Little Concert Pieces, Book 1: Clarinet, Collections, Book

This collection offers clarinet students exactly what they rarely encounter at Grade 3: authentic baroque and classical melodies arranged thoughtfully for their level. The inclusion of 28 pieces means you're not locked into one piece per week; you can select according to what serves your student's current technique while giving them genuine musical victories alongside their fundamentals.

Opening this book is like stepping into a music history gallery where every painting is sized just right for you. The pieces range from intimate and lyrical (Pastorale, Musette) to dancelike and spirited (Bourree, Giga), all arranged so the clarinet's voice emerges naturally without overshadowing its supporting harmonies.

Grade 3 clarinet students in their first or second year of study who are ready to move beyond unison exercise books and hear themselves as musicians performing real repertoire. Students preparing for recitals, solo competitions, or auditions benefit from the variety of styles and the confidence that comes from mastering a diverse collection.

• Approach these as vehicles for legato, not just accuracy. The baroque lines reward sustained tone and careful phrasing even at modest tempos; resist the urge to rush passages just because they lie comfortably under the fingers.
• Use the piano part as your collaborator, not your accompaniment. Hearing how the composer voiced harmonies beneath the melody teaches voice leading and shapes your listener's ear toward ensemble awareness.
• Let the dance forms (Minuetto, Bourree, Polonaise) inform your rhythmic clarity. These pieces carry inherent character through their meter and historical style; honor that rather than playing them as generic etudes.

Select individual pieces to anchor student recitals throughout the year, pairing them with one or two contemporary pieces to show stylistic range. Teachers can also build short thematic programs around the collection: a baroque set featuring Bach and Handel, a classical miniatures concert, or a national character set with the Hungarian folk songs and military marches.

• Reading and performing baroque dance forms (minuetto, bourree, giga) with stylistic clarity
• Sustained legato phrasing in melody-focused arrangements
• Sensitivity to harmonic context when playing with piano accompaniment
• Interpretation of character pieces and character dances at appropriate tempos
• Confidence in recital and solo performance contexts
• Exposure to compositional voice leading and harmonic function