Klarinet Archive - Posting 000430.txt from 1995/11

From: Richard Faria <faria@-----.COM>
Subj: Method Book poll results!
Date: Sun, 26 Nov 1995 13:00:39 -0500

Hello Klarinet-list types,

I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving (or a productive Kwanzaa, or a
festive Saturnalia, or...)

Thanks for all of your responses to my query about Clarinet Method books
for young people. I have sent a condensed version of all the responses. I
tallied up the results, and the most popular books seemed to be:

Rubank Method, with 10 votes

First/Second Book of Practical Studies for Clarinet, by Nilo Hovey, with 4 votes

A Tune a Day, vol. 1 and 2, by Carl Herefurth
The Progressing Clarinetist, by Leon Lester
Yamaha Band Method
all with 3 votes

This is certainly not a definitive listing. Questions? Comments?
Criticisms? Lets hear em!

_Clarinet Student_---Fred Weber/Robert Lowry---Belwin Mills
_Tunes for Clarinet Technique_---Fred Weber/Robert Lowry---Belwin Mills
_First/Second Book of Practical Studies for Cl._---Nilo Hovey---Bel. Mills

huge orange Klose book

There is a nice series pub. by Belwin Mills with three levels. Each
level has a basic book,viz. the Clarinet Student, with suppl. materials
incl. solos, duos, Tunes for Technique, etc. Rubank is still feasible
in that it has a plethora of methods and various levels too. I hope
this helps.

I have been using Gustav Langenus' Book, and I like it very much.
The book is reasonably easy for self-teaching or to do with a teacher.
By the way, I take lessons from Clevland Institute of Music.
My son (6th grade) plays clarinet also, but his books from his school band
are not as good as GL's book.

My favorite beginning method for all age groups is "Pro-Art".

A good book for the younger age is "Best in Class". (Even though it is
private lessons, they seem to enjoy the songs and workbook type theme)

Nilo Hovey put out a book called "Practical Studies"...looks good...

Of course there is always the good old Rubank methods...VERY good, but my
younger crowd seems a bit bored with it...

I have had success with Breeze Easy I and II and with the Rubank
series, depending upon the student.

As an adult returning to clarinet after 23 years I have found the Pares Scales
book helpful and even enjoyable.

This is completely personal, but I really liked Peter Wastall (I may not have
got his name right!), "Learn As You Play Clarinet". This is published by
Boosey and Hawkes in Britain, and I think it is part of a series of instrument
method tutors. It is very clear and moves students on quite fast.

I also liked (and used) Demnitz "Elementarschuhle".
I'd be interested to know whether anyone has actually used Klose's "Clarinet
School" as a method book from the start up. I used bits of it interspersed
with other things when I used to teach elementary clarinet.

Rubank book series.....mostly all done by Himie Voxman

I really like the Rubank books--they have exercises, etudes, and
duets that are all very fun to play. When I first started taking
lessons, this was the book I used, and I loved it.

"Standard of Excellence" by Bruce Pearson. Before that I used "Best in
Class" also by Bruce Pearson, but I like the new one better.

For private instruction, I generally use Peter Wastall's "Learn as You Play
Clarinet".

As supplemental material for beginners I used the Yamaha Ensemble Books and for
more advanced students (2nd and 3rd year players) I used Three's a Crowd Junior
Book A or Book 1 by James Power (Aerendorff) - this is an English publication.

I've was taught using 'Abracadabra Clarinet' I think its tons better than
'a tune a day' It has lots of nice pieces which everyone knows, and it's
just ace, really.

Greetings from the Bluegrass State: I have always been fond of the first
book in the series of two--by Jack Snavely published by Leblanc. Book I
stays entirely in the chal register--but introduces many rhythmic concepts,
fingerings, etc. while giving the student a real chance to develop in
the basic register while not having to over-reach themselves and develop
really bad hand and finger problems with the "break". Downside--in a
school situation the band wants more notes--quicker.

Perrier's La Debutante Clarinetistte (LeDuc) really demands a lot and
can be used with the non-beginner. Very expensive and not a lot of
"fun" (not in my opinion but that is what the students say).

For absolute beginners, I start off with the two books in the Pro Arte
series for clarinet. I like these a little better than the Rubank's, but
Rubank's are also good. After that, I have them working out of the Leon
Lester books, depending on
the students(60 Rambles, The Progressing Clarinetist, and Advancing
Clarinetist) Then, for intermediates, the first book of David Hite's
"Melodious and
Progressive Studies" book.
Finally, the Rose 40.

Practical Studies Book I and Book II Nilo Hovey, Belwin. Not a 16th
note in book one but loaded with good basic materials.

Supplementary Studies RM Endressen, Rubank.

These are books--not beginning methods--so many young music
ed grads are going to have to use the band method that is in general
use in the school district where they will teach. Some of the clarinet
parts of the method move to quickly--if you have a really mature and
physically able student--usually big enough and with some good piano
background the Hendrickson Clarinet Method Bk I is also very good. But
not for a fifth grader who has not played any instrument--moves too quickly
imho.

The Progressing Clarinetist by um...uh...if ya need the composerwriter
type person, I'll get back to ya, cuz it's completely slipped my mind!

If you're talking about private or group instruction, as opposed
to band method books, the best is easily Rubank. Tune-A-Day is not too
bad and all the rest are a pretty sad lot.

Method books at the beginner to intermediate level are hard to find. I use a
combination of sources, which I copy and pass out to my students in pieces as
they are needed. It's sloppy, but it works.

