Accent on Achievement, Book 2: B-flat Clarinet Book & Online Audio/Software

Accent on Achievement stands apart because it treats beginners as serious musicians from day one. The full-color design and eclectic mix of classical, folk, and world music selections keep students invested in their practice, while the built-in review cycle ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

Opening this book invites discovery. The full-color pages and diverse repertoire selections create a sense of genuine music-making rather than exercise drudgery, and students encounter recognizable melodies, world music textures, and classical foundations all within the same progressive arc.

This book is designed for beginning clarinetists in grades 5-8 who are learning to read music, develop consistent embouchure and tone production, and play within a concert band setting. It serves students progressing through their first year or so of clarinet study, whether in a school band program or private studio.

• Work through the rhythm exercises before tackling any new piece; they establish the rhythmic vocabulary you'll encounter in the arrangements that follow.
• Use the online audio to hear clarinet voicings in context with the full band sound, then isolate your part to practice intonation against the accompaniment.
• Approach the scale exercises as daily warm-ups rather than one-time drills; repetition embedded in your rehearsal routine builds finger facility without feeling like extra work.
• When moving through the chorales, focus on breath placement and phrase shape before worrying about dynamics; clear musicality emerges once the mechanics are secure.

Deploy Book 2 as your primary clarinet text during the second year of band instruction or as a reinforcement tool for students who need a slower progression. The 11 full band arrangements woven throughout give your ensemble genuine concert material at an accessible level, so you can program entire rehearsals around the method without supplementary scores.

• Reading in the treble clef with naturals, sharps, and flats in the range of B3 to D5
• Counting and executing whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and associated rest values
• Articulation control through tonguing and slurring
• Concert B-flat major and F major scales
• Intonation matching within a concert band ensemble
• Phrase breathing and musical phrasing
• Rhythm and rest patterns with proper counting
• Clarinet fundamentals including embouchure consistency and air support