Clocks Sheet Music Preview

Clocks: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts

As performed by Coldplay / Arranged by John Wasson

Grade: 3

Item: 35-PK00185153

Digital Download
$50.00

Parts Added to Cart!

Description
One of Coldplay's most popular hits, "Clocks" won Record of the Year at the 2004 Grammy Awards. Instantly recognizable and solidly scored, here is an excellent version for young jazz ensemble.

Clocks: Jazz Ensemble Conductor Score & Parts isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
Additional Details
Publisher: Hal Leonard
SKU: 35-PK00185153

More about this title

About the Artist: Coldplay

Coldplay emerged from London in the late 1990s as one of the defining voices of alternative rock, blending post-Britpop sensibilities with electronic textures and emotionally direct songwriting. Chris Martin's vocal style and the band's knack for crafting memorable melodic hooks have made them one of the most commercially successful acts of the 21st century, with a catalog that speaks to both mainstream and critical audiences.

Why we love this

The iconic piano ostinato is instantly recognizable to students, which creates immediate engagement and motivation. John Wasson's arrangement preserves the song's hypnotic energy while distributing it accessibly across a young ensemble, making it a rare contemporary hit that doesn't sacrifice musical substance for familiarity.

What to expect

Hypnotic and driving, with an almost meditative quality beneath its kinetic energy. The arrangement maintains the song's cool restraint and builds tension through layering rather than bombast, creating a performance that feels both accessible and artfully constructed.

Who it's for

Young jazz ensembles at the Grade 3 level who are ready to tackle a piece with modern harmonic vocabulary and contemporary groove without needing to stretch technically. Conductors looking for repertoire that excites students by featuring music they actually know and hear outside the rehearsal room will find this invaluable.

How to get the most out of it

  • Lock the rhythm section into the steady eighth-note pulse that drives the piece; any looseness here unravels the entire arrangement's forward momentum.
  • Balance the piano/keyboard part carefully so it remains transparent rather than overwhelmingly present; it should anchor the ensemble without obscuring ensemble voicing.
  • Work the crescendos through repetition deliberately and by adding instrumental layers gradually rather than jumping to full volume; this mirrors how the original builds its emotional arc.
  • Pay attention to any syncopated figures in the brass or reeds that play against the straight rhythm section, and ensure they sit on top of the beat rather than getting swallowed by it.

How to use it

Position this as a concert centerpiece that bridges classical and popular contexts, especially effective in spring pops concerts or community outreach performances where you want to demonstrate that jazz ensemble repertoire includes the music students care about. It pairs naturally with other contemporary jazz interpretations of rock or alternative material.

Skills your students will build

  • Maintaining steady groove in the context of contemporary harmonic language
  • Balancing transparency in ensemble texture while playing supporting rather than lead roles
  • Responding to nuanced dynamic shaping and crescendo through layering techniques
  • Interpreting syncopated figures that sit against a straight rhythmic foundation

You May Also Like