Fortune Ku 0099D 16504 DATA 1

The Progressive Clarinetist: A Comprehensive Method for Fast-
Paced Fundamental Growth

By
Stacia Fortune
D.M.A., University of Kansas, 2019
M.M., University of Northern Iowa, 2016
B.M., University of Northern Iowa, 2014
© 2019
Submitted to the graduate degree program in the School of Music and the Graduate Faculty of
the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Musical Arts.
Co-Chair: Dr. Stephanie Zelnick
Co-Chair: Dr. Paul Laird
Dr. Margaret Marco
Dr. Christopher Johnson
Dr. Martin Bergee
Date Defended: May 6, 2019

The document committee for Stacia Fortune certifies that this is the
approved version of the following document:
The Progressive Clarinetist: A Comprehensive Method for Fast-

Paced Fundamental Growth
Co-Chair: Dr. Stephanie Zelnick
Co-Chair: Dr. Paul Laird
Date Approved: May 6, 2019
ii
Abstract
This modern-day method has been created because of the demand for a student’s consistent
growth throughout musical programs in a collegiate setting. A gap exists between a private instructor and
one’s personal practice throughout the week or school breaks that can be mitigated by having access to a
wide variety of exercises and ways to implement these exercises using actual repertoire. This method will
focus on the basic fundamentals of clarinet playing: air, intonation, finger motion, scales and articulation.
Students will pick the fundamental they would most like to improve or remain consistent on and undergo
a three-week period of intensive and specific practice with the goal of improving that fundamental and
understanding better how it applies to all performances. This method will be split into five levels based on
expectations throughout the individual years of an undergraduate degree, as well as including graduate
students. While this program is aimed primarily at college level clarinetists, it can be applied to
clarinetists of any age.
The exercises have been compiled as a result of my personal experiences as a student and teacher
as well as consultations with clarinet colleagues, and the etudes and excerpts have been taken from
popular books and pieces in the clarinet repertoire. The exercises have been assigned to specific levels
and fundamentals based on their difficulty and focus. Many etudes and excerpts address multiple
fundamentals and will be used accordingly. The student who goes through this method will first take a
brief test that assesses their level in all main fundamentals. Once their initial level has been ascertained,
they begin their program. Each day of practice will incorporate a variety of exercises, etudes and excerpts
aimed towards their specific goal. At the beginning of the program there will be considerably more
exercises and etudes, but challenges via excerpts and harder etudes will be incorporated as the student’s
endurance and skill grows.
The goal of this method is to encourage consistent growth in the most important part of learning
as a collegiate music student: fundamentals. By promoting continual challenges and growth in a variety of
fundamentals, collegiate clarinet players should be able to avoid regressing during breaks from school and
iii
the review of fundamentals upon their return to school that keeps them from pursuing music and
techniques they should be able to handle at their respective level. This method, with its tiered levels
according to expectations throughout a clarinet student’s college career, can create a consistently
progressing student who can pinpoint their own weakness, as well as providing a variety of new ways of
practicing fundamentals in all types of repertoire.
iv
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge the members of my committee who aided me in
this process. Thank you to Paul Laird, Margaret Marco, Christopher Johnson, and Martin Bergee for your
assistance and critique in this process, and your support throughout this entire document. A special thank
you goes to my teacher and mentor, Stephanie Zelnick. Without your enthusiasm and support, I am not
sure this project could have ever gotten to this point. I am especially grateful for your guidance as a
performer and especially as a teacher and colleague. My time as a teaching assistant has been filled with
ups and downs but refining my own teaching style and learning how to encourage and create progress in
my own studio has been a constant joy. I am so grateful for the chance to be a part of this studio, and to
have had even the smallest influence on the lives of so many talented future music educators, music
therapists and performers. This document is dedicated to my parents, without whom I would be nowhere.
Thank you for not forcing me to follow my initial career path.
v
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………..1
Chapter Two: Clarinet Pedagogy……………………………………………………………………………………....3
Chapter Three: Survey on Etude Books………………………………………………………………………………12
Chapter Four: Project Beginnings…………….....…………………………………………………………………....15
Chapter Five: Methodology and Assessment…...…………………………………………………………………….17
Chapter Six: Level One……………………………………………………………………………………………….20
Chapter Seven: Level Two……………………………………………………………………………………………27
Chapter Eight: Level Three…………………………………………………………………………………………...37
Chapter Nine: Level Four.……………………………………………………………………………………………47
Chapter Ten: Level Five……………………………………………………………………………………………...58
Chapter Eleven: Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………..68
Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………………………………69
Dr. Zelnick’s Long Tones…………………………………………………………………………………...69
Klosé’s Chromatic Study…………………………………………………………………………………...70
Major Thirds………………………………………………………………………………………………...73
Langenus’s Articulation Study No. 11……………………………………………………………………..75
Articulation: Coordination III………………………………………………………………………………76
Klosé’s Running Major and Minor Scales…………………………………………………………………79
Baermann’s Broken Chords………………………………………………………………………………..80
Baermann’s Sixth Intervals………………………………………………………………………………...81
Articulation: Coordination IV………………………………………………………………………………84
Baermann’s Octave Exercise………………………………………………………………………………86
Copyright Permissions………………………………………………………………………………………87
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………………………….90
vi
Chapter 1: Introduction
The role of the clarinet student in a collegiate music program is one filled with self-assessment
and critique. Expectations have become higher concerning the skills of collegiate level clarinet students
regardless of musical path, but materials concerning basic knowledge about fundamentals are either
passed down orally or unpublished in studio exercises and workbooks and not widely available to the
public. A continuous change in expectations, knowledge, and methodology has led to a variety of
pedagogical writings, method books, and musical sources all intending to improve the modern-day
clarinetist. Despite all of this material, there are too few central, consistent methods that improve basic
techniques and enforce their presence in major repertoire. This kind of guidance is typically obtained in
private lessons as students are taken through exercises or etudes with their teacher. In these lessons
teachers are relied upon to inform students as to what they are doing incorrectly, and how to practice
improvement. Students can become very dependent on instruction from their private teacher, which can
prove detrimental when they leave school.
The need for a continuation of guided instruction and feedback over extended spring, summer,
and winter breaks comes from the internal desire to consistently improve. During the school year, music
students are constantly working to improve at a number of skills relating to their field of study and
primary instrument. They receive feedback and advanced instruction in their classes and private lessons
with instructors from week to week and use this information to influence their out of class work. Over
extended breaks, this instruction is paused. Without a constant goal of improving performance a student’s
motivation to practice severely diminishes. 1 Students on break will often go weeks with no practice goal
in mind, leading to aimless practicing and diminishing fundamentals, if practicing occurs at all. When the
school year starts up again, these students come into their lessons having lost their progress from the last
1
K. Ericsson, Ralf T. Krampe and Clemens Tesch-Römer, “The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of
Expert Performance,” Pyschological Review 100, no. 3 (July 1993) 372, accessed January 25, 2019.
1
semester and must use valuable time to make up for this regression. As a result, students are often not at
the level that perhaps they should be.
Unfocused and aimless practicing is a direct result of lack of focus on what needs to be done.
Studies have shown that adults perform at a level far from their maximal potential even for tasks they
regularly carry out, such as practicing for music students. This can be attributed to many factors, most
prominent being too many goals to focus on or no knowledge of how to direct one’s practice. 2 Students
become used to having an outside voice telling them which exercises to do to improve their playing, and
often are not interactive in this process of improvement. When they are left to their own devices over
extended breaks with no private instructor, many students have no idea what to do with their practice
sessions. Time is spent playing mindlessly through etude books and scale patterns with very little
deliberate attention being paid to anything constructive. Individuals must be fully attentive and involved
in their playing at all times to make true progress, making sure each part of their practicing is done
correctly.3
The term “deliberate practice” has been defined as a series of activities that have been specifically
designed to improve the current level of performance.4 These specific tasks are intended to overcome
weaknesses, and utilize a series of deliberate, focused repetitions with the goal of improvement in mind.
This method promotes deliberate practice in its use of specialized assigned exercises meant to improve
specific fundamentals that will aid in the proper execution of bigger musical goals. Students will assess
their own weaknesses and actively focus on improving through these exercises. Throughout this process,
students will be developing their ability to practice deliberately, making their time spent with their
instrument as efficient as possible.
2
Ibid, 365.
3
Ibid, 371.
4
Ibid, 368.
2
Chapter Two: Clarinet Pedagogy
The art of teaching the clarinet is constantly changing. Common schools of thought on such areas
as sound production and musical style have been established since the creation of the Buffet and Oehler
clarinets in the mid-1800s but teaching the style and concept of sound can vary widely from one teacher
to the other. The German school of clarinet playing is thick and dark, projecting a warm tone over large
German orchestras while French clarinet sound is generally light and delicate. The American school of
playing, often credited to Daniel Bonade (1896-1976), is a mixture of these two sounds. Students can
often track their “heritage” in clarinet history to certain figureheads in playing but often disregard the
influence of the pedagogy of these great performers. The importance of pedagogy and consistency in
teaching methods began most notably in the nineteenth century with Carl Baermann, and techniques have
significantly changed since. The influence and knowledge of major teachers is often a privilege saved for
their own private studio. Personal exercises, practice techniques, and tricks are delivered verbally and
passed down between teacher and student who then passes it onto their own students.
Many major teachers, such as Robert Marcellus, Stanley Hasty, and Elsa Ludwig-Verdehr will
not be discussed in this chapter because they did not publish their pedagogical materials, but their
importance remains high in the clarinet world.
Carl Baermann (1810-1885) was one of the first well-known pedagogues, as well as being a
virtuoso performer with his father and making alterations on the clarinet of the 19 th century. As son of
Heinrich Baermann, the muse for composers like Felix Mendelssohn and Carl Maria von Weber, Carl had
large shoes to fill. He performed alongside his father in duets and as soloist for many years and was
renowned for his work with the basset horn, but he is best known for his pedagogical work and
involvement in the development of the Müller clarinet. He toured throughout Europe, making himself
3
well known in major cities such as London, Paris, and Munich, where he eventually settled and became
professor of clarinet at the Royal School of Music. 5
His “Complete Clarinet School” was written between the years of 1864 and 1873 and was
originally created for Ivan Müller’s 13-key “omnitonique” clarinet. The method has been adapted since
then to be usable for the modern-day Boehm system clarinet. Today’s clarinet students use the scale
segment of this complete method most often, but the entire book contains etudes, solo pieces, and detailed
information on pedagogical concepts and fundamentals.6 The pedagogical side of this method is important
because Carl Baermann was one of the first clarinetists to advocate for a single-lip embouchure, where
the performer has the reed facing downward and wraps only the bottom lip over the teeth as opposed to
both lips. His method focused extensively on the concept of sound production and tone quality over
flashy virtuosity. Baermann insisted that finger facility was nothing more than spectacle if the performer
did not also have the most beautiful tone. 7 His method therefore focuses on embouchure, sound, and
finger facility through patterns and scale work. The entire book begins with a historical introduction of
the instrument that contains basic information relating to the clarinet and how to hold it, as well as tips
and rules regarding trills, ornaments and expression. Much of the information in this beginning section
includes advice that could be provided during a course of lessons. Breathing, interpretation, articulation
markings, technique, and tone production are covered in brief segments, giving a glimpse into the
pedagogical teachings presumably covered by Carl Baermann in lessons. His writing in this introductory
section is familiar, offering tips and tricks to fellow clarinetists rather than preaching his own genius over
that of any other way of teaching or learning of the time. His final sentence in the introduction is a
friendly one to all reed-players: “…The obstinacy of this little piece of wood (the reed) bids defiance to
all precautions, and I hereby wish all my colleagues the best of luck and a reed which will last for a life-
5
Kimberly Miller “Carl Baermann: His Influence on the Clarinet in the Nineteenth Century as Pedagogue,
Composer, and Instrument Technician” (DMA diss., University of Cincinnati, 2010), 5, accessed February 2019.
6
Ibid, 7.
7
Ibid, 13.
4
time.”8 Carl Baermann defined the pedagogical style of teachers to come by emphasizing fundamentals
over technical brilliance, and helped to develop our current focus on tone production and the overall
concept of clarinet playing.
Hyacinthe Klosé (1808-1880) was a French clarinet player, professor at the Paris Conservatory
and composer of solo and pedagogical works for wind instruments. Klosé is best known for his
involvement in the creation of the Boehm system clarinet with Louis-August Buffet, as well as his
massive Celebrated Method for clarinet.9 He taught at the Paris Conservatory for 30 years, including such
students as Cyrille Rose (1830-1902) and Charles Turban (1845-1905).
Klosé’s Method was written in 1860 for the 17-key clarinet and dedicated to Michel Carafa, who
was the professor of composition at the Conservatory. 10 He wrote many other collections of study
materials for his own students, but the celebrated method is considered his most comprehensive
pedagogical collection and remains important today. Similar to Baermann’s method, Klosé begins with
fundamentals and moves onto solo works and etudes. Klosé’s method incorporates many pieces written as
duets, indicating an emphasis on the student performing with the teacher during lessons. Sections of
Klosé’s method include basic tone production and endurance, scale work, articulation, ornamentation,
duets, and etudes. While the entire book is very useful for clarinetists of every level, most students and
teachers only use specific pages.
Cyrille Rose (1830-1903) was one of the most important French clarinetists and teachers of the
late nineteenth century. He is credited with creating some of the most renowned etude books in the
clarinet repertory, as well as being a prolific pedagogue and musician during his time. Rose was a pupil of
Hyacinthe Klosé, and in 1876 became the professor of clarinet at the Paris Conservatory. Rose taught
many renowned students such as Prosper Mimart, Henri and Alexander Selmer, Paul Jeanjean, Louis
8
Carl Baermann, ed. Gustave Langenus, Complete Method for Clarinet: Division III (New York: Carl Fischer,
1917), 14.
9
Hyacinthe Klosé, Celebrated Method for Clarinet (Philadelphia: J.W. Pepper, 1844).
10
Jean-Marie Paul, “Hyacinth Klosé (1808-1880): His Works for Clarinet”, The Clarinet, 33, no. 3 (2006): 66.
5
Cahuzac, and Henri Lefebvre. While Rose wrote many etude books; his two most famous books are the
32 Etudes for Clarinet and Forty Studies for Clarinet.11 His 32 Etudes are considered the most widely-
used etudes by students, teachers, and performers. Rose based this etude book on the works of oboist F.
Wilhelm Ferling, taking a selection of etudes out of his Op. 31.12 Ferling’s etudes are altered by rhythm,
articulation, range, dynamic and expression markings, meter, and key to be more accessible and
educational for clarinet students. Rose transcribes many of the original etudes to avoid difficult keys,
never going beyond three sharps or flats in a minor key or five sharps or flats in a major key. Forty
Studies for Clarinet is a compilation of transcribed etudes for violin by composers such as Franz Schubert
and Rudolph Kreutzer.13 All of these popular etudes were intended for a different instrument but have
been adapted to fit the range and fundamental challenges of the clarinet and have subsequently become
some of the most important tools for teaching musicality and enforcing fundamentals.
Daniel Bonade was a French-American clarinet player and pedagogue who acted as a bridge
between the late French style of clarinet and the developing American sound of the early twentieth
century. He was born in 1896 in Switzerland, but spent his formative years learning from Ferdinand
Capelle, and later Prosper Mimart at the Paris Conservatory. In 1916, Bonade moved to the United States
to pursue performance opportunities as principal clarinet of Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes, Victor Herbert
Orchestra, and as a member of the Sousa Band. Leopold Stokowski recruited Daniel Bonade to the
Philadelphia Orchestra in 1917 because of a war-related member upheaval, and Bonade stayed there until
1930. He began teaching during this time and was the first instructor of clarinet at the Curtis Institute of
Music. In 1933 Bonade took the job of principal of the Cleveland Orchestra, as well as joining the faculty
11
Cyrille Rose. 32 Etudes (New York: Carl Fischer, 1913) and 40 Studies for Clarinet Solo (New York: Carl
Fischer, 1910).
12
Lawrence Maxey, “The Rose Thirty-Two Etudes: A Study in Metamorphosis.” The Clarinet, 1, no. 4 (1974): 8-9.
Accessed February 23, 2019, https://ica.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/VOL1N4-AUGUST1974.pdf.
13
Joanne Britz, “A Systematic Approach to Five Clarinet Fundamentals as Utilized in Rose’s Forty Etudes.” (DMA
diss., University of Texas at Austin, 2004), 103, accessed March 1, 2019.
6
at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Bonade kept these positions until 1941. His final teaching post was at
the Juilliard School from 1948 to 1959.
Daniel Bonade taught the French techniques that he learned, but also had to alter his own playing
and teaching to accommodate the increasingly large sound of American orchestras. The style that
developed from this change melded the light, ringing French style with a larger sound and better
projection. Bonade and his students were able to project over large orchestras with a full, flexible sound
without getting into the German realm of dark tone. 14 Bonade published his own pedagogical materials in
his Clarinetist’s Compendium. This book is small but aptly provides Bonade’s fundamental set-up for his
students. The Compendium is a combination of his previously-printed pamphlets on reed adjustment and
staccato, as well as other fundamentals including posture, phrasing, and the production of good tone.
There is no explanation of his methodology in this book, and no room for adjustment or contradiction in
his teaching style. 15 Bonade’s teaching style involved adjusting his student’s reeds, musical style, and
very little mention of breathing or tongue position.16 He expected his students to be proficient in scale
work, breathing, and tongue position before they came to see him. It is widely assumed that Bonade
himself did not struggle with breathing or tongue position, and therefore did not understand how to teach
students who did have those struggles. 17 Bonade especially promoted good tone, which indirectly
involved good air and tongue position. He worked with his students on tone and intentional practice when
it came to staccato and finger coordination. Bonade’s ideal progression of study involved popular etude
books in a very specific order, often with focus remaining on one etude or one entire book for months. 18
Students in Bonade’s studio spent much of their time with etude books by Cyrille Rose, Robert Stark,
Carl Baermann, Ernesto Cavallini, and Paul Jeanjean. 19
14
Carol Anne Kycia, Daniel Bonade: A Founder of the American Style of Clarinet Playing (Captiva, Florida:
Captiva Publishing, 1999), 12.
15
Ibid, 24.
16
Ibid, 43.
17
Ibid, 44.
18
Ibid, 81.
19
Ibid, 80.
7
As the father of the American school of clarinet playing, Daniel Bonade helped make possible the
large and vibrant sound concept that we focus on today. Some of his pedagogical concepts remain too
vague to apply to a larger audience of musicians, but his methods are constantly passed down through the
teachings of his own students.
Leon Russianoff (1916 - 1990) was one of the more recent and renowned American pedagogues,
known for his prolific studio and his successes as a teacher. Russianoff studied with Simeon Bellison
(1881-1953) and Daniel Bonade. He served on the faculty of both the Juilliard School and Manhattan
School of Music for many years and taught some of the most famous American clarinet performers and
teachers of the time. Russianoff’s teaching was mainly focused on fundamentals, shown best in his
published Clarinet Method. The complete method is printed in two volumes and covers a wide variety of
fundamentals and extra clarinet topics. Breathing, fingers, and articulation are the more basic ideas
covered in book one, but Russianoff also writes about air direction, “counting aloud” for even playing,
legato fingers, and using “picture patterns” for scales. His intensive, highly-developed method rivals that
of Hyacinth Klosé or Carl Baermann in regard to the specificity of his directions, the reasoning, and the
examples given to enforce his ideas in context. Russianoff’s method differs from Klose’s and Baermann’s
in the fact that he uses established musical examples from etude books and orchestral pieces rather than
writing his own.
Russianoff’s method is focused on fundamentals and their use in context. Like a number of
methods, Russianoff begins his book with focus on how to breathe most effectively. He places fingers as
second in priority, enforcing the idea that a good basic knowledge of air is one of the most important
aspects of clarinet performance. The focus of this book, as stated by Russianoff, is to create a more
natural, “thoughtless” skill set. He says very clearly in his preface that his goal in creating this book is to
give clarinetists a sense of freedom with their instrument. Russianoff’s method focuses on solidifying the
“vital organs” of music (rhythm and intonation), as well as “an intelligent approach to practicing,
8
perception of basic note-pictures, finger technique, tone quality, breath control, articulation, and so on.”20
The entire method book is clearly laid out and gives a student the basic framework of fundamental
practice and goals, as well as including examples of ways to practice these concepts in context. The only
thing the method book does not provide is a way to gauge progress. While his method book gives detailed
instruction and examples of musical repertoire for practice, it has not yet been incorporated into the
mainstream of teaching plans. This may be mostly due to the fact that the Method is now out of print and
protected by copyright.
Leon Russianoff was revered by his students for his gentle and enthusiastic teaching style. His
