Accent on Ensembles, Book 2: E-flat Alto Clarinet Book

This book delivers the exact ensemble experiences your young players need when they're ready to move beyond method book exercises. The flexible instrumentation means you can actually form working ensembles from whatever instruments show up on any given rehearsal day, and the nine titles span folk songs, marches, and blues that students recognize and enjoy playing together.

Accessible and buoyant. The arrangements prioritize singable melodies and straightforward harmony, giving students the feeling that they can actually make real music happen together. The mix of marches, folk tunes, and lighthearted blues creates variety that keeps rehearsals engaging without overwhelming young players.

Alto clarinet players working through Accent on Achievement, Book 2 who are ready to collaborate in small ensembles. These arrangements work well for students in grades 4-6 with at least one year of playing experience and a solid foundation in their method book fundamentals.

• Start with the shorter duets to build confidence in blend and balance before advancing to the trios and quartets, which require more independent part-writing.
• Use these pieces during the first run-through to establish how you want the ensemble to handle articulation and phrase shape across similar passage types.
• Rotate the lead part among your players so everyone gains experience carrying a melody and supporting from different positions.

Pull these out during contest season when you need shorter, confidence-building pieces that let your younger section members perform in a supportive small ensemble context. They also work beautifully as warm-up or filler material between larger ensemble rehearsals, giving students ownership over the music-making process.

• Balancing melodic and harmonic roles within small ensembles
• Reading parts in isolation while listening to multiple simultaneous lines
• Intonation adjustment across different instrument combinations
• Maintaining steady tempo with minimal conductorial support
• Phrasing and articulation consistency across repeated passages