12 Days of Clarinet Christmas

Spread the joy of proper fundamentals, great warm-up routines, and good musicianship among clarinetists!  Whether you are shopping for a special clarinetist in your life or getting a head-start on your own musical New Year’s resolutions, this list will keep you practicing for many hours into the holiday season and beyond.

I hope this list spreads holiday cheer and inspires clarinetists of all ages to enjoy their practicing and music making.  Enjoy the 12 Days of Clarinet Christmas!
12 Scale Studies

1. Carl Baermann Complete Method for the Clarinet, Op. 63 (3^rd Division)
2. Pares Daily Exercises and Scales for Clarinet
3. Emile Stiévenard Practical Study of the Scales
4. B. Albert 24 Varied Scales and Exercises for Clarinet
5. Klosé Scales and Exercises from the Celebrated Method for the Clarinet
6. Robert Stark Daily Studies (Scales, Arpeggios, and Intervals) for the Clarinet
7. Avrahm Galper Upbeat Scales and Arpeggios
8. Gaston Hamelin Gammes et Exercices pour la clarinette
9. Vincent Donatelli Daily Exercises for the Clarinet
10. Rudolf Jettel The Accomplished Clarinetist (also Preliminary Studies to the Accomplished Clarinetist)
11. The Complete Boosey & Hawkes Clarinet Scale Book: Scales and Arpeggios
12. Daniel G. Theaker Scales and Arpeggios for the Clarinet

11 Technical Exercises

1. Paul Jeanjean Vade-Mecum du Clarinettiste
2. Fritz Kroepsch 416 Progressive Daily Studies for the Clarinet
3. Périer 331 Exercises Journaliers de Mechanisme
4. Klosé Daily Exercises and Technical Studies from the Celebrated Method for the Clarinet
5. Cyrille Rose 40 Studies
6. Ernesto Cavallini 30 Caprices
7. Kalmen Opperman Velocity Studies
8. Frederick Thurston Passage Studies
9. Giovanni Battista Gambaro 22 Progressive Studies
10. Gaetano Labanchi 35 Studies for Clarinet
11. Jean Xavier Lefevre 60 Exercises for Clarinet

10 Clarinet Methods

1. Klosé Celebrated Method for the Clarinet
2. Leon Russianoff Clarinet Method
3. Rubank Method for Clarinet
4. Henry Lazarus Method for Clarinet
5. Carl Baermann Complete Method for Clarinet
6. Gustave Langenus Complete Method for the Clarinet
7. Alamiro Giampieri Progressive Method for Clarinet
8. Benny Goodman’s Clarinet Method
9. David Hite Melodious and Progressive Studies for Clarinet
10. Frederick Thurston The Clarinet: A Comprehensive Method

9 Etude Books

1. Cyrille Rose 32 Etudes
2. Béla Kovács Hommages
3. Johann Müller 22 Clarinet Etudes
4. Paul JeanJean 18 Etudes for the Clarinet
5. Victor Polatschek 12 Etudes for Clarinet
6. Eugène Bozza 11 Etudes Sur Des Modes Karnatiques (also 14 Etudes de Mecanisme)
7. Marco Bordogni Melodious Etudes for Clarinet
8. Jacques Lancelot 25 Etudes Faciles et Progressives
9. Aurelio Magnani 10 Etudes-Caprices de Grande Difficult

8 Tonguing Exercises

1. Reginald Kell 17 Staccato Studies (also Clarinet Staccato from the Beginning)
2. Gustave Langenus “Tonguing Study” from Book Three of Complete Method for the Clarinet (No. 11 – page 22)
3. Robert Stark Daily Staccato Exercises        
4. Randall Cunningham Tongue Twisters
5. Fernand Gillet Exercices Sur Les Gammes, Les Intervalles, et Le Staccato Pour Clarinette
6. Reiner Wehle Clarinet Fundamentals 1: Sound and Articulation
7. Avrahm Galper Tone, Technique, and Staccato
8. Allen Sigel Clarinet Articulation

7 Auxiliary Clarinet Studies

1. Julius Weissenborn Advanced Studies for Alto and Bass Clarinets
2. Michael Drapkin Symphonic Repertoire for the Bass Clarinet
3. Alamiro Giampieri Difficult Passages and Solos for Clarinet and Bass Clarinet
4. Jacques Merrer Orchestral Excerpts for Sopranino/Piccolo E-Flat Clarinet and D Clarinet
5. Practical Hints on Playing the Alto Clarinet (Alfred Publishing)
6. Peter Hadcock Orchestral Studies for the Eb Clarinet
7. Sauro Berti 20 Studies for Bass Clarinet and Basset Horn

6 Legato/Tone Studies

1. Larry Clark Studies in Lyricism for Bb Clarinet
2. Paula Crasborn-Mooren 30 Melodic Studies
3. Ted Hegvik Melodic Etudes: A Lyric Approach to the Clarinet
4. Larry Guy Intonation Training for Clarinetists
5. Eva Wasserman-Margolis Time for Tone
6. John Gibson Advanced Intonation Technique for Clarinets

5 Orchestral Methods

1. Peter Hadcock The Working Clarinetist
2. Robert McGinnis Orchestral Excerpts
3. Stanley Drucker Orchestral Excerpts from the Symphonic Repertoire for Clarinet
4. Daniel Bonade Orchestra Studies
5. Ben Armato The Opera Clarinetist

4 Altissimo Studies

1. Norman Heim The Development of the Altissimo Register for Clarinet
2. Paul Drushler Altissimo Register
3. Thomas J. Filas Altissimo Studies for Clarinet
4. Thomas Ridenour The Annotated Book of Altissimo Clarinet Fingerings

3 Jazz/Klezmer Studies

1. Bill Smith Jazz Clarinet
2. Dan Greenblatt The Blues Scales: Essential Tools for Jazz Improvising
3. Tom Puwalski The Clarinetist’s Guide to Learning Klezmer

2 Sight-Reading Books

1. Paul Harris Improve Your Sight-Reading!
2. James Rae Eyes & Ears for Clarinet

1 Instrument

1. Clarinet!

This list is intended as an overview of the excellent studies and exercises for the clarinet. There are hundreds of books not included on this list to fit your practicing needs. Some books may come in separate and multiple volumes, and a few of the books on this list are currently out of print. These lists are in no particular order, and certain books can be used for several categories.

Happy holidays and happy practicing!