Competition Solos, Book 1 Clarinet: Clarinet Book

This collection spans character portraits and narrative pieces. Rooster cracks with personality, while Swan invites sustained, singing lines. Dance of the Bears and Harvest Waltz bring rhythmic vitality, and Gavotte offers that elegant baroque sensibility. Together they read like a musical storybook rather than a clinical exercise book.

Clarinet students preparing for solo competitions at the intermediate level, typically in grades 4-6. This book works equally well for private lesson repertoire and ensemble preparation, especially for players developing confidence with longer forms and varied musical styles.

• Download and listen to the audio accompaniments first to hear how each piece should sit rhythmically and texturally; this orients your ear before diving into the marked articulations and dynamics.
• Compare the character of adjacent pieces during practice sessions (for example, the rhythmic precision needed for Rooster against the legato phrasing in Swan) to sharpen your stylistic control.
• Verify which specific solos appear on your state's current competition roster before scheduling performance dates; state lists update and vary by division level.

Assign one solo per marking period so students can workshop it thoroughly with piano accompaniment before moving forward. Select pieces that match each student's technical readiness and musical interests, since state approvals give you flexibility to differentiate within the same book. These solos also work as repertoire for student recitals or informal performance opportunities throughout the year.

• Articulation clarity in styles ranging from staccato dance rhythms to legato melodic phrasing
• Sustained tone production and phrase shaping over longer musical lines
• Reading and interpreting dynamic markings in period styles (baroque through early 20th century)
• Coordination with piano accompaniment at medium tempos
• Building competition readiness through approved state-list repertoire