Some of the sources I have found most useful are the Leon Lester studies for
the beginners: Melodious Studes, and The Progressing Clarinetist. These are
short enough to be learned in a week or two, and are melodically interesting
and varied. Along with that I use sections of Mimart's Methode Nouvelle de
Clarinette for scale forms and short technical studies. Unfortunately this
is out of print. I then add some chromatic studies and staccato studies for
hand position and air. (Hopefully some of these will be in Opperman book 4!)

my favorites for beginners are Tune a Day for Clarinet, vol 1 &
2. They come for all instruments, but are not a band method. Currently I
think they're published by Boston Music. After these I like 60 Rambles by
Leon Lester (C. Fischer) and Melodious and Progressive ed. Hite, pub
Southern.

When I first started teaching I looked down my nose at Tune-A-Day,
figuring it was bad pedagogy to let kids play tunes they knew, because
they'd play by ear, and not learn to read. But if the teacher is
diligent, and makes the kids read *carefully*, the kids learn to read,
they like practicing the tunes, and from the teaching point of view, the
material is pretty progressive, and not too fast for the average kid.
Hugh Stuart, one of the authors, was still teaching in the East Orange
Public Schools when I lived there 1971-73, and I got to sit next to him in
a community band I played in for a while.

I start my students with the Yamaha Band student book 1. I also use the James
Collis method book 1-6, and the Ed Suetta Band method books 2-3 (really
good) .Later I use the Hite Melodious/Progressive Studies Book 1-2 before
using the Artistic Studies by Hite. I teach over 80 students from Elem-
Univ. Penn. Adjunct Woodwind, and have taught 3 out of the last 5 Principal
Clarinets in Pa. All State Orch. I Also taught the 2nd prize 1992 ICA Young
Artist Competition (Cincinatti, Oh.)

I use the Clarinet Student series for my youngest students (5th through
?). It has a faster pace than some of the other series, but it has
optional supplemental books that may be used for extra practice. The
extra books include a technique volume, a melodious etudes volume, a
volume for solos with piano and a duet volume. There are companion books
for each of the three levels and each book typically costs $5.50.

When my students are ready for longer exercises I move to the Rubank
series. I like the Rubank Advanced Method (volumes 1-2) as a scale,
technique and duet book. ($5.50?) I supplement this method with David Hite's
Melodious and Progressive Studies, Volume 1.($7.00?)

For special problems (rhythm) I used supplementary materials from
A Rhythm a Day and Pasquale Bona's book that is designed to help
vocalists work on rhythm (its name escapes me suddenly). For memorized
scales I use the examples from Stubbins's Study of the Clarinet. (I have
all my students learn major and minor scales.) For my youngest students
who do not have the range needed for the Stubbins I wrote my own sheets.
I dig out other supplementary books as needed.

A good source for a course of study for all "band" instruments is The
University of Iowa's "Black Book". The professors here have included a
complete course of study along with solo and ensemble materials ordered
by level of difficulty. This book may be obtained from Eble Music
(319-338-0313) for around $12.00.

I think that Bruce Pearson's _Standards of Excellence_ is one of the best
method books on the market today.

It can be used as an entire band method or it can be used in individual
lessons.

It covers, theory, history, maintenance, musical terms... the list goes on
and on. It has an excellent teachers manual also.

Essential Elements is also a good method- the author escapes my mind right
now- If you need specifics for either of these books- check with Dr.
Swearingen at IC- he has a copy of the final project that Jill Preston and I
completed on elementary method books.

Having taken two pedagogy courses along my little academic route, I will
preface this by saying that I am rather conservative in my approach! My
favorite book(s) for beginners is the Rubank series -- a perennial choice
of many school programs. I also think that the Baermann volume III book
is invauluable to all levels of clarinettists, and should be introduced
at the beginning high school level. I still use my dog-eared old copy of
that every single day!!!

For elementary teaching, I use a book which is published in Sweden. It is
unfortunately in Swedish but doesn't limit its use. I teach in Finnish. It
contains small tunes from all over the world, small duets, canons and theory.
The fingerings advance logically. There are actually no boring excercises at all
but all the technique is hidden in real melodies. I've found this method most
suitable for students of 9-12 years but can work well for less talented older
kids as well.

Agnestig - Pettersson: Vi spelar klarinett 1-2, Gehrmanns Musikforlag, Stockholm

Yamaha Band Method (Alfred Music Co.)
Ed Sueta Band Method (Macie Publishing Co.)
Standard of Excellence Band Method by Bruce Pearson (Kjos)

These are band methods (there is a book printed for each band instrument).
They are readily available from any music dealer who deals with school music.
If you are looking more for a clarinet specific book (which is not usually
what is used in a school situation) for private students, the James Collis
series is decently sequenced and paced. My copies show Henry Elkan in
Philadelphia as the publisher, but he has been dead many years and, as far as
I know, his publishing company is long out of business. Might be some other
company has taken over the series, but I haven't used it in too long a time
to know for sure. I have over the past several years avoided Rubank (at one
time a standard) until the student is ready to handle the Advanced Volume I
material. The Rubank Method is in any case not suitable for school
instrumental music classes because it moves too quickly to too diffcult a
level. I think any of the above band methods does a good job through the
intermediate level.

Elementary: Carl Herfurth, _A Tune A Day_
Hendrickson, Book I

Intermediate: Baermann, Books II and III
Langenus, Book I

He generally waits until late high school or college before starting the
Rose studies. He uses a lot ot Baermann and Kroepsch at the advanced
level, plus some Magnani and Cavallini.