 Born-Asian Music, All Rights Reserved, Used By Permission Published By Saxophone Today

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VI. Rue 87, 02:39

VI. Rue 87, 02:39

Slow, mysterious,
and disconcerting
q = 56

No vib.

a tempo

15

10

sub.

Josiah Boornazian

poco rit.

19

26

q = 88

Faster, Intense
36

32

e
l
p
m

Sa

sub.

VI. Rue 87, 02:39 2014 Born-Asian Music, All Rights Reserved, Used By Permission Published By Saxophone Today

Click Here To Return To Etude Index Page 5

XIV. Ruhe

Introspective,
tempo is elastic throughout
q = 76

Josiah Boornazian

sempre legato - opt. sub-tone

14

18

Sam

ple

24

28

33

37

XIV. Ruhe 2014 Born-Asian Music, All Rights Reserved, Used By Permission Published By Saxophone Today

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10

XV. Lost Cause, Cause Lost

Josiah Boornazian

Lamenting, rueful;
rubato-esque q = 60

rit.

rit.

e
l
p
m

a
S

q = 76

a tempo q = 60

q = 78

Suddenly faster

sub.

12

sub.

16

sub.

20

accel.

23

sub.

sub.

sub.

q = 100

sub.

XV. Lost Cause, Cause Lost 2014 Born-Asian Music, All Rights Reserved, Used By Permission Published By Saxophone Today