Daily Practice

For
Clarinet
By, John Theine
 Table of Contents
Philosophy of the Routine .................................................................................... 1
How to Use This Book ......................................................................................... 2

Warming Up
Breathing Exercises.............................................................................................. 3
Mouthpiece Exercises .......................................................................................... 5
Bugle Exercises.................................................................................................... 7
Finger Stretches ................................................................................................... 8
Lightness of Touch Exercise ................................................................................ 9

Foundations
Long Tones ........................................................................................................ 10
Glissando ........................................................................................................... 13
Crossing the Break ............................................................................................. 15
Tonguing Studies ............................................................................................... 19
Pinky/Alternate Fingering Studies...................................................................... 27
Scale Studies ...................................................................................................... 31
Interval Studies .................................................................................................. 37
Arpeggio Studies ................................................................................................ 43
Trill Studies........................................................................................................ 59
Range Studies .................................................................................................... 61

Warming Down
Philosophy of the Warm-Down .......................................................................... 64
Exercises ............................................................................................................ 64
 Philosophy of the Routine

A practice routine should be where you spend most of your practice time. This is where
you develop and maintain the skills that you need to be able to truly play your instrument. I
often draw an analogy between playing music and reading. At its best, playing music should be
on the same level as reading a book for fun and not really paying attention to the words. In-
stead, you see the story happen in your mind as you read and pay more attention to that. Play-
ing music should not be about the individual notes and rhythms, but rather about the music and
the message in that music. There is a big dividing line between listening to a musician who is
playing the music and one who is just playing the notes and rhythms...listening to the music is
much more enjoyable. Through a consistent practice routine that focuses on the fundamentals
of your instrument, you build your musical vocabulary to the point where you can much more
easily play the music rather than the notes and the rhythms.

A practice routine like this takes dedication. This is something that must be consistently
followed. The more consistently you follow the routine and work through it, the more quickly
you will notice improvements in your ability to play your instrument. The end results of a prac-
tice routine such as this book outlines fall into two major categories...ability and consistency. If
you follow the plan in this book, you will notice that your ability to play your instrument and
the ease with which you play your instrument will improve. You will also notice that your
“bad” days of playing will become closer and closer to your “good” days of playing. You will
become a much more consistent player and much more consistently play well rather than some-
times good/sometimes bad.

When I first started doing a practice routine such as this, I had many problems in my play-
ing...intonation was my biggest problem, but I also had problems with consistency, technique in
the lesser-used keys, tonguing, range, etc. These problems had built up over years of playing
the wrong way and not focusing on developing the foundational skills necessary to be a consis-
tently good player. Over the course of 9 months of working with the practice routine I used 5 to
6 times a week for 15 to 30 minutes a day, I completely changed my playing ability and erased
the problems that I had as a musician.

My challenge for you is to follow this routine whenever you practice and see how long it
takes you to be able to see the improvements that can come from your hard work.

1
 How to Use This Book
This book should be used as a roadmap to being a better player. It is not intended to be
played from top to bottom every day, but you should include something from each area/exercise
type in the book when you practice. An ideal practice routine should use the following plan:

 Breathing Exercises: Used to expand your ability to control your air. It is commonly
said that 90% of all problems with wind players can be boiled down to air control.
 Mouthpiece Exercises (including the bugle): Used to focus your embouchure. If you
can’t control this, you will be a mediocre player at best. If you can get control of this
part of your playing, you will gain a huge amount of control over your playing and your
instrument.
 Finger Stretching and Lightness of Touch Exercises: Used to prevent damage to
your hands and develop a light touch with the instrument while playing.
 Long Tones: These are used for two basic purposes: tone and intonation. Good tone
usually follows good intonation. Intonation must be worked on continuously or you
lose your ability to play in tune. Long tones must be done at different dynamics to learn
intonation throughout the dynamic range of your instrument.
 Glissando: A must for clarinet players...used to develop the capability to play glissandi
such as the opening to the Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin.
 Crossing the Break: A must for clarinet players as well. These exercises will help de-
velop and maintain a smooth transition across the break.
 Tonguing Studies: Practicing different tonguing styles (single, double, triple, etc.)
makes it easier to apply those tonguing styles when you need them in music.
 Pinky/Alternate Fingering Studies: Used to develop the use of the appropriate pinky
(left or right) for a given passage as well as to understand and use alternate fingerings.
 Scale Studies: This is basic music vocabulary, part 1. having the scale patterns under
your fingers is essential if you want to be able to improve your ability to sight-read mu-
sic and play more easily through all key signatures.
 Interval Studies: This is basic music vocabulary, part 2. Practicing interval jumps
means that you are more prepared for them when they pop up in the music.
 Arpeggio Studies: This is basic music vocabulary, part 3...useful for the same reasons
as scale and interval studies.
 Trill Studies: A must for woodwind players. Learning how to play your trills and do
so in a controlled manner is very important.
 Range Studies: Used to learn to play in the various registers as well as high-range fin-
gerings.
2
 Breathing Exercises
Use a metronome to keep a steady count and pick at least one exercise a day. Posture is impor-
tant...sit on the front part of your chair with your back straight and your knees lower than your
hips (this will help force your back to be straight).