dedication to catering to the individual needs of each student was shown in his endless work on writing
out exercises and warm-ups to aid in specific problems.21 These warm-ups and exercises eventually ended
up in his Method. The goals of Russianoff’s teaching style, and eventually his method, encompassed his
desire to first solve technical difficulties, then cultivate a player’s own instincts, and his use of repertoire
to reinforce his techniques.22 His style and the lessons he gave were highly personalized, and his work in
creating the method showed his desire to truly understand how problems on the clarinet worked, and how
to fix them in a variety of ways. Russianoff was an innovative and in-depth pedagogue who focused his
method and teaching style on finding a course of study that fit each student individually.
Howard Klug is Professor of Clarinet at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. In
addition to his work as a teacher, he has been the pedagogy editor of The Clarinet, and has published
many articles in The Instrumentalist, NACWPI Journal, BDGuide, and LeBlanc Bell. Klug has held
master classes at numerous institutions throughout the world and has also served as artistic director of the
Belgian Clarinet Academy. 23 Klug’s teaching style involves group lessons as well as private lessons, and
his method incorporates plenty of demonstration and involvement with musical ideas. Group lessons
20
Leon Russianoff, Clarinet Method: Book I (New York: Schirmer Books, 1982), x.
21
Anthony Masiello, “A Study and Analysis of Leon Russianoff’s Clarinet Method” (DMA diss., Arizona State
University, 2009), 7.
22
Ibid, 12.
23
Howard Klug, “Biography,” http://www.howardklug.com. Accessed March 30, 2019.
9
involve mimicking what Klug does with scale patterns, chords, and pitch matching, all done by ear. 24
Similar lessons throughout the semester would incorporate playing tunes like Happy Birthday in all 12
keys. The group lessons have been dubbed “clarinet boot camp” by Klug himself, his purpose being to
drill long tones, intervals, scales, arpeggios, ear-training materials, rhythm work, etudes, and
transposition.25
Howard Klug uses newer music in his lessons with students, including his own published method,
The Clarinet Doctor. This book provides a flexible undergraduate curriculum, practicing strategies, and
pedagogical musings, and is easily used by both students and teachers. His goal is to teach each student
individually, providing materials and goals that are more attuned to each personal need. The focus for his
studio revolves around tone quality and the need to “keep going!” Continuity and beautiful sound are
more important than technical facility and performing the “classics” of the repertoire like Mozart, Weber,
or Poulenc. 26
Klug’s Clarinet Doctor can be described as a helpful tool for explaining technique behind
specific fundamentals with few exercises. The beginning section is focused on scales and interval work
and includes a large number of written-out exercises. In the preface to his method Klug states: “Once
patterns are ingrained, a performer is able to sight-read easily, learn new pieces in a short period of time,
and trust the hands to play the most technically complex passages with little mental supervision.”27 The
inclusion of so many scales and pattern exercises encourages students to practice every possible pattern
that is commonly found in tonal music. By being familiar with these patterns, students should be able to
read new music more easily and feel more comfortable removing the mental part of performance and
letting their hands do the work. Aside from exercises, Klug talks about practice habits and scheduling,
long tones, articulation bursts, crossing the break exercises, thumb exercises, and intervals. There are only
24
Margaret Iris Dees, “A Review of Eight University Clarinet Studios: An Investigation of Pedagogical Style,
Content and Philosophy Through Observation and Interviews” (DMA diss., Florida State University, 2005), 20.
25
Ibid, 24.
26
Ibid, 25-26.
27
Howard Klug, The Clarinet Doctor (Bloomington, Indiana: Woodwindiana, Inc., 1997), preface.
10
two examples taken from common repertoire: the famous solo from Rimsky-Korsakov’s Le Coq D’or,
and an excerpt from Cyrille Rose’s 40 Studies. He also includes his expectations for his own studio and
repertoire lists that are specific to each year of an undergraduate degree. Part two of his book involves tips
for clarinet teachers. In this section he gives suggestions on how to teach specific fundamentals
(embouchure, breathing, body posture and hand position, tongue placement, and throat feel), as well as
his own articles and handouts on the same topics. He also briefly discusses the adjustment of reeds, what
squeaks might mean and how to fix them, and provides details on bass clarinets and how to incorporate
them into a studio. His method book is overall strikingly useful for any student looking to incorporate
extra pattern work into their daily routine. The inclusion of degree “programs” and tips for practicing is
an added bonus for both student and teacher. The Clarinet Doctor is not as complete in its description of
long tones or articulation and has fewer exercises on those fundamentals. Klug’s method book is well
conceived and thorough on the topic of patterns and scale work. He also heavily emphasizes the
importance of fundamentals and is very clear about the need to be proficient at all basic parts of clarinet
playing.
The pedagogy of the clarinet has been consistently focused on specific fundamentals: long tones
and air, articulation, finger motion, and patterns. The description of the “perfect’ embouchure is usually
vaguely described in almost all methods, as well as musicality, phrasing, intonation, and a variety of other
aspects of clarinet playing that could be touched on in lessons. All teachers mentioned previously have
been adamant about the consistency of air, evenness of fingers, lightness of staccato (also related to air),
and the importance of scales. As we move forward with clarinet pedagogy and learning in a studio
environment, students need to be able to fully understand and incorporate these main fundamentals in
their own practice between lessons and during long breaks from instruction.
11
Chapter Three: Survey on Etude Books
Teachers of all levels and instruments agree on the fact that etudes are one of the most important
resources musicians have. These brief, unaccompanied exercises enforce fundamental techniques as well
as developing a musical sense of phrasing and interpretation. In a studio setting, teachers will typically
“prescribe” a new study each week and spend about ten to twenty minutes on said pieces during an hour-
long lesson. 28 The focus of each lesson typically depends on the level of the student, but in a primarily
undergraduate level studio, etude work will dictate most fundamental learning for a student’s collegiate
career.
A survey was done in 1999 in which ten clarinet professors were asked a series of questions
regarding etude and method books and their role within their personal studios. They collectively named
almost one hundred method books they utilized to cover all the main fundamentals, as well as those they
would use for extended techniques and more advanced students.29 The top ten list of books that was
created according to frequency of usage included: Cyrille Rose’s 32 Etudes and 40 Studies, Robert
McGinnis and Stanley Drucker’s Orchestral Excerpts from the Symphonic Repertoire for Clarinet,30
Ernesto Cavallini’s 30 Caprices,31 Carl Baermann’s Method for Clarinet pt. III, Polatschek’s Advanced
Studies for the Clarinet,32 Hyacinthe Klosé’s Celebrated Method, Alfred Uhl’s 48 Etudes for Clarinet vol.
I and II,33 and Paul Jeanjean’s 16 études modernes and 18 Etudes.34 Of this list of “most used” etude
books, over half were written and published 100 years ago. This is not to discredit their usefulness, as
they are continually reinforced as some of the most educational etude books by successful teachers from
across Northern America. The useful repertoire inside these books is excellent for work on musical
28
Kelly Anne Johnson, “Survey of Major Clarinet Etude Books for the College Undergraduate” (DMA diss.,
Arizona State University, 1999), 128, accessed February 1, 2019,
29
Ibid 150.
30
Stanley Drucker and Robert McGinnis, Orchestral Excerpts from Symphonic Repertoire (New York City:
International Music, 1950).
31
Ernesto Cavallini, 30 Caprices for the Clarinet (New York: Carl Fischer, 1909).
32
Victor Polatschek, Advanced Studies for the Clarinet (G. Schirmer, Inc., 1987).
33
Alfred Uhl, 48 Studies for Clarinet Vol. I and II (Mainz, Germany: Schott Music, 1984).
34
Paul Jean Jean, 16 études modernes and 18 Etudes (Paris: Alphonse Leduc, 1926).
12
phrasing but does not encourage specific focus on fundamentals without needing of a teacher to show you
what to look for. Modern day undergraduate and graduate level musicians need a tangible, physical way
to check their progress, as well as a look into different method books and exercises that can enhance their
level in a variety of fundamental skills.
Motivation remains one of the most essential factors of any student’s progression. Many students
have no concept of the reasoning behind what seems to be boring finger work, long tone drills, or scales.
In Johnson’s survey, Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, professor emeritus at Michigan State mentioned the
importance of etude selection in a student’s education. Verdehr recommends selecting an etude that has
definable worth – a student should be able to understand technical challenge and chances for musical
interpretation.35 A student who knows the purpose behind their work will be able to find more chances for
learning, as well as being able to determine how they are learning specific skills and how to utilize them
in other musical examples. Linda Bartley from the University of Wisconsin-Madison believes that every
piece of music a student plays has something to teach them – the challenge lies within their ability to
discover it. If a student knows what they can learn from an etude, they will generally be more motivated
to practice it.36 Many professors surveyed pointed out the fact that everything we learn as musicians
makes playing other music faster and easier to learn. When students realize how scale patterns can help
them play virtuosic Italian solo repertoire, or how finger movement drills help them perform excerpts
from Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé more easily, their motivation to do seemingly mundane exercises will rise.
The exact knowledge of what to look for and how to learn something from familiar etudes encourages
quick progression and in-depth knowledge of the purpose behind exercises and etudes.
Music students in college have access to a wealth of knowledge from their private instructor. In
regular lecture classes, note-taking and discussion is normal and expected. In private lessons, students are
often preoccupied with the instruction and tips their teacher is providing and note-taking is not as
35
Kelly Anne Johnson, “Survey of Major Clarinet Etude Books for the College Undergraduate” (DMA diss.,
Arizona State University, 1999), 75, accessed February 1, 2019.
36
Ibid, 41.
13
common. As a result, much of the teacher’s instruction on how to make specific fundamentals better,
finger a specific note or make a passage easier is transferred verbally with little to no written notes. Some
teachers have their own collection of exercises and etudes that they give out to studio members as part of
a “warm-up regimen”. This is beneficial to students who are able to take lessons with these pedagogues
but leaves students without this opportunity behind.
14
Chapter Four: Project Beginnings
The idea for this project came from a frustration with lack of structure for practicing over
extended breaks. A personal desire for exterior challenges when it came to practice sessions and growth
led to the comparison of clarinet fundamental progress and the goals of physical workout programs like
P90x and 21 Day Fix. In such workout programs, users are first tested on a set amount of activities and
encouraged to write down their initial “scores,” which indicate how many repetitions they were able to
successfully complete. Users are then introduced to a variety of exercises that work specific parts of their
body and systems (cardio, arms, legs, pilates, abs, etc.), and are set on a strict schedule for a
predetermined period of time. After their workout schedule is complete, they check their progress using
the same test undergone on the first day. Once they complete the final test, they can then see (and feel)
their progress on specific exercises and activities. The length of time generally set for programs like this
derives from the popularized myth that twenty-one days create a habit. Over the course of three weeks,
users become familiar with daily workouts, and will come to anticipate and plan for those workouts after
the program itself is complete. In such a program for clarinetists, students will begin with the level that is
most appropriate for their abilities. Students who are fundamentally weak in air should not place
themselves in a more advanced level because of their advanced finger movement. They should strive to
achieve the equal skill in every fundamental level before they choose to move up to the next level,
otherwise comprehensive growth is potentially more difficult to obtain.
The schedule for this method will be like that of the previously mentioned workout programs. On
the first day, students will “test” themselves in long tones, finger movement, scales, and articulation. Each
level will have similar test activities, but each tier will test a more involved aspect of each fundamental.
Over the course of the next month, users will be supplied with exercises, etudes, and excerpts that
supplement more than one fundamental at a time. Through this, clarinetists will become more aware and
involved in their learning. Rather than looking at exercises and etudes as monotonous, users will see the
15
connection between fundamentals and performing at a level that provides success in repertoire from the
solo, chamber and orchestral worlds.
This method will be separated into five levels based on typical performance and fundamental
expectations per college year, as well as putting graduate students in one overall level. Expectations are
assigned based on personal experience as a student, teacher, and observer, as well as information gathered
from many pedagogical dissertations and articles, and discussion with colleagues and mentors. While
these expectations are based on university years of study, students of any major or age can be at any level
of performance. Users of this method are advised to choose the level that best fits their fundamental
needs, regardless of what year in college it is intended for. Following is a description of expectations for
each level, followed by the test day booklet to be completed at the beginning and end of each program.
16
Chapter Five: Methodology and Assessment
Long tone exercises are the focus of all beginning methods books, and they are essential to all
music regardless of style or articulation. Without a focused and fast air stream, a player’s sound is weak
and flat. Long tones are the first test in each level because without having a solid base in air, a player’s
fingers and articulation are nothing. Patterns and scales do not flow correctly without a strong air flow,
and articulation is often muddy and dull because of incorrect tongue placement created by weak air. The
exercises chosen for this method have been selected according to their gradual challenge regarding lung
endurance, tongue placement and intonation, and air covering wide leaps. According to Howard Klug in
his Clarinet Doctor method book: “While beginners must be taught to acquire an embouchure which is
unmoving throughout the range of registers and dynamics, students who have been playing three to five
years must start to learn the adjustments necessary to produce the same tone and good pitch throughout a
wide dynamic range.”37 The clarinet player must recognize the small, controlled changes that need to be
made to achieve a higher level of air and embouchure control, leading to the ability to play music with
more difficult interval leaps.
Finger movement is more challenging to assess and is personal to everyone. Finger length and
hand size can vary drastically from person to person, but the quality of motion and smoothness between
notes is something that does not change. A clarinet player’s finger motion is assessed based on the even
movement of their fingers, as well as the equal quality of their tone between notes and registers. In this
method, motion will be tested using a variety of exercises that will change in interval difficulty. Younger
students will focus on relatively easy intervals seen commonly in repertoire and scalar patterns. Mozart’s
Clarinet Concerto has many passages that incorporate tricky finger motion, but the most famous excerpt
from the exposition will be used to assess the beginning levels. As the levels progress, finger motion tests
begin to revolve around larger intervals that span break crossing and higher registers. Tests will also
37
Klug, 20.
17
involve more complex fingering changes including the rapid use of side keys, altissimo fingerings, and
uncomfortable passages spanning multiple ranges. As a student progresses in the program and in their
studio, their trust in finger motion and patterns should become more concrete. The student should be able
to rely on their knowledge of patterns to help them read and perform music more easily.
The use of scales in a practice schedule and in weekly lessons is often neglected and considered
boring. Without regular and detailed scale work, students are missing vital patterns seen most commonly
in our tonal repertoire. A first-year student in this program first must master major scales and triads before
moving to more complex minor scales and patterns. Each level will have its own set of scales, written to
the specific expectations of each year in school. As the levels progress, minor scales will be added in
succession (natural, melodic and harmonic), and extra patterns will be added accordingly. The range for
each scale is also tailored to the level of the method, leaving the more extended ranges to the fourth and
fifth levels. This allows students to gradually work up to their altissimo range without having their scale
work affected by inability to play specific notes. By creating challenges with tempos and checklists,
scales can be more easily incorporated into a daily routine and more growth and familiarity will be seen.
Use of repertoire that focuses heavily on scalar passages and patterns will show students the importance
of daily scale work.
Articulation is one of the trickiest fundamentals to teach accurately. Saying “tip of the tongue on
the tip of the reed” is easy enough for the first few years of a clarinet student’s study, but later more speed
and dexterity is desired by the student. Articulation in this method is assessed by speed, coordination,
endurance, and the ability to handle leaps smoothly. Early levels will mainly deal with coordination and
endurance, focusing on the movement of the tongue and the fingers together. As the levels progress,
coordination is expanded by using repertoire that has larger intervallic leaps that will also help to
coordinate air. The later levels will focus on more difficult articulation between extreme register changes
and faster articulation patterns. Excerpts from Felix Mendelssohn’s “Scherzo” from Midsummer Night’s
Dream and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 are used to combine articulation exercises and actual
18
clarinet repertoire. This section will be the most obvious but most tedious section in which to observe
improvement. Repetition is key and small movements with the metronome are required to see the most
efficient progress. Daily work in this section of the method will result in a light, clean, coordinated tongue
so long as the student is diligent and perceptive of their own sound and growth.
Each level will contain its own repertoire that covers several fundamentals at once. There is no
exercise that focuses only on articulation without focusing on air, or only on scale work without focusing
on finger movement. Many of the tests in the following test day booklet examples will overlap, which
will allow for the visual progression of growth throughout levels. Students who progress through these
levels will be able to identify the multiple fundamentals used in the exercises, etudes, and excerpts given
in their test day packets as well as the repertoire used to enforce these ideas. Eventually, they will be able
to identify these fundamentals in new repertoire and easily assess how best to approach their practicing.
To best complete any level in this method, it is recommended that users acquire a selection of
books: Rose’s 32 Etudes and 40 Studies, Klose’s Celebrated Method, Baermann’s Complete Method,
Langenus’s Complete Clarinet Method, Stark’s 24 Studies in All Tonalities, Magnani’s Méthode complete
de clarinette, and Kroepsch’s 416 Progressive Daily Studies. This list of books will give the user more
exercises and etudes with which to supplement the program.
19
Chapter Six: Level One
Level one is intended for first-year college students. At this beginning stage of their more in-
depth musical training, students are expected to know the basic fundamentals and concepts regarding
musicianship and technique. Regarding long tones and air usage, students who use level one are expected
to be relatively inexperienced. Long tone work will be centered around weaker lung endurance, and the
correction of incorrect inhalation and exhalation. Basic long tone exercises that involve smaller leaps and
focus on a constant air stream will be most beneficial, introducing the idea of full, supportive air.
Articulation is expected to be slow if not entirely incorrect. Most students are unaware of their tongue
position or movement as they begin more detailed articulation work. “Tip of the tongue on the tip of the
reed” is the focus, as well as incorporating higher tongue position to eliminate flatness or undertones in
the higher register. Exercises in repetition are best for beginning students, and the gradual incorporation
of coordination will be used as students become more adept at clean, precise articulation. Finger
movement and hand position are techniques generally not covered in high school private lessons and
should be fixed upon entrance into college. A thorough series of finger movement exercises will provide
small-movement detail work for students. As they do these extremely repetitive exercises they will be
focused on correct movement from the back knuckles, no collapsing of any kind, and even spacing within
both hands. Finger movement is one of the most essential fundamentals and, when corrected, will greatly
ease aspects of technique. The final technique focused on in this level will be scales. Basic scale cycles
will be used to solidify technique by incorporating air and fingers while students drill triads, scale
patterns, arpeggios, and chromatic movement. Scale exercises will be more basic, only involving major
scales, major triads, chromatic scales, and thirds. Etudes will be chosen to enforce all of these techniques
based on the general expected skill level of a first-year student in a music program. The first level of this
method will focus on the beginnings of fundamentals: learning how to breath correctly, starting to
recognize and understand tongue movement, moving fingers correctly, and getting a basic knowledge of
scales and patterns that the student can then build upon in upcoming years.
20
The Progressive Clarinetist: Level I
Test Day (First and Last Day)
1. Long Tones
A. Endurance
Using Dr. Zelnick’s Long Tones:
This exercise is meant to test your endurance and breath capacity/control. Begin with your
metronome at quarter note = 116, and take in 4 beats worth of full, deep breath before
beginning each set of long tones. At each breath mark, exhale for 8 beats. Before the
beginning of each successive scale, lower your metronome by one click until you’ve hit your
slowest supported tempo. Pay close attention to posture, air, relaxed fingers, and legato
connections. (Example One in Appendix)
First Day: ♩= Last Day: ♩=
B. Intonation
This next test will challenge your endurance and your intonation. With a stopwatch and tuner
handy, play the following notes. Mark down the length of time you can hold these notes
while in tune. (F = First Day, L = Last Day)
F: L: F: L: F: L:
C. Lung Capacity
Pick any note in your most comfortable register. With your stopwatch handy, take in the
fullest breath possible and begin the stopwatch when you begin your held note. Use the same
note for the first and last test day. Mark down the amount of time at which you can hold your
note with steady tone.
First Day Time (seconds): Last Day Time (seconds):
21
2. Finger Movement and Hand Position
A. Crossing the Break

