2 Books for Improving Middle and High School Clarinet Technique

If you're looking for a few books to recommend to your middle and high school clarinetists, Vandoren Artist Paula Corley is here to help. Here are two books that are sure to improve your students' sound going over the break and having excellent hand position. 

Crossing the break can be a source of frustration for developing clarinetists. The Break is a logical guide for mastering this important step in clarinet performance. The method is divided into two parts. 

Part One includes: the clarinet overtone series; how to incorporate "right hand down" as a developmental technique; one octave scales across the break, and first melodies in the clarion register that teach basic musical concepts needed for advanced performance. 

Part Two includes: studies from Rhythmical Articulation by Pasquale Bona, selected and edited for clarinet to prepare students for upper level performance. The range is appropriate for developing clarinetists (low B to B just above the treble staff). The studies have been adapted to cover seven key signatures. Appropriate articulations, dynamics, and expressive markings have been added and advanced rhythms and time signatures are introduced with moderate tempos. 

Purchase here. 

So You Want to Play the Clarinet is a carefully sequenced book for beginner clarinetists that emphasizes good tone quality and phrasing. The range is moderate, from the lowest E to third line B-flat. Rhythms and basic techniques needed for first semester performance are included. For the best result, follow the lessons in order. With regular practice, you can teach yourself to play.

Purchase here. 

About the Author

Paula Corley is the Education Advisor for Buffet Crampon North America. She has 33+ years of teaching experience from middle school to university level. Most recently Paula served as the clarinet instructor at Texas Lutheran University where she hosted ‘clariNETWORKS’ – a very popular annual event for clarinetists of all ages and band directors. She is also a chamber music judge for Music for All's National Chamber Music Festival and served as the Pedagogy Chair for the International Clarinet Association from 2018-2020. Most know her as the ‘mayor’ of Clarinet City, a teaching website for all ages and stages of clarinet playing.

Originally from Mississippi, Paula grew up without access to clarinet lessons which sparked a lifelong interest in research for developing players. She is a graduate of Mississippi State University (BME) where she was named Alumnus of the Year in 2012-13 and Southern Methodist University (MM) where she worked with the legendary Howard Dunn. Paula taught in Plano, Texas ISD for many years before moving to Asheville, NC where she served as principal clarinet in the Asheville Lyric Opera and on the faculty at Mars Hill University (NC). 

Author of So You Want to Play the Clarinet and The Break (Southern/Hal Leonard), Paula has performed and presented at music conferences throughout the US since 1998. She is a performing artist and clinician for Vandoren and for Buffet Crampon and her articles have appeared in THE CLARINET, Vandoren WAVE, The Texas Bandmasters Review, and The Instrumentalist. A new series of her arrangements for clarinet can be found at Hal Leonard.  (See the Homepage for links.). She also has two recorded works for clarinet: Unfamiliar Territory by Michael Markowski and Road Trip for clarinet quintet by Clifton Jones. Visit clarinetcity.com.

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