Student Instrumental Course: Bass Clarinet Student, Level I: Clarinet Book

The Belwin Student Instrumental Course has anchored beginning band and orchestra programs for generations because it treats all woodwind and brass students as equals in a shared curriculum. Porter and Weber designed this series so your entire section learns together, building ensemble cohesion from day one while each student follows an instrument-specific path through the same musical concepts and repertoire.

Clear and purposeful. Each exercise builds logically on what came before, introducing new notes and rhythmic concepts in manageable steps. The book feels like a conversation between teacher and student rather than a collection of random warm-ups.

Beginning clarinetists in school band or private study, typically in grades 4-6. This book works equally well for students starting instrumental music in middle school or high school who need a systematic, accessible entry point.

• Establish steady breath support before introducing the reed. Have students practice long tones on the mouthpiece alone to understand the sensation of a consistent air stream, which translates directly to tone control once the reed is added.
• Match fingering positions across your clarinet section by checking hand placement visually during warm-ups. Inconsistent hand position early on creates tension that compounds as students progress to higher notes.
• Use the supplementary materials designed for this level alongside the method book. The correlated exercises in companion books reinforce concepts from the primary text and prevent the feeling that the method book exists in isolation.

Use this as your foundational text for all beginning clarinetists, whether teaching them individually or in a class setting. The correlated design means your clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, and flute students all encounter the same rhythmic and melodic concepts at the same time, making sectional warm-ups and full ensemble rehearsals more efficient.

• Reading treble clef in the middle register
• Fingering patterns on the clarinet from low B to high F
• Whole, half, quarter, and eighth note values in simple meters
• Breath support and long tone production on a single note
• Articulation basics (tongued and slurred passages)
• Listening and responding to conductor cues during group instruction