Using the following excerpt from Hyacinth Klosé’s Celebrated Method, mark the tempo (for
the quarter note) at which you can successfully complete the exercise with no breaks in sound
or uneven fingers.
22
B. Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto
Using the following excerpt from the first movement exposition, mark the tempo (for the
quarter note) at which you can perform this section with even fingers.
23
3. Scales
A. Major Scales
Check off all major scales you can play in eighth notes at quarter note = 60 with 100%
accuracy.
Major First Day Last Day Major First Day Last Day
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
Check off all major scales you can play MEMORIZED in eighth notes at quarter note = 60
with 100% accuracy.
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
24
B. Chromatic Challenge
Using the chromatic page found in the scale booklet: Begin at quarter note = 60 and play
from beginning. Mark down the measure where you begin to make errors or begin to have
uneven fingers. (Example Two in Appendix)
First Day: Last Day:
C. Major Thirds
Using the Major Thirds page found in the scales section: Begin at quarter note = 60 and mark
the scale in which you first make errors or begin to have uneven fingers. (Example Three in
Appendix)
25
4. Articulation
A. Using the Langenus Etude No. 11 page in the articulation section, find your most comfortable
tempo at which you can accurately complete the marked section with your best staccato
technique. Write it down below. (Example Four in Appendix)
B. In the same section, find Articulation: Coordination III. Using the F or G major scale, find
your most comfortable initial tempo and mark it below. (Example Five in Appendix)
26
Chapter Seven: Level Two
As the levels progress, expectations may fit a wider variety of students. The time between
freshman and senior year can show differing levels of progress from person to person and diagnosing
exact qualifications for each level can be difficult. Level two is intended for sophomore students and
should encompass and boost all fundamentals established within the first year of study. Lung endurance
and air direction should be well established, and exercises will now begin to last longer and demand more
concentration through use of interval leaps and “over the break” work. These long-tone studies will
encourage focus on consistent air support between registers, as well as good tongue position. Level two
will set the tone for focus on intonation in upcoming levels by emphasizing consistency in tongue
position and air speed across wider leaps.
Hand position and finger movement will continue building on challenges introduced in level one
by reusing the exposition excerpt from Mozart as well as exercises that focus on patterns and wider leaps.
Exercises to reinforce finger movement will be scale-based, using scale fragments and arpeggios in
repetitive patterns. Finger movement should be slow and meticulous with more focus on appropriate
tempo and curved fingers. Any tension found in faster passages of music should be eliminated in favor of
relaxed wrist placement, curved fingers, and overall ease of motion.
Scales will be expanded from the form used in level one to include natural minor scales, minor
triads, and major/minor seventh arpeggios. The ranges will remain the same as level one, but more will be
expected in the challenge regarding tempo. Students are expected to practice their scale cycles, given in
the scale booklet every day as well as practicing their thirds, chromatic exercise, and scale-based
repertoire. Natural minor was selected as the first minor scale to add to the method because of its
unchanging nature, and the ability to build the future melodic and harmonic minor scales off them.
Articulation will focus on incorporating consistent, fast air to aid in working up to a faster tongue
speed. Exercises will begin to involve more coordination and will be largely scale based, allowing the
27
student to add focus to their scale patterns as well as their tongue movement. Practice for this should be
consistent and repetitive. Articulation work takes time and does not move as fast as most students would
like. Patience is key for this section of the method.
28
The Progressive Clarinetist: Level II
1. Long Tones
A. Endurance
metronome at quarter note = 108, and take in 4 beats worth of full, low breath before
beginning long tones. Before the beginning of each successive scale, lower your metronome
by one click on subsequent scales until you’ve hit your slowest supported tempo. Pay close
attention to posture, air, relaxed fingers, and legato connections. (Example One in Appendix)
B. Wide Skips
For the following exercise have your metronome available. Using the following wide skips
excerpt from Klosé’s Celebrated Method for Clarinet, mark down the tempo (for the dotted
quarter note) at which you can complete this exercise with no breaks in sound.
First Day: ♩.= Last Day: ♩.=
29
A. Crossing the Break
Using the following excerpt from Hyacinth Klosé’s Celebrated Method, mark the tempo at
which you can successfully complete the exercise with no breaks in sound or uneven fingers.
30
B. Patterns
Using the following excerpt from Gaetano Labanchi’s Method, mark the tempo (for the quarter
note) at which you can perform this exercise with no break in air or finger movement.
31
C. Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto
Using the following excerpt, mark the tempo (for the quarter note) at which you can perform this
section with even fingers.
32
3. Scales
A. Major and Natural Minor Scales
Check off all major scales you can play in eighth notes at quarter note = 80 with 100% accuracy.
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
Check off all major scales you can play MEMORIZED in eighth notes at quarter note = 80 with
100% accuracy.
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
33
Check off all natural minor scales you can play in eighth notes at quarter note = 80, with 100%
accuracy.
Natural First Day Last Day Natural First Day Last Day
Minor Minor
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
Check off all natural minor scales you can play MEMORIZED in eighth notes at quarter note =
80, with 100% accuracy.
Minor Minor
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
34
A. Chromatic Challenge
Using the Chromatic page found in the scale booklet, begin at quarter note = 80 and play
from the beginning. Mark down the measure where you begin to make errors or have
uneven fingers. (Example Two in Appendix)
B. Major Thirds
Using the Major Thirds page found in the scale booklet, begin at quarter note = 80 and
mark the scale in which you first make errors or begin to have uneven fingers. (Example
Three in Appendix)
C. Klosé Scale page

