Band Today, Part 1: B-flat Bass Clarinet Book

Band Today remains the gold standard for bass clarinet instruction in full band settings because it establishes fundamentals without patronizing young players. The method moves with purpose and clarity, allowing bass clarinetists to contribute meaningfully to ensemble sound from the earliest lessons rather than waiting passively for more advanced pages.

Band Today for bass clarinet opens a warmer, richer voice within the woodwind section. Students experience the satisfaction of immediate ensemble participation, reading lines that anchor harmonies and provide foundational support rather than secondary parts.

Bass clarinetists in beginning and intermediate concert band classes benefit most from this method, which parallels the soprano clarinet instruction used alongside it. The book also serves private studio teachers and individual students who learn bass clarinet after mastering soprano clarinet, offering a focused pathway through the instrument's unique range and technical demands.

• Address the bass clarinet's wider bore early by encouraging students to establish a supported air stream; the instrument demands more air support than soprano clarinet, and building this habit from the start prevents intonation struggles later.
• Balance the bass clarinet's naturally dark voice within the ensemble by asking students to listen critically to blend with baritones and low woodwinds rather than defaulting to full volume.
• Introduce the extended lower register systematically; bass clarinet extends the band's color palette downward, and students should understand how to access these notes with confident fingerings before they encounter them in arrangements.

Use this method in heterogeneous full band classes where some students transition from soprano to bass clarinet, ensuring continuity with the soprano clarinet book while addressing the bass instrument's specific mechanics. The correlated supplementary materials from the Contemporary Band Course allow you to reinforce technique and theory across all instruments simultaneously, maintaining pedagogical consistency.

• Secure embouchure and voicing for a larger clarinet mouthpiece
• Breath control and air support for the extended bore
• Reading in the bass clarinet's register and fingering patterns
• Balance and blend within the lower woodwind section
• Foundational technique that enables participation in full band arrangements