80 Graded Studies for Clarinet, Book One: Clarinet Book

Davies curated a genuinely useful collection by pairing 19th-century studies from the masters of the instrument with newly composed pieces that introduce modern harmonic language and rhythmic complexity. The result feels cohesive rather than patchwork, and students move through it with purpose instead of just accumulating exercises.

You'll notice the progression immediately. Early studies feel lyrical and grounded in melody, building confidence in basic articulation and finger work. As you advance through the book, rhythmic precision sharpens and harmonic color deepens, especially when the contemporary pieces arrive.

Clarinetists in their first year or two of serious study who need a structured path through fundamental technique. This collection works equally well for private lesson assignments and for supplementing ensemble rehearsals.

• Start each study by identifying its technical focus before you play it through. The careful ordering means every new piece targets something specific, so isolate that element in slow practice first.
• Record yourself on studies that you find are working well technically. Listening back reveals inconsistencies in tone or articulation that your ear misses in the moment.
• Pay attention to the studies by Paul Harris; their 20th-century idioms require different phrasing and breath management than the classical studies, so treat them as technique-building in a different language.

Assign studies individually alongside your regular method book to target specific technique gaps or to introduce students to different compositional eras. The later studies work as warm-up material for intermediate ensemble players preparing for concert season.

• Long tone control and steady air support across the range
• Articulation clarity in eighth-note passages and faster figurations
• Intonation accuracy in upper register passages
• Phrasing within simple and compound phrase structures
• Reading 20th-century harmonic language and contemporary rhythmic patterns
• Finger coordination in scale-based and interval-skipping studies