Christmas Clarinet Basics: Clarinet Book

Harris structures this collection as a pedagogical journey, not just a holiday playlist. Each of the 12 stages integrates technique work, improvisation, and repertoire so that students aren't simply playing familiar tunes but building clarinet skills through musical material they love. The flexibility to perform with piano, as duets, or in mixed instrumental combinations gives you genuine programming options beyond the typical holiday concert formula.

Festive without being saccharine. The writing respects the clarinet's natural character while wrapping familiar melodies in accessible but musically purposeful arrangements. Moving through all 12 stages creates a sense of progression and celebration, with each stage feeling like a small musical gift.

Early-stage clarinet students, typically in their first or second year, who respond well to thematic collections and holiday programming. Teachers who want engaging material that reinforces fundamentals while keeping students motivated by recognizable musical content.

• Balance tone quality with the festive character of each piece. Since many selections work as duets or with piano, ensure the clarinet line remains warm and centered even when learning unfamiliar stylistic demands.
• Use the piano accompaniments or duet pairings to anchor rhythmic precision. Many students clarify their own rhythmic security when playing alongside a steady harmonic or melodic partner.
• Treat the improvisations and studies seriously as performance material. They're structured for musicality, not as throwaway technical exercises, so commit to shape and phrasing.
• Vary articulation and dynamics across the 12 stages to avoid a monotonous holiday sound. Harris's writing invites expressive choice within each stage's focus.

Use individual stages as warm-up material or short performance pieces during the holiday season, or program several stages back-to-back as a mini-suite. The duet and mixed instrumentation options make it easy to collaborate with piano students, flutists, or other clarinetists in holiday concerts.

• Long tone control and tone quality on different registers
• Rhythmic accuracy within ensemble contexts (duets and piano accompaniment)
• Basic improvisation and expressive phrasing within a structured framework
• Sight-reading of varied Christmas melody styles
• Articulation clarity and independence from accompaniment