Using the Klosé running scale page found in the scale booklet: Proceed through the page
at quarter note = 60. Mark down your stopping point and record the measure below.
(Example Six in Appendix)
35
B. Articulation
A. Moving Staccato
Using the Langenus Etude no.11 page in your articulation booklet: Mark the tempo (for the
quarter note) at which you can successfully complete this activity. (Example Four in
Appendix)
B. Repetition
In the same booklet find Articulation: Coordination III. Using the F# or A♭ scale, find your
most comfortable initial tempo (for the quarter note) and mark it below. (Example Five in
Appendix)
C. Coordination in Context
Using the following excerpt from Carl Baermann’s Complete Method for Clarinet, Op. 63
(Book III), mark down the tempo at which you can perform this exercise with clean
articulation and coordination.
36
Chapter Eight: Level Three
Level three is aimed towards junior year of a college program. During this year, students are fine-
tuning their technique and looking toward their senior recital programs. In this level range will be
enhanced, comfort with the altissimo register and intonation will be strengthened, and all fundamentals
developed over the past years will be reinforced. Technique should be established with the focus being
directed towards more extensive ability. Long tones will focus on duration, smooth leaps, and intonation.
The test booklet will challenge endurance, stability over extreme leaps, and musicality in context with a
famous excerpt. Exercises will require use of tuners to hold musicians accountable for their own pitch as
they hold notes at changing dynamics, and etudes and excerpts will be provided to establish solid lung
capacity and consistent pitch throughout long passages.
Exercises and etudes for finger movement will begin to focus on arpeggios and patterns seen in
most clarinet music. Broken chords are introduced to work on dexterity between the two hands, and
exercises will focus on leaps, crossing the break in both the throat register and altissimo register, and
coordination between air speed (and the tongue) and finger movement. Mozart’s concerto exposition is
used as a test for the last time in this level to solidify tempo and style, as well as enforcing even fingers
for one of the trickiest sections of the work.
Scales will continue building on previous years with the main difference being the addition of
melodic minor scales, sixth intervals, diminished seventh arpeggios, whole tone scales, and increased
ranges. The tempo challenge is increased for level three as well, building on finger speed and pattern
repetition. Exercises will continue to build at finger dexterity and pattern repetition. Repertoire will begin
to have more fragmented and less obvious scalar patterns, as well as more arpeggiations and wide leaps.
Articulation will begin to utilize differing rhythms and faster speeds. Etudes will be used to
encourage supportive articulation throughout the range of the instrument, especially within the altissimo
register.
37
The Progressive Clarinetist: Level III
1. Long Tones
A. Endurance
metronome at quarter note = 100, and take in 4 beats worth of full, low breath before
beginning long tones. Before the beginning of each successive scale, lower your metronome
by one click until you’ve hit your slowest supported tempo. Pay close attention to posture,
air, relaxed fingers, and legato connections. (Example One in Appendix)
B. Wide Skips and Intonation

