The Clarinet and Clarinet Playing: Book

This book earns its reputation by addressing what actually matters to clarinetists: the mechanics of a clean articulation, the science behind reed making, and honest guidance on performance anxiety. Rather than skimming surfaces, Pino digs into the problems teachers and self-directed players encounter every day.

Self-taught players who want authoritative guidance without gaps. Band directors seeking a trusted resource to recommend to clarinet students. Clarinet teachers building a studio library of texts that go beyond method books.

• Study the tonguing and articulation section before making permanent choices about how you approach each passage; small adjustments here reshape tone quality and phrasing
• Work through the reed-making guidelines yourself or with a mentor; understanding what makes a reed work transforms how you select and adjust commercial reeds
• Use the musicianship framework when preparing a piece for performance; Pino's approach to interpretation prevents surface-level readings
• Reference the public performance section as a checklist before your first run-through in front of an audience; mental preparation matters as much as finger work

Keep this on your rehearsal shelf as a reference when clarinet-specific technical questions arise. Assign relevant chapters to students who show readiness for deeper study beyond their method book. The historical section offers rich material for program notes or preconcert talks about the clarinet repertoire you're performing.

• Tonguing techniques and their musical applications
• Clarinet-specific articulation choices
• Reed selection, adjustment, and construction fundamentals
• Interpretation and musical phrasing at the intermediate-advanced level
• Performance psychology and managing nervousness in public settings
• Understanding clarinet history and its connection to repertoire