Accent on Achievement, Book 1: B-flat Clarinet Book & Online Audio/Software

Accent on Achievement Book 1 stands out for its full-color presentation and genuine musical repertoire from the first lesson onward. The comprehensive review cycle means students internalize fundamentals without sounding like they're drilling exercises, and the 11 full band arrangements across the first two books give your ensemble immediate access to real music-making rather than isolated technical work.

Accent on Achievement feels like an invitation rather than a textbook. The full-color layout makes daily practice inviting, while the mix of world music, classics, and original compositions keeps clarinet students curious about what comes next on the page.

This book is designed for clarinet students in grades 5-8 who are beginning their band experience or progressing through their first year of learning. It works equally well in middle school concert bands, beginning band classes, and private studio settings where a comprehensive, engaging method is needed.

• Balance blend with individual tone production by having clarinetists listen for clarity of their note within the ensemble sonority rather than matching by volume alone.
• Work the scale exercises systematically across multiple rehearsals to build muscle memory without fatigue; they serve as both warm-up material and technical foundation.
• Approach the chorales as singing studies even on a wind instrument. Shape phrases with dynamic intention and connect notes as if sustaining vowels.
• Use the online audio to let students hear proper phrasing and articulation before attempting the full band arrangements, establishing a sonic reference they can replicate.

Use this as your primary method book for beginning clarinetists, moving sequentially through the material at a pace that matches your full ensemble's progress. The rhythm exercises, rest patterns, and chorales integrate naturally into rehearsal warm-ups, while the full band arrangements can be performed by second semester, giving students tangible repertoire success early in their band experience.

• Reading notes in the treble clef across the clarinet's low, middle, and high registers
• Fundamental rhythm patterns including quarter notes, eighth notes, half notes, and whole notes
• Understanding of rest values and proper silence
• Major scale fundamentals and scale patterns
• Breath control and sustained tone production
• Articulation clarity and stylistic phrasing
• Counting and maintaining steady tempo
• Ensemble balance and blend in a concert band setting