For the following exercise have your metronome and tuner on hand. Using the following
wide skips excerpt from Cyrille Rose’s 40 Studies, mark the tempo at which you can
accurately play this study with no break in air.
38
C. Shostakovich – Symphony No. 9 Movement II
Using the excerpt below, mark the tempo at which you can accurately perform with full air
and no break in sound.
39
A. Baermann Broken Chords
Using the Baermann Broken Chords pages found in your scales section, mark the measure in
which you first encounter uneven fingers at quarter note = 72. (Example Seven in Appendix)
B. Finger Coordination
Using the following excerpt from Hyacinth Klose’s Celebrated Method, mark the tempo at
which you can accurately perform with even fingers and no breaks in sound.
40
C. Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto
Using the following excerpt, mark the tempo (for the quarter note) at which you can perform
this section with even fingers.
41
3. Scales
A. Major, Natural, and Melodic Minor Scales
Check off all major scales you can play in eighth notes at quarter note = 100, with 100%
accuracy.
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
Check off all major scales you can play MEMORIZED in eighth notes at quarter note = 100,
with 100% accuracy.
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
42
Check off all natural and melodic minor scales that you can play in eighth notes at quarter note =
100, with 100% accuracy.
Minor Minor
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
Melodic First Day Last Day Melodic First Day Last Day
Minor Minor
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
Check off all natural and melodic minor scales that you can play MEMORIZED in eighth notes
at quarter note = 100, with 100% accuracy.
Minor Minor
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
43
Melodic First Day Last Day Natural First Day Last Day
Minor Minor
C F#
G C#
D A♭
A E♭
E B♭
B F
B. Major Thirds
Using the Major thirds page found in the scale booklet, begin at quarter note = 92 and mark
Appendix)
C. Sixth Intervals
Using the Baermann Sixth intervals page: At quarter note = 60, begin at the top of the page
and proceed through the page, marking down the measure in which you first make errors or
have uneven fingers. (Example Eight in Appendix)
44
4. Articulation
A. Moving Staccato
Using the Langenus Etude No. 11 page in your articulation booklet: Mark the tempo (for the
quarter note) at which you can successfully complete this activity. (Example Four in
Appendix)
B. Higher Articulation
Using the following excerpt from Fritz Kroepsch’s 167 Exercises for Daily Use, mark down
the tempo at which you can perform this with no error and no undertone.
45
C. Mendelssohn’s “Scherzo”
Using the famous Midsummer Night’s Dream excerpt, record the tempo at which you can
perform this exercise most accurately. Be cautious of exact timing and coordination of tongue
and fingers.
46
Chapter Nine: Level Four
Senior year music students are the focus of level four in this method. The goal of this level is to
prepare students for the task of solo musical preparation outside of the school setting, as well as the
possibility of continued education through graduate school. All techniques and fundamentals built upon in
the last three years are supported in anticipation of the student’s final recital or auditions for further
education. The range is widened for most scales, articulation should be clear, light and quick, and students
are expected to be familiar enough with intonation to be able to adjust on the spot if possible. Scales will
include all previous forms, and the method will use broken chords, arpeggios, and scale patterns to ensure
complete comfort. Hand position and finger movement are expected to be near perfect with only moderate
flaws. Broken chords, arpeggios, and patterns involving continuous leaps will be used as exercises to
ensure correct movement, and etudes and excerpts will be gathered from materials seen in clarinet solo,
chamber, and orchestral repertoire. The higher-level skills expected in this section are based upon the
continuous drilling of fundamentals and techniques from the past three years. By this point in their study,
students should feel confident approaching senior-level pieces with a knowledge of how best to properly
learn challenging solo repertoire.
47
The Progressive Clarinetist: Level IV
1. Long Tones
A. Dynamics and Intonation
With a standard tuner available, record your intonation for each note using a “+” for sharp, a
“-” for flat, and a “0” for in tune (ex: +20 cents, -5 cents). Pay special attention to the
requested dynamics.
48
B. Wide Skips and Intonation
Using the following octave leaps excerpt from Carl Baermann’s Complete Celebrated
Method for Clarinet, Op. 63, mark the tempo at which you can most accurately perform this
exercise.
49
C. Shostakovich - Symphony No. 9, Movement II.
Mark the tempo at which you can most accurately perform this excerpt with no break in
sound or air.
50
A. Scalar Patterns
Using the following exercise from M.E. Jones’ 13 Studies, mark the tempo at which you can
perform with even finger movement and no break in sound.
51
B. Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2
Using the following excerpt, mark down the tempo at which you can fluidly perform with no
uneven fingers or mistakes.
52
C. Rimsky-Korsakov – Capriccio Espagnol, Movement III: “Alborada”
Using the following excerpt, mark down the tempo at which you can perform with even
fingers.
53
3. Scales
A. Major and all Minor scales
Check off all scales you can play in eighth notes at quarter note = 120, with 100% accuracy.
Major Natural Melodic Harmonic Major Natural Melodic Harmonic
(First Minor Minor Minor (Last Minor Minor Minor
Day) (First (First (First Day) (Last (Last (Last
Day) Day) Day) Day) Day) Day)
C C
G G
D D
A A
E E
B B
F# F#
C# C#
A♭ A♭
E♭ E♭
B♭ B♭
F F
Check off all scales you can play MEMORIZED in eighth notes at quarter note = 120, with
100% accuracy.