By the Numbers
(The point of this exercise is to learn to control your air better)

You are given three numbers.

 The first number is how many counts you take to breathe in...start empty and breathe in
evenly over the full number of counts. By the time you reach the full number of counts,
you need to be full of air.

 The second number is how many counts you hold your breath in...make sure that you
keep your throat wide open. The worst thing to do here is to close your throat.

 The third number is how many counts you take to empty your lungs. This needs to be
done completely and evenly.

Examples:

4-4-4 2-4-8 1-4-16 1/2-4-32 (pick your own)

Dying Fish
(The point of this exercise is to expand your lung capacity)

To do this exercise:

 Empty your lungs completely

 Breathe in deeply to fill your lungs

 Gasp 4 or 5 times trying to suck in more air...you will feel like you look like a fish out
of water and you should feel a stretching in your lungs, possibly even discomfort.

 Relax and release the air.

 Repeat 3 or 4 times.

3
 Windmills of Death
(The point of this exercise is to learn control of your breathing.)

This is similar to the “By the Numbers” exercise...to do this exercise:

 You will need to be standing for this exercise with plenty of space around you.

 Pick a number of counts between 1 and 32

 Start with your hands down at your side and your lungs empty

 Breathe in while raising your arms, keeping them straight, until they are straight up in
the air and your lungs are full. This should be done over the number of counts that you
chose. At all times, your arms should reflect how full your lungs are.

 Keep your throat open at all times and pause for a full count of 4.

 Breathe out while lowering your arms, keeping them straight until they are down at your
sides and your lungs are empty. This should be done over the number of counts that you
chose.

 Repeat two or three times with different numbers...for randomness, try rolling dice to
come up with your number...

Power Breathing
(The point of this is to increase your lung capacity and rate of breathing)

This should be done sitting down…you may get a little dizzy.

 Start with your lungs empty and your hands together in front of you.

 Quickly pull your hands apart and breathe in a full lung of air.

 Exhale completely as you push your hands back together.

 Do this several times quickly making sure to push your lung capacity every time you
breathe in and empty completely when you breathe out.

4
 Mouthpiece Exercises

This is one of the most overlooked areas of practice for most wind players. This needs constant
working in order to learn to control tone, intonation, and flexibility. Mouthpiece exercises fall
into two different categories; long tones (control) and sirens (flexibility).

Long Tones
(Use a TUNER)

Things to be looking for whenever you do long tone exercises:

Specific Pitches for
Clarinet Mouthpieces
 Steady & solid sound: keep the air pressure up and move
air...never let the sound falter. Eb Soprano Eb
Bb Soprano C
 Steady pitch: Use the mouthpiece only and a tuner...hold the
Alto Ab
pitch as steady as possible. You should get the specific pitch
listed in the table. Bass F
Contra-Alto Eb
Contra-Bass C

Basic Long Tones: Using your tuner to make sure that you stay steady with your pitch, take a
full breath of air over two counts, hold for four (with your throat open), and play until you run
out of air, holding the pitch steady. This should be done three times...on the specific note for
your instrument.

Dynamic Long Tones: Similar idea to the basic long tones...2-4-play on the correct pitch...but
this time, start at a pianissimo dynamic, crescendo to forte, and diminuendo back to pianissimo
while holding the pitch steady. You will find that you have to change the shape of your mouth
inside to keep the pitch steady. Keeping the pitch steady (whether it is a specific note or half-
way between two notes) is the most important thing here and learning to adjust while playing at
different dynamics is very important.

5
 Sirens
(Use a TUNER)

The siren exercises are used to promote flexibility, develop a glissando, and help intonation.
Using a tuner helps give you a more concrete idea as to whether you are increasing your flexi-
bility or not (especially if you track your results over time).

There are two different types of siren exercises to choose from. Each should be done about 3
times if you only do one of these (or one to two times each if you choose to do both in the same
practice session).

