Elementary Method for Clarinet: Clarinet Studies & Tutors

This method arrives without pretension. Demnitz moves students through fundamentals in logical sequence, never overwhelming them with unnecessary exercises while still building the articulation and tonal control that make clarinet sound like clarinet. The inclusion of work in multiple keys means students gain real facility rather than staying confined to one or two positions.

Straightforward and purposeful. The exercises sound like music being built deliberately, one skill at a time. There's a 19th-century clarity to the work, no rushing, no decoration, just the sound of a clarinet learning how to speak in its own voice.

Beginning clarinet students who are ready to move beyond purely mechanical fingering exercises into genuine musicianship. This method suits students roughly in their first or second year of study, particularly those who respond well to systematic progression through technique rather than pieces alone.

• Establish tone quality before introducing staccato. Have students spend time on the legato exercises first, listening for evenness of air and consistency across the register break.
• Rotate through the key studies gradually rather than assigning them in consecutive pages. Mixing tonality keeps the work fresh and prevents students from relying on muscle memory alone.
• Pair the legato and staccato sections with recordings of themselves playing the same passage. Young clarinetists often can't hear their own articulation clarity without this feedback.
• Mark breathing points together before the student plays through each exercise. Demnitz leaves breath choices to the performer, which requires guided conversation in early stages.

Assign sections in lessons as students advance, using the legato exercises as warm-up material even when studying other repertoire. The key studies work well as technique assignments that don't require the coordination demands of full pieces, giving students tangible progress on scales and tonality.

• Tone production and air control across the lower and upper registers
• Legato articulation with consistent note connection
• Staccato articulation with controlled separation
• Fluency in major and minor keys beyond the home keys
• Breath management and phrasing in simple musical contexts
• Reading and executing basic expressive markings