Day) (First (First (First Day) (Last (Last (Last
Day) Day) Day) Day) Day) Day)
C C
G G
D D
A A
E E
B B
F# F#
C# C#
A♭ A♭
E♭ E♭
B♭ B♭
F F
54
B. Major Thirds
Using the Major thirds page found in the scale booklet, begin at quarter note = 96 and mark
Appendix)
C. Sixth Intervals
Using the Baermann Sixth intervals page: At quarter note = 80, begin at the top of the page
and proceed through the page, marking down the measure in which you first make errors or
have uneven fingers. (Example Eight in Appendix)
55
4. Articulation
A. Repetition
Find the Articulation: Coordination III exercise in the articulation section: Using the F# or A
scale, determine your most comfortable initial tempo at which you can articulate cleanly and
mark it below. (Example Five in Appendix)
B. Coordination
Using the following exercise from Carl Baermann’s Complete Method for Clarinet, Op. 63,
mark the tempo at which you can perform with clean, light articulation and coordination of
fingers and tongue.
56
C. Mendelssohn’s “Scherzo”
Using the famous Midsummer Night’s Dream excerpt, record the tempo at which you can
perform this exercise most accurately. Be cautious of exact timing and coordination of tongue
and fingers.
57
Chapter Ten: Level Five
Level five is intended to encompass all years of graduate study, as well as being accessible and
useful for professional performers outside of school. This final level will contain the most extensive
demand for technique and fundamental stability. Long tones will focus on intonation and smoothness in
extremely wide leaps. Articulation speed is expected to be advanced and most exercises will be based on
and enforced by popular etudes involving consistent, quick articulation in all registers. Hand position and
finger movement will also be based on famously challenging excerpts where finger movement is expected
to be quick, yet relaxed. Scales will utilize the fullest range possible and will involve a variety of patterns,
arpeggios, and rhythms to encourage even scale work in any setting.
58
The Progressive Clarinetist: Level V
1. Long Tones
A. Dynamics and Intonation
With a standard tuner available, record your intonation for each note using a “+” for sharp, a “-”
for flat, and a “0” for in tune (ex: +20 cents, -5 cents). Pay special attention to the requested
dynamics.
B. Long Tones and Leaps

