Rhythms & Rests: 1st B-flat Clarinet Book

This book attacks the problem that plagues second-year clarinetists: managing rests and irregular meters without losing their place or falling out of sync with the band. Erickson's scaffolded approach moves from isolated rhythm drills into etude pairs that work as solos or duets, then anchors everything with full band arrangements that reinforce what students just learned. The payoff is real confidence in trickier rhythmic territory.

The rhythm drills have a deliberate, almost investigative quality as you slow down to examine where beats land in 5/8 or 7/8. The etudes lighten things up: they're musical enough that playing them doesn't feel like work, even when the notation challenges you. By the time you reach the full band arrangement, everything clicks into place, and you hear your clarinet part as part of something larger and coordinated.

Second-year B-flat clarinetists who are solid on basic rhythms but need focused work on rests, mixed meters, and changing subdivisions. This book works equally well for students preparing for all-state or district auditions where irregular rhythms appear, and for bands building ensemble precision in contemporary and classical repertoire that uses shifting meters.

• Start each unit's rhythm drills at a tempo slow enough that your students can speak the patterns aloud before playing them. Verbal rehearsal dramatically improves accuracy when the notation gets tricky.
• When using companion etudes as duets, assign parts carefully so the stronger reader plays the more complex rhythm first. This builds the weaker reader's security without creating frustration.
• Before tackling the full band arrangement at the end of each unit, run the clarinet line solo against the recorded accompaniment or piano reduction. Students hear immediately how their part fits the harmonic and rhythmic landscape.
• Count rests out loud during rehearsal, especially in passages where clarinet sits out for multiple measures. This keeps players mentally engaged and prevents re-entry surprises.

Integrate one unit per week into sectional rehearsals during the season when your band is learning contemporary pieces or classical works with meter changes. The full band arrangements double as brief performance pieces or sight-reading exercises for the ensemble, so you're reinforcing skills without pulling students away from your main repertoire. Teachers also use this book with individual students working toward proficiency testing or auditions that emphasize rhythmic accuracy.

• Reading and performing rests in varied musical contexts
• Playing in mixed and irregular meters (5/8, 7/8, and similar)
• Managing changing eighth-note subdivisions within a phrase
• Coordinating re-entries after extended rests
• Reading rhythm notation with greater accuracy and independence
• Blending clarinet rhythms with ensemble figures in full band texture