Audio Reference Libraries
Updated 4/23/2026
Audio Reference Libraries (Woodwind Techniques)
When you want to hear what a technique actually sounds like — and ideally see it notated — these are the best free online resources. Use them to A/B examples in class and as a self-study reference for the Woodwind Techniques module.
By Instrument
Flute
- Flutecolors ⭐ — the canonical free resource for flute extended techniques. Searchable database of multiphonics with audio + fingering charts + notation. Filter by polyphony, dynamics, register. Built by flutist Mauricio Carrasco.
- Helen Bledsoe — Unaccompanied Flute Repertoire with Extended Techniques — long curated list of repertoire that uses extended techniques. Use as a "what to listen to" springboard.
- Emi Ferguson — Flutes & Extended Techniques — performer-curated demos and explanations.
- Vancouver Pro Musica — Extended Techniques for the Flute (PDF, 2020) — free PDF reference document with notation and explanations.
Oboe
- Oboehelp — Extended Techniques — practical guide to oboe extended techniques (multiphonics, flutter tongue, harmonics) with audio demonstrations and notation. By professional oboist Jennet Ingle.
Clarinet
- Vashawn — Spectral Analysis of Bb Clarinet Multiphonics — research-grade web app documenting Bb clarinet multiphonics with spectral analysis (you can see the harmonics that make up each multiphonic). Detailed and academic.
Horn (bonus — adjacent family)
- International Horn Society — Extended Techniques Audio Examples — free audio library of horn extended techniques. The horn shows up in Wind Quintet Writing so this is relevant.
Cross-Instrument
- Philharmonia Orchestra — Sound Samples ⭐ — free, downloadable library of all standard orchestral instrument samples. Organized by instrument family (Woodwind.zip, Brass.zip, Strings.zip, Percussion.zip). Permissive license for use in your own compositions. No notation included but the samples themselves are unbeatable for ear training.
- University of Iowa MIS — public domain orchestral instrument sample library (
theremin.music.uiowa.edu/MIS.html). Reliable for fundamental articulations across the orchestra. May not have all extended techniques. - ConTimbre — playable encyclopedia of extended techniques across many instruments. Some content is paid but the demo material is free.
How to Use These In Class
- Pick a technique from the Woodwind Techniques index (e.g. Flutter Tongue)
- Find the audio at one of the resources above (Flutecolors for flute, Oboehelp for oboe, etc.)
- Pull up the notation at the same time so students see what it looks like on a score
- A/B with the QuickStart Clarinet video for a unified articulation walkthrough: A Guide to Wind Instrument Articulations
What's Still Missing
There's no single unified "all woodwind extended techniques in one place with audio + notation + fingering" resource. The best workflow is:
- Flutecolors for flute
- Oboehelp for oboe
- Vashawn for clarinet multiphonics
- YouTube searches for saxophone extended techniques (the saxophone community's resources are scattered across YouTube channels and individual player sites)
A future midimaze project could be building this — a unified extended-techniques database in the Orchestration / Orchestration Portal context, ingesting the public-domain Philharmonia samples and pairing them with notation snippets and fingering diagrams.
See also: Woodwind Techniques, Flutter Tongue, Multiphonics, Key Clicks, Slap Tongue