Best Beginning Clarinet Book for Kids
Start with the very first clarinet notes and continue into second-year study—all in one 102-page book. The opening material follows the same proven teaching sequence as The Beginning Band Fun Book, but with a more mature and compact presentation for older elementary and middle-school beginners.
- No previous clarinet experience required
- First-year and second-year material in one book
- Clarinet-specific range work, scales and technical studies
- Free Beginning Band audio/video supports the first section
A Beginning Clarinet Book That Grows With the Student
This book starts with the same fundamental sequence that has worked so well in The Beginning Band Fun Book, but the pages are designed to feel more appropriate for an older beginning student.
A Complete Beginning Clarinet Method
The student begins with first notes, fingerings, rests, rhythms and very short exercises. Familiar pieces gradually develop note reading, articulation, breath support, embouchure, tone and musical confidence. No earlier clarinet method is required.
The Second Level Is Already in the Book
Before moving fully into intermediate study, special clarinet pages expand the lower and upper registers and develop register crossing. The book then continues with additional scales, arpeggios, technical exercises, advanced rhythms, ensemble music and more mature repertoire.
See Inside the Book
These six pages show the real progression from absolute beginner work, through clarinet-specific range development, and into increasingly advanced second-year material. Click any page to enlarge it.
From First Notes to Second-Year Playing
Students can begin with no experience and progress naturally into broader range, increasingly independent reading, technique and repertoire.
Learn the First Notes
Begin with easy clarinet fingerings, short exercises and manageable rhythms.
Build First-Year Skills
Develop reading, articulation, breath support, tone, dynamics and familiar repertoire.
Expand the Clarinet Range
Low notes, upper-register notes, slurs and register crossing prepare the student to move ahead.
Add Scales and Advanced Rhythm
Scales, arpeggios, sixteenth notes, syncopation, triplets, 6/8 and chromatic work broaden fluency.
Play More Advanced Music
Solos, duets, ensemble pieces and increasingly mature repertoire bring the technical skills into real music.
Which Beginning Clarinet Book Is the Better Fit?
The books share much of the same beginning pedagogy. The main differences are the student’s age, the visual presentation, and how far the book continues.
The Beginning Band Fun Book: Clarinet
Especially large notation, shorter assignments, more elementary graphics and slower visual pacing make this the strongest choice for younger students in Grades 2–5.
Best Beginning Clarinet Book for Kids
The same gradual beginning approach in a more mature format, plus clarinet-specific range development and second-year material already included when the student is ready to move ahead.
Best Beginning Clarinet can also be useful for a returning student who wants a fresh book while briefly reinforcing earlier skills—but its primary purpose is as a complete beginning-to-intermediate method.
Choose an Exercise and Play Along
The beginning portion of Best Beginning Clarinet Book for Kids follows the same exercise sequence as The Beginning Band Fun Book. Keep the book open to the matching exercise, choose a title below, and the video will jump directly to that exercise and stop before the next one begins.
Beginning Exercises in Book Order
Use the searchable index to go directly to the exercise the student is practicing. The clarinet companion video also includes the special clarinet pages that develop the lower and upper registers before the numbered exercises resume.
Open Full Clarinet Video Lesson Page Free MP3 Play-AlongsExercise & Song Index
Search by exercise number or title, then click the exercise you want to practice. Clarinet-only exercises from pages 37A–37D are included in sequence.
Continue Directly Into Intermediate Clarinet
Once the first-year foundation and clarinet-specific range work are established, the book changes gears. Students begin working with a broader technical and musical vocabulary designed to carry them into the next stage of clarinet playing.
That makes the book useful over a longer period than a typical first-year-only method.
- Lower- and upper-register development
- Register-crossing and slur work
- Major scales and arpeggios
- Minor scales and technical studies
- Sixteenth-note rhythms
- Syncopation, triplets and 6/8 meter
- Chromatic scale work
- Duets, ensemble music and more advanced repertoire
Best Beginning Band Books for Kids
The same approach is available for other common beginning band instruments, making it useful for teachers, families and school programs.
Matching Books for Five Band Instruments
Each book uses the same approachable philosophy while adapting the material to the technique and range of the individual instrument.
Why I Wrote This Book
The Beginning Band Fun Book was designed specifically for younger elementary students. I liked the way that method introduced new notes, rhythms and clarinet skills gradually, but I also saw a need for a book that followed the same basic teaching philosophy in a presentation that felt more mature for older beginners.
Clarinet also has its own particular challenge as students move between registers and expand their range. I wanted that development to happen gradually, with focused clarinet-specific pages before the student moved fully into more intermediate material.
Those needs came together in Best Beginning Clarinet Book for Kids. A brand-new student can start on page one and learn clarinet from the beginning. The first section follows the successful Beginning Band progression in a more mature format, while special range-building pages prepare the student for what comes next.
Then, instead of stopping at the end of the first-year material, the book continues into intermediate-level scales, technical exercises, rhythms and repertoire. The goal is one book that can take an older beginner from the very first notes well into the next stage of clarinet playing.
Questions About Best Beginning Clarinet Book for Kids
Is this suitable for someone who has never played clarinet?
How is this different from The Beginning Band Fun Book for Clarinet?
Do I need to use The Beginning Band Fun Book first?
Does the book include clarinet-specific range development?
Can I use the Beginning Band Fun Book audio and video with this book?
Does the book include second-year material?
Can this book also be used for a returning clarinet student?
Is a free sample available?
Can this be used in school band and private lessons?
Start at the Beginning. Keep Going Into the Next Level.
A 102-page clarinet method with a mature beginner presentation, clarinet-specific range development, second-year technique and free audio/video support for the beginning section.