Belwin Master Duets (Clarinet), Easy Volume 2: Clarinet Book

This collection balances historical depth with practical teaching value. You get genuine Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical repertoire alongside Snell's own original duets, all vetted for the early intermediate clarinettist. The variety means you can find the right piece for almost any musical moment in the year.

A journey through centuries of musical idiom, from the dance rhythms of Renaissance composers to the orderly elegance of Mozart and Handel, culminating in contemporary original works that speak the language of the early instrumental tradition. Each piece breathes with character and purpose, never feeling like filler.

Early intermediate clarinet players ready to move beyond unison exercises and experience genuine two-part writing. Music teachers and directors looking for graded duet material that spans historical periods without sacrificing musical substance.

• Assign a consistent first and second part to each student, then swap roles partway through the year. This builds independence and helps both players understand the architecture of two-part writing.
• Use the folk songs and traditional tunes as warm-up duets before rehearsal. Their familiar shapes help students focus on blend and intonation rather than wrestling with new material.
• Approach the original compositions by Snell with attention to his style markings. His pieces often have specific character indications that reward careful interpretation even at the easy level.
• Pair historically distant pieces in the same rehearsal to highlight stylistic differences. Playing a Byrd dance followed by a Snell original shows students how musical language evolves.

Select pieces from this collection as collaborative warmups before full ensemble rehearsals, or program them in student recitals where younger players can perform with a peer rather than a teacher. The historical breadth also makes these duets useful for sectional study, allowing you to touch multiple style periods without requiring separate purchasing.

• Reading and balancing two independent melodic lines
• Maintaining steady tempo while responding to a partner's phrasing
• Stylistic interpretation across Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and contemporary idioms
• Intonation awareness in two-part texture
• Musical independence and confidence in non-unison ensemble settings