Using the following excerpt from Gaetano Labanchi’s Progressive Method, mark the measure
where you first encounter uneven fingers or breaks in your air.
59
C. Shostakovich - Symphony No. 9, Movement II.
Mark the tempo at which you can most accurately perform this excerpt with no break in
sound or air.
First day: ♩= Last Day: ♩=
60
A. Coordination and patterns
Using the following excerpt from Aurelio Magnani’s Complete Method, mark down the
tempo at which you can cleanly perform this with no uneven fingers.
61
B. Patterns
Using the following excerpt from Aurélio Magnani’s Complete Method, mark down the
tempo at which you can cleanly perform this exercise with no uneven fingers.
62
C. Rimsky-Korsakov - Le Coq D’or
Mark the tempo at which you can cleanly execute the following excerpt with style and
accurate finger movement.
63
3. Scales
A. All Scales
Check off all major and minor scales you can play in eight notes at quarter note = 140, with 100%
accuracy.

Day) (First (First (First Day) Day) (Last (Last (Last Day)
Day) Day) Day) Day)
C C
G G
D D
A A
E E
B B
F# F#
C# C#
A♭ A♭
E♭ E♭
B♭ B♭
F F
Check off all major and minor scales you can play MEMORIZED in eighth notes at quarter note
= 140, with 100% accuracy.

Day) (First (First (First Day) (Last (Last (Last Day)
Day) Day) Day) Day) Day)
C C
G G
D D
A A
E E
B B
F# F#
C# C#
A♭ A♭
E♭ E♭
A♭ B♭
F F
64
B. Octave Leaps
Using the Baermann Octave Leaps exercise found in the scale booklet, mark the measure in
which you first make a mistake or have uneven fingers. (Example Ten in Appendix)
C. Intervals
In the graph below, indicate by using letter names how many major scales you can accomplish in
the following interval patterns
Intervals First Day Last Day

Thirds
Fourths
Fifths
Octaves
65
4. Articulation
A. Coordination and Range
Using the following example from Aurélio Magnani’s Dix Etudes-Caprices pour Clarinette, mark the
tempo at which you can perform this exercise with smooth intervals and clean coordination.
66
B. Coordination
Using the Articulation: Coordination IV page from your articulation booklet, mark down the
tempo at which you can perform the whole page without error. (Example Nine in Appendix)
C. Shostakovich – Symphony No. 9

