Improve Your Scales! Clarinet, Grades 1-3: Clarinet Book

Harris designed this workbook with exam preparation in mind, but it works just as well for any student who needs to build genuine fluency across all the keys. The combination of finger exercises, scale and arpeggio studies, character pieces, and improvisation prompts keeps the work from feeling like drudgery; students actually practice because the material engages them musically, not just technically.

This book transforms scale practice from something mechanical into something musical. The key pieces give context to each scale you're learning, and the improvisation prompts encourage students to think of scales as tools for making music rather than hurdles to clear.

Students working toward early ABRSM certification (grades 1-3) will find this directly aligned with current exam requirements. It also serves any young clarinetist whose teacher wants to build real confidence with scales and arpeggios beyond the minimum.

• Start each session with the finger fitness exercises to warm up the hand and establish clean articulation before moving into scale work.
• Rotate through different keys each practice day rather than drilling everything in order; this prevents the material from becoming rote and builds stronger mental recall.
• Use the composition and improvisation sections to help students understand how scales function as musical vocabulary, not just technical requirements.

Use this as a concurrent workbook throughout the school year rather than as a standalone method; it pairs naturally with core repertoire study and helps students warm up efficiently before rehearsals. The varied exercises also make it useful for group lessons, where different students can work on different keys simultaneously.

• Fluency across all keys required for grades 1-3 ABRSM syllabus
• Articulation clarity and finger coordination through targeted fitness exercises
• Arpeggio patterns and their relationship to scale systems
• Improvisation and composition as applications of scale knowledge
• Sight-reading and technical facility across multiple range positions