Belwin Intermediate Band Method: B-flat Clarinet Book

This method respects where students actually are after elementary band. Weber resists the urge to start over with fundamentals; instead, he builds on prior knowledge while introducing new technical demands and expressive possibilities. The result is a clarinet book that keeps players engaged because it sounds and feels like real music rather than preparatory material.

Working through these pages feels like genuine progress. The exercises are purposeful rather than arbitrary, and the musical passages that appear as you advance reward careful practice with moments that actually sound like the clarinet you hear in band arrangements.

This clarinet book is for students transitioning from elementary band instruction into more demanding repertoire and technique. Clarinet players in grades 4-6 who have completed a first method will find the progression logical and achievable, while still being challenged to grow.

• Use the exercises in sequence without jumping ahead. Each page builds on breath control and embouchure adjustments introduced previously, so skipping around undermines the progression.
• Record yourself playing the exercises and listen back for tone consistency across registers. Intermediate clarinet work demands attention to intonation as you move between chalumeau and clarion, and playback reveals gaps your ear might miss in the moment.
• Practice the sustained note exercises with a metronome set at half the written tempo to develop air support before moving to full speed. This builds endurance without rushing students into fatigue.
• Mark dynamic and articulation changes directly on the page before playing. Weber includes specific markings; honoring them from the start prevents bad habits from forming.

Assign sections of this book as sectional warm-up and skill-building material during the first part of the school year. The structured progression makes it ideal for clarinet players to work through during rehearsal time before moving to full-band repertoire, or for private lesson teachers seeking a roadmap that aligns with band instruction.

• Intermediate fingering patterns and register transitions
• Breath control across longer phrase lengths
• Dynamic control and articulation clarity
• Intonation consistency in the upper register
• Reading rhythmic notation at moderate tempo