What's A Good Clarinet Practice Book Options

[barry-clari]

OK thanks. Will get Bk 1 too. Has anyone heard of 50 classical studies? I saw it in the Trinity syllabus for Grade 5.

I used 50 classical as the main study book when I was learning a couple of decades ago. It used to be the book of choice as it had studies in it for each of the ABRSM grades. I think it wins the award for the most dog-eared music in my collection every page was held in with tape....before the tape perished! I like a lot of the studies in it - esp no 26 the tarentella I did for G5 and no 48 which I did for G8.

I bet my green Demnitz book is more dog-eared than your 50 Classical Studies! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Seriously though, 50 Classical Studies is another good study book. One of the other study books that comes up frequently is Chris Allen's Progressive Studies for Clarinet books 1 and 2. I'm not so struck, on the whole, on this series of books as I am on, say, the James Rae Modern Studies or 50 Classical, but it's worth a look. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[skylark]

I know this is a going to sound like a silly question, but I've never really known what a "study" book is??? Or why List C is known as the "study"??? Could anyone enlighten me please as to why a "study" is different from any other piece of music (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[CJB]

I know this is a going to sound like a silly question, but I've never really known what a "study" book is??? Or why List C is known as the "study"??? Could anyone enlighten me please as to why a "study" is different from any other piece of music (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Studies are usually pieces written to practise a specific piece of technique (eg arpeggios or staccato) with more emphasis on the technique than exhibiting any musical interest. In the dim and distant past most of the list C pieces came from this style of writing. More and more of the list C pieces now are really nice, unaccompanied pieces.

[skylark]

More and more of the list C pieces now are really nice, unaccompanied pieces.

I imagined that's what study pieces must be, but as you say, some of them are really nice pieces, especially the James Rae - they seem too pleasurable to be study pieces so it was throwing me a bit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

While I'm here, can anyone tell me the difference between List A and List B? Is it to do with the period/style of music, or what?

[lizbun]

More and more of the list C pieces now are really nice, unaccompanied pieces.

I imagined that's what study pieces must be, but as you say, some of them are really nice pieces, especially the James Rae - they seem too pleasurable to be study pieces so it was throwing me a bit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

While I'm here, can anyone tell me the difference between List A and List B? Is it to do with the period/style of music, or what?

A is baroque or classical, and is meant to show your finger agility, so is nealy always fast.

B is romantic, and it could be fast or slow, but is meant to show how expressive you are.

[skylark]

A is baroque or classical, and is meant to show your finger agility, so is nealy always fast.

B is romantic, and it could be fast or slow, but is meant to show how expressive you are.

I never knew that! Thanks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Teigr]

I've come across plenty of slower, expressive things on list A and fast, agile things on list B.
The division tends to be by period, but the details vary from instrument to instrument, according to the repertoire for the instrument concerned. You're not going to see much baroque stuff on the clarinet syllabus (at least, not once you get past the early grades where you see arrangements of all sorts of stuff)! Whereas flute and oboe have Handel, Bach, Telemann, etc. in abundance.
Clarinet list A has composers like Mozart, Brahms and Weber while list B has ones like Finzi, Lutoslawski and Poulenc.
Harpsichord has list A - baroque, list B - more baroque and list C - yet more baroque. (A - Couperin, Rameau, etc., B - Bach and Handel, C - Scarlatti and junior Bachs)

T.

[barry-clari]

I know this is a going to sound like a silly question, but I've never really known what a "study" book is??? Or why List C is known as the "study"??? Could anyone enlighten me please as to why a "study" is different from any other piece of music (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Studies are usually pieces written to practise a specific piece of technique (eg arpeggios or staccato) with more emphasis on the technique than exhibiting any musical interest. In the dim and distant past most of the list C pieces came from this style of writing. More and more of the list C pieces now are really nice, unaccompanied pieces.

CJB is right. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Yes, it's true that there are 'traditional' studies (eg Demnitz) on list C, but there are plenty of very nice unaccompanied pieces there too. The criteria really is for lists A and B to be accompanied pieces and list C to be unaccompanied pieces - and the content of lists A and B have been covered well in other posts by Teigr and others. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[skylark]

Thank you Barry and Teigr for the info (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Talking of Finzi, and sorry to digress for a moment, but he doesn't get a mention in the list of "Famous Composers" in Margaret Huntington's Grade 6 book that I posted about yesterday on another thread. I would have thought he was at least as noteworthy as English contemporaries of his like Herbert Howells, John Ireland, John McCabe, Rubbra, Edward German, Bax, Bliss, Frank Bridge etc, all of whom do get a listing.... Shouldn't he be there???

[barry-clari]

Thank you Barry and Teigr for the info (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Talking of Finzi, and sorry to digress for a moment, but he doesn't get a mention in the list of "Famous Composers" in Margaret Huntington's Grade 6 book that I posted about yesterday on another thread. I would have thought he was at least as noteworthy as English contemporaries of his like Herbert Howells, John Ireland, John McCabe, Rubbra, Edward German, Bax, Bliss, Frank Bridge etc, all of whom do get a listing.... Shouldn't he be there???

I think he should be, yes. As a clarinettist, I'm far more likely to come across Finzi than some of the composers you've listed skylark...

[Rosemary7391]

Of those listed, I have only heard of Bliss (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) at least that I can remember. I certainly have the Finzi Bagatelles sat on my shelf!

[skylark]

Of those listed, I have only heard of Bliss (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) at least that I can remember. I certainly have the Finzi Bagatelles sat on my shelf!

Sometimes composers' names crop up in F#Minor's Musical Horses thread - it's quite a good source of information sometimes! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Rosemary7391]

Of those listed, I have only heard of Bliss (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) at least that I can remember. I certainly have the Finzi Bagatelles sat on my shelf!

Sometimes composers' names crop up in F#Minor's Musical Horses thread - it's quite a good source of information sometimes! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I will make sure to read that then!!

[barry-clari]

Of those listed, I have only heard of Bliss (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) at least that I can remember. I certainly have the Finzi Bagatelles sat on my shelf!

Bax and John Ireland have also written music for the clarinet Rosemary. Worth looking out for. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Rosemary7391]

Of those listed, I have only heard of Bliss (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) at least that I can remember. I certainly have the Finzi Bagatelles sat on my shelf!

Bax and John Ireland have also written music for the clarinet Rosemary. Worth looking out for. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Will do! *Wanders towards June Emerson*