The Stretch: Use a 2-4-play breathing pattern (breathe in over 2 counts, hold for 4 with your
throat wide open, and play). Start with the specific pitch for your mouthpiece and slowly flex
up as high as you can go. Then flex down past the pitch and go as low as you can. Finally, flex
back up to the correct pitch.

Some things to keep in mind:

 You always want a solid, tight sound.

 Use your tuner to make note of your upper and lower limits...try to stretch them a little
each day and keep a record (journal/log/etc.) of where those limits are.

For a variation on this exercise, try speeding up and seeing how many sirens you can do in one
breath, but keep in mind that you do not want to sacrifice quality of sound and range stretched
through for speed...use a metronome and slowly increase your speed over time.

The Long Climb (or Fall):

 Use a 2-4-play breathing pattern.

 Start at the correct pitch for your mouthpiece and slowly stretch up or down.

 Keep trying to push higher or lower stretching your range up or down until you run out
of air. Only stretch in one direction.

 Keep a record of how high or low your sound reaches at its highest or lowest point
(what note or how high above or below a certain note you reach...USE A TUNER)

 Always try to stretch just a little further each time you do this to help increase your
flexibility.

6
 Bugle Exercises
This helps develop flexibility in the embouchure similarly to the sirens, but is more concrete in
pitch. Using a tuner is a good idea to help lock into pitch. In order to bugle on a clarinet, you
need to:

 Start in a sitting position.

 Close the bell with your leg (it often helps to cross your legs with one ankle on top of
your other knee and close the bell against your horizontal lower leg).

 Finger a low E

 Blow (hard)...you are after a high pitch...if a muffled B or nothing comes out, you aren’t
blowing hard enough.

In order to change pitch, experiment with lifting your tongue and dropping your chin while
maintaining your air speed. Your should be able to get several note out. Bugle patterns are
listed below for several standard bugle songs. (The actual notes you play may be different, but
the patterns are listed here). Pick one a day (or more) and play through them.

Assembly)

Drill Call)

First Call)

Mess Call)

7
Reveille)

Taps)

Finger Stretches
Stretching and flexing your fingers and wrists is very important to protect the health of your
hands over the long run. These exercises take very little time and should be done every day.

Finger Fanning

 Arms Straight out or elbows at a 90-degree bend.

 Stretch your fingers out as far as possible by fanning them out and hold for 10 seconds.
 Relax your hands for 10 seconds.
 Form a tight fist in each hand and hold for 5 seconds.
 Relax for 10 seconds
 Repeat 5 times.

Finger Flexing

 Begin with your hands lying flat on a hard surface (like a table or flat music stand).
 Starting with your index finger, raise each finger as high as possible one at a time while
keeping the others flat on the surface.
 Repeat this process 5 times.

Thumb Flex

 Touch your thumb to the tip of your index finger.

 Slide your thumb to the base of your finger.
 Repeat with each finger.

8
Thumb Flex II

 Sit upright in a firm chair.

 Bend your right elbow at a 90-degree angle with your palm facing down.
 Use your left thumb and index finger to gently massage and squeeze the tissue between
your right hand thumb and index finger for 10 seconds.
 Continue massaging the tissue while slowly closing your right hand into a fist and hold
for 7 seconds.
 Slowly fan open your right hand and hold for 5 seconds.
 Relax for 5 seconds
 Repeat this exercise with you left hand.

Wrist Flexing

 Sit in a firm chair or stand upright.

 Extend your right arm out straight in front of you.
 Keeping your elbow straight, gently use your left hand to flex the right hand fingers up
and back. You should feel the stretch along your fingers, forearm, and wrist.
 Hold for 10 seconds.
 Relax slowly.
 Repeat 3 times with each hand.

Lightness of Touch
The point of this exercise is to develop a light touch while playing clarinet. Gripping too hard
with your fingers can develop carpal-tunnel syndrome as well as other problems. It also slows
you down and prevents you from developing fast technique.

 Use a one-octave, low F-major scale, starting on the lowest F possible.

 Lift your fingers as fast as possible up the scale, even if you miss some notes or do not
play in a steady rhythm.
 Very slowly lower your fingers one at a time using as little pressure as possible.
 Do this a few times in a row, paying attention to how lightly you can hold the clarinet
while playing the low F.
 Repeat this process three times.
 Then start at the first-space, thumb F and go down the scale as quickly as possible and
slowly walk up the scale as gently as possible.
 Repeat this process three times as well.

