Customer Reviews

Joy of Clarinet

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This is a fairly good book if you have got quite far with learning the clarinet. It has some well known tunes but some that younger people will not know. The piano accompaniment is very good and it is well arranged. There is a lot of variety in the pieces to suit different moods but it is quite easy to become bored with it, especially if you don't have anyone to play the accompaniment.

I had this book sent to my nephew whose clarinet teacher recommended this book. I, therefore, don't have first-hand knowledge of the contents but I have high regard for the teacher, whom I know to be an excellent musician. My nephew, who is 13, seems to like the selection of pieces and is enjoying playing them.

This book has its place in the teaching repertoire for students who have initially learned about an octave's worth of notes and basic rhythms. They can get through the first few tunes and will have a few "real songs to play" while they keep plugging away to learn harder notes and rhythms in their lesson books. My first and second year students enjoy it, it's good for "parallel" playing material for those who are moving a little more slowly or who have trouble playing in the upper register past the B in the middle in the staff. As the solo collection progresses, the notes are harder and higher. Some of my students who like to play "pieces" more than "exercises" find this a fun way, at least for a while, to progress without feeling so dragged down by a standard method book. This book is not the be all and end all of early solo collections, but it is a good basic place to start. Adult beginners will recognize many tunes, and families with a pianist can enjoy playing together.