Using the following excerpt mark the tempo at which you can cleanly articulate and coordinate
your fingers.
67
Chapter Eleven: Conclusion
The creation of a method that incorporates exercises, etudes, and excerpts to reinforce
fundamentals is an approach that has not been executed to this extent. This method will be accessible for
a wide array of students of all skill sets, educational levels, and ages. The fundamentals chosen to focus
on were based on the skills deemed necessary to progress in a collegiate clarinet studio. Long tones,
finger movement, scales, and articulation are all tied together in practice but are often taught as separate
concepts entirely. When students are able to teach themselves how to decipher an etude or a solo piece
without their teacher’s step-by-step guidance, they open the door to unending musical growth. The main
goal of this entire project was to create a method of practicing that helped students see growth even when
they do not believe they can feel it. Modern clarinet students tend to be fixated on immediate results, and
the gradual progression of basic skills gets forgotten as a result. When students can see their progress on a
page, they will begin to understand how to teach themselves in a way that works for them personally. The
ability to see one’s own potential, and how to project that forward is key to eliminating the regression of
abilities during school break. Through this method, students will be exposed to exercises and etudes they
may not have seen or studied before and they will experience just how intertwined our most basic
fundamental skills really are, leading to musicians who are more confident in their own ability.
68
Appendices
Example One: Dr. Zelnick’s Long Tones
69
Example Two: Chromatic Pages from Hyacinthe Klosé’s Celebrated Method for Clarinet
70
71
72
Example Three: Thirds
73
74
Example Four: Articulation Study No. 11 from Gustav Langenus’s Method, Vol. 3
75
Example Five: Articulation: Coordination III from Dr. Amanda McCandless
76
77
78
Example Six: Running Major and Minor Scales from Klosé’s Celebrated Method
79
Example Seven: Broken Chords from Carl Baermann’s Complete Method, Op. 63
80
Example Eight: Sixth Interval Leaps from Carl Baermann’s Complete Method, Op. 63
81
82
83
Example Nine: Articulation: Coordination IV from Dr. Amanda McCandless
84
85
Example Ten: Octave Exercise from Carl Baermann’s Complete Method, Op. 63
86
Copyright: M.E. Jones and Fritz Kroepsch
87
Copyright: Gustave Langenus
88
Copyright: Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 9
89
Bibliography
Baermann, Carl, ed. Gustave Langenus. Complete Method for Clarinet: Division III. New York: Carl
Fischer, 1917.
Bonade, Daniel. Clarinetist’s Compendium. Conn-Selmer, Inc.
https://www.vancouverconcertband.ca/images/pdfdocuments/AVP74_Leblanc_Clarinetists_Com
pendium.pdf. Accessed March 30, 2019.
Britz, Joanne Marie. "A Systematic Approach to Five Clarinet Fundamentals as Utilized in Rose's Forty
Etudes." DMA diss., The University of Texas at Austin, 2004.
Cavallini, Ernesto. 30 Caprices for the Clarinet. New York: Carl Fischer, 1909.
Dees, Margaret Iris. “A Review of Eight University Clarinet Studios: An Investigation of Pedagogical
Style, Content and Philosophy Through Observation and Interviews.” DMA diss., Florida State
University, 2005.
Drucker, Stanley and Robert McGinnis. Orchestral Excerpts from Symphonic Repertoire. New York City:
International Music, 1950.
Ericsson, K. A., Ralf T. Krampe, and Clemens Tesch-Römer. "The Role of Deliberate Practice in the
Acquisition of Expert Performance." Psychological Review 100, no. 3 (07, 1993): 363-406.
Hoeprich, Eric. The Clarinet. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.
Jahn, Theodore Lee. "An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Etudes and Studies for Advanced Clarinet
Instruction." DMA diss., Indiana University, 1975.
Jeanjean, Paul. 16 Etudes Modernes and 18 Etudes. Paris: Alphonse Leduc, 1926.
Johnson, Kelly Anne. "Survey of Major Clarinet Etude Books for the College Undergraduate." DMA
diss., Arizona State University, 1999.
Jones, M.E. Thirteen Basic Exercises for Clarinet. New York: Cundy-Bettoney Co., Inc./Carl Fischer,
Inc., 1965.
Klosé, Hyacinthe. Celebrated Method for Clarinet. New York: Carl Fischer, 1946.
Kroepsch, Fritz, rev. Simeon Bellison. 416 Progressive Daily Studies for the Clarinet. New York: Carl
Fischer, 1946.
Klug, Howard. The Clarinet Doctor. Bloomington, Indiana: Woodwindiana, Inc., 1997
Kycia, Carol Anne. Daniel Bonade: A Founder of the American Style of Clarinet Playing. Captiva,
Florida: Captiva Publishing, 1999.
Labanchi, Gaetano. Progressive Method for the Clarinet, Part I and II. New York: Carl Fischer, Inc.,
1961.
Lang, Rosemary. Short Cuts to Virtuoso Technique. Indianapolis, Indiana: Lang Music Publications:
1978.
Magnani, Aurélio. Dix Etudes-Caprices de Grande Difficulté pour Clarinette. Paris: Alphonse Leduc,
1900.
90
Magnani, Aurélio. Méthode complete de clarinette. Paris: Evette & Scaeffer, 1900.
Masiello, Anthony. "A Study and Analysis of Leon Russianoff's Clarinet Method." DMA diss., Arizona
State University, 2009.
Maxey, Lawrence. “The Rose Thirty-Two Etudes: A Study in Metamorphosis.” “The Clarinet” 1, no. 4
(1974): 8-9.
Miller, Kimberly. "Carl Baermann: His Influence on the Clarinet in the Nineteenth Century as Pedagogue,
Composer, and Instrument Technician." DMA diss., University of Cincinnati, 2010.
Opperman, Kalman. Modern Daily Studies for the Clarinet. New York: M. Baron Company, 1952.
Pino, David. The Clarinet and Clarinet Playing. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1980.
Polatschek, Victor. Advanced Studies for the Clarinet. G. Schirmer, Inc., 1987.
Rice, Albert. The Clarinet in the Classical Period. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Rolf, Sheri Lynn. "The Structure and Movement of Clarinet Playing." DMA diss., The Ohio State
University, 2018.
Rose, Cyrille. 40 Studies for Clarinet Solo and 32 Etudes. New York: Carl Fischer, 1910 and 1913.
Russianoff, Leon. Clarinet Method: Book I. New York: Schirmer Books, 1982.
Stark, Robert. 24 Studies in All Tonalities. New York: International Music Company, 1970.
Starling, Jana. "Comprehensive Musicianship: A Clarinet Method Book Curriculum and Sample Units."
DMA diss., Arizona State University, 2005.
Uhl, Alfred. 48 Studies for Clarinet Vol. I and II. Mainz, Germany: Schott Music, 1984.
Weston, Pamela. The Clarinettist’s Companion. London: Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press) Ltd, 1982.
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Wilson, Kenneth Adrian. "Special Problems in Clarinet Technique: A Guide for Teachers and Students."
DME diss., Indiana University, 1971.
91

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What is the purpose of creating this method?

What is the purpose of creating this method?

What fundamentals does the method focus on?

What fundamentals does the method focus on?

The Progressive Clarinetist: A Comprehensive Method for Fast-

Paced Fundamental Growth

Co-Chair: Dr. Stephanie Zelnick

Co-Chair: Dr. Paul Laird

Dr. Margaret Marco

Dr. Christopher Johnson

Dr. Martin Bergee

Date Defended: May 6, 2019

The Progressive Clarinetist: A Comprehensive Method for Fast-

Co-Chair: Dr. Stephanie Zelnick

Co-Chair: Dr. Paul Laird

Date Approved: May 6, 2019

clarinetists of any age.

endurance and skill grows.

practicing fundamentals in all types of repertoire.

Thank you for not forcing me to follow my initial career path.

Chapter One: Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………..1

Chapter Two: Clarinet Pedagogy……………………………………………………………………………………....3

Chapter Three: Survey on Etude Books………………………………………………………………………………12

Chapter Four: Project Beginnings…………….....…………………………………………………………………....15

Chapter Five: Methodology and Assessment…...…………………………………………………………………….17

Chapter Six: Level One……………………………………………………………………………………………….20

Chapter Seven: Level Two……………………………………………………………………………………………27

Chapter Eight: Level Three…………………………………………………………………………………………...37

Chapter Nine: Level Four.……………………………………………………………………………………………47

Chapter Ten: Level Five……………………………………………………………………………………………...58

Chapter Eleven: Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………..68

Dr. Zelnick’s Long Tones…………………………………………………………………………………...69

Klosé’s Chromatic Study…………………………………………………………………………………...70

Langenus’s Articulation Study No. 11……………………………………………………………………..75

Articulation: Coordination III………………………………………………………………………………76

Klosé’s Running Major and Minor Scales…………………………………………………………………79

Baermann’s Broken Chords………………………………………………………………………………..80

Baermann’s Sixth Intervals………………………………………………………………………………...81

Articulation: Coordination IV………………………………………………………………………………84

Baermann’s Octave Exercise………………………………………………………………………………86

prove detrimental when they leave school.

the level that perhaps they should be.

instrument as efficient as possible.

importance remains high in the clarinet world.

professor of clarinet at the Royal School of Music. 5

concept of clarinet playing.

students as Cyrille Rose (1830-1902) and Charles Turban (1845-1905).

teachers only use specific pages.

the Juilliard School from 1948 to 1959.

Carl Baermann, Ernesto Cavallini, and Paul Jeanjean. 19

teachings of his own students.

writing his own.

level in a variety of fundamental skills.

but leaves students without this opportunity behind.

otherwise comprehensive growth is potentially more difficult to obtain.

solo, chamber and orchestral worlds.

more difficult interval leaps.

of daily scale work.

exercises and etudes with which to supplement the program.