Over time, you should be able to feel a lightness and a lack of tension in your fingers as you
play. If your instrument has any problems (bent keys) or leaks in it, especially in the lower
body joint, you may find that you cannot do this exercise without undue pressure needed on the
keys. If that is the case, then your instrument needs to be repaired.

9
 Long Tones
Long tones are intended to train for tone and intonation. Intonation leads to good tone, so learn-
ing to play in tune will help your tone tremendously. Always use a TUNER!!! Over time, the
set of the mouth and embouchure needed to play each note in tune will become automatic. Ide-
ally, this is what you are after and then must continue to do this exercise to maintain that auto-
maticity.

Basic Chromatic Long Tones

 Pick one exercise.

 Play each note long enough so that you hold it solidly in tune for 4 to 5 seconds before
changing notes (ignore the rhythms).

 Take a short break between each measure to let your embouchure relax.

 Try to figure out what you are doing with the shape of your mouth to get each note to
play in tune...make note of changes that you have to make for each different note.

 When you are very comfortable with this, start the first note at piano and when in tune,
crescendo up to forte, keeping the note in tune, before changing notes. Once the second
note is in tune, decrescendo to piano keeping the second note in tune the whole time.

1)

2)

3)

10
 Dynamic Chromatic Long Tones

 Pick a note to start on.

 Play the following chromatic pattern slowly, paying close attention to your tuner. You
should be slow enough that you an just barely play the final note for 8 counts. Try to
stretch this out slower every time you play this exercise.

 Try to keep a steady tone and strive for as beautiful of a sound as possible.

 Choose several notes to start on and repeat this 3 - 4 times.

Copland Clarinet Concerto

This is the opening to the Aaron Copland clarinet concerto, one of the best of the modern clari-
net concerti. This tuning exercise should be payed with the following guidelines:

 Use a slow tempo (and slow down as you get better at this).

 Make sure that the highest note has a clear and pure sound and keep your tone that way
all the way down the line.

 Start at a comfortable dynamic and get quieter as you get better at this.

 Pick 2 - 3 lines per practice session.

1)

2)

3)

11
4)

5)

6)

7)

Arpeggio Long Tones

See the instructions for the Copland Concerto and follow those directions for this exercise.

1)

2)

3)

12
4)

5)

6)

7)

Glissando
The glissando is a special clarinet technique used most notably in the opening to Gershwin’s
Rhapsody in Blue.

The glissando technique is used from the third-space C up to the high C...the low G to the C
above the break is played very rapidly with the correct fingers. In order to learn the glis-
sando technique, you must first learn to bend pitch and then practice the glissando step by
step down to the third-space C.

13
 Bending Pitch

For this exercise, you need to:

 Play the first measure or each group as written. This will get the pitches in your ear so
you know what it is supposed to sound like.
 Then play the second measure using only the fingering for the high C, bending the pitch
down to the middle note.
 Change your tongue position to achieve this pitch bend. It should feel like the mid-
dle of your tongue is coming closer to the tip of the reed.
 Keep your embouchure very firm and practice this at a very loud dynamic.

Glissandi, Step by Step

Practice each measure by:

 Playing the first note with the correct fingerings.
 Bending the pitch as far down as you can while still maintaining tone.
 Lift your fingers up to the high C fingering while maintaining your pitch.
 Bring your embouchure back to normal, glissing up to the high C.
 Do not move on to the next measure until you accomplish each measure cleanly.
 Continue until you can play a full octave glissando, then try to play the Gershwin exam-
ple at the beginning of the section...running fingerings from the G to the third-space C
and then a glissando up to the high C.

14
 Crossing the Break
Crossing the break is the most intimidating thing that a beginning clarinetist has to deal with.
There are two major issues with crossing the break...left hand index finger and left and thumb.
Using both of these fingers properly makes crossing the break easier.

The problem with the index finger is that most young clarinet players use the tip of their finger
to play the throat A, Ab, and Bb notes. You need to use the side of the finger near the first
knuckle and try to keep the pad of the finger in place above the E key as much as possible.

The problem with the thumb is one of timing. If you are too late (which is often the case), you
will hear a slight “thunk” as you try to play a chalumeau (low register) note before the clarion
register kicks in. If you are too early, there will be a slight break of silence.

Work with the following exercises for smoothness of transition between the chalumeau and
clarion registers. Start slowly and build speed as you become comfortable with the exercises.
Always use a metronome to stay steady...playing these fast but uneven is worse for you than
playing these slow and steady.

