Improve Your Sight-Reading! Clarinet, Levels 4-5 (Intermediate): Clarinet Book & Online Audio

This book solves the intermediate clarinet problem: students who've learned to play individual pieces often freeze when faced with something unfamiliar. Harris's three-part structure (technique preparation, annotated pieces, then graded sight-reading studies) actually teaches the thinking process rather than just assigning exercises. The online audio lets students self-assess without demanding your time, making it ideal for independent practice between lessons.

Methodical and encouraging. Each study builds incrementally, so students experience small wins before tackling genuinely new sight-reading passages. The piece choices are musical enough to feel like real repertoire, not mechanical exercises.

Intermediate clarinetists (around grade 4-5) who read music competently but struggle with unfamiliar material or lose confidence in ensemble settings. Students prepping for chair tests, auditions, or who need structured daily work on reading fluency benefit most from this approach.

• Have students work through the technique and melodic exercises before attempting each sight-reading piece; skipping this step defeats the purpose and sends them unprepared into the actual reading.
• Use the online audio as a model for appropriate tempo and phrasing, but push students to check their own version first without listening; this builds genuine confidence rather than imitation.
• Rotate through the graded pieces across several weeks rather than tackling them sequentially in one sitting; spacing the work improves retention and prevents burnout on repetitive studies.

Assign one graded study per week as part of a student's regular practice routine; the online audio makes it perfect for homework accountability without requiring you to hear every attempt. Alternatively, use the technique and melodic exercise sections to preview upcoming technical challenges in your band or orchestra repertoire.

• Rapid recognition and execution of rhythmic patterns at intermediate tempo
• Fluent interval reading across multiple registers
• Confidence reading articulation markings and dynamic changes on first sight
• Focused practice strategies for isolating technical trouble spots before reading unfamiliar music
• Self-assessment using recorded models as reference
• Sustained sight-reading stamina through progressively longer studies