Student Instrumental Course: Clarinet Student, Level II: Clarinet Book

This book hits the intermediate sweet spot where students have developed basic facility but still need structured guidance through the next layer of technique. Lowry's pedagogy respects the clarinet's particular demands while maintaining the flexibility to work in both individual and group settings. The correlated approach across instruments means your band or private students can advance in lockstep, making rehearsal time far more efficient.

The progression feels purposeful and achievable. Each exercise builds directly on the last without sudden jumps that frustrate or stall momentum. Students encounter musical moments that reward their growing control, making the technical work feel connected to actual playing rather than abstract drills.

This book serves intermediate clarinetists working through individual lessons or class-based instruction who have completed a first-level course. It works equally well for students in band programs ready to advance their technical foundation and reading skills.

• Build tone consistency across the break by isolating passages that cross the transition and practicing the clarinet's physical adjustments before running full lines
• Work through rhythmic patterns independently before pairing them with pitched material, especially in passages requiring quick articulation changes
• Record yourself playing through sections to catch intonation drift in the upper register where the clarinet is most prone to sharpening
• Rehearse with a tuner visible during the early run-throughs of any new technical material to establish accurate muscle memory

Use this as the core method for clarinet students in middle school or private studio settings during their second year of study. Its systematic structure pairs well with concert repertoire at the same level, allowing technique learned in the method to appear immediately in the music students are performing for audiences.

• Secure tone production across the full range including the break
• Control of articulation and tonguing in multiple styles
• Reading in various keys and time signatures
• Technical facility in finger patterns and scale passages
• Intonation awareness and adjustment in the upper register
• Rhythm reading and execution at an intermediate level