Basic Break Crossing

1)

2)

3)

4)

15
 Left Hand Index Finger Exercises

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

16
 Left hand Thumb Exercises

1)

2)

3)

17
4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

18
 Tonguing Studies

Super Slow Motion Tonguing Technique

This exercise is intended to help you lighten up your tonguing and focus on correct placement
of your tongue on the reed. You should use an open G (second line G) at a comfortable dy-
namic and pay close attention to what you are doing with the inside of your mouth. Then:

 Move your tongue forward slowly until the reed “tickles” your tongue (at which point
the sound will get very fuzzy and go flat...this is what you want).
 Keep blowing air and leave the tongue there, feeling the reed vibrate against the
tongue.
 Press just a little more until the reed stops vibrating, but keep your air moving...that
should never stop.
 Reverse the steps slowly until the reed is free-blowing again. Your tongue should be
feeling: nothing - buzz - reed - buzz - nothing in the process.
 Repeat the whole process a few times paying close attention to how little tongue move-
ment you need to make and how little pressure you need to use.

When you do other tonguing studies after this, you should try to incorporate this light touch into
your tonguing. This will help with speed as well as the quality of your sound when you articu-
late notes.

Another Slow Tonguing Study

 Set your metronome for 50 bpm.
 Take a full breath of air and play quarter notes on open G until you run out of
air...several times.
 Try to create as smooth of a connection as possible between each note, using as small of
a tonguing motion as possible.
 Use the air to sustain the note and try to think of the tongue as riding that stream of air.
 Some other points to keep in mind:
 The tip of the tongue should stay near the tip of the reed.
 Use the same area of the tongue for each articulation.
 The tongue should be raised in the back to help focus the air stream.
 Try to not distort the sound after tonguing.
 Your embouchure must be firm to support the reed.
 The AIR must initiate and sustain the sound...the tongue should stay relaxed and let
the air do its work.
19
 Rhythmic Tonguing
You can use any note that you want to, but open G is given for simplicity. Use a metronome to
ensure accuracy and lay the following exercise a legato as possible, then staccato, accented, etc.

Keep in mind the following points:

 Listen to your sound as you articulate and try to find which part of your tongue gives
you the best sound possible.
 Tongue should be arched in the back, low in the front.
 Let the air do the job of the articulation...the tongue rides on the stream of air in a
relaxed manner.

Scale Tonguing
Keep in mind all the points about tongue placement and air support and apply what you have
learned from the previous exercises to the following exercise. To develop a fast staccato, push
the exercise past the 60 bpm mark once you have mastered this from 50 - 60 bpm. (Yes, use a
metronome.) Breathe as needed.

20
 Double and Triple Tonguing Philosophy
This is a very controversial area for clarinetists. Most professional clarinet players and teachers will
tell you that you should not double or triple tongue on clarinet because it changes the placement of
the tongue which interferes with the air stream needed to play clarinet and disrupts the quality of
sound. Most teachers and professionals advocate developing a fast single tongue and then altering
the articulation of a given passage to a slur-two, tongue-two articulation when you cannot tongue
everything.

That said, there are a growing number of professionals out there who have developed double and
triple tonguing on the clarinet and can use it well in performance. With that in mind, here’s the ba-
sic philosophy behind double and triple tonguing.

Brass players (and flautists) are most well known for multiple tonguing. When they do that, they
use one of two pairs of syllables…

 T-K: Sharper, harder articulations

 D-G: Softer, smoother articulations

In each instance, the pair of articulations comes off of one tongue motion...the “T” or “D” in the
front of the mouth and the “K” or “G” in the back of the mouth in reaction to the first syllable. The
fact that you articulate in the back of your tongue is where clarinet players (and really, reed players
in general) run into problems with multiple tonguing. After all, to create a good sound, you work on
keeping the back of your tongue up...articulating with the back of your tongue on the K or G sylla-
bles alters that.

For clarinet, it is more difficult to use the T-K pair, so most who multiple tongue seem to prefer the
D-G pair of syllables (you could also use T-G as well). This makes sense as the G syllable keeps the
back of the tongue up higher in the mouth and helps minimize the problem of dropping the back of
your tongue. It is also more difficult for a clarinet player to use multiple tonguing in the higher reg-
isters as that is where you need the back of your tongue up to help with voicing the notes.

Basic Syllable Studies

Start with the quarter notes and progress to the eighth notes as you get comfortable. Then increase
speed. Focus on properly tonguing each note with the given syllables. You may choose any note
that you wish. Use a metronome to ensure an even and accurate tempo.

1)

Tah Tah Tah Tah etc.

Dah Dah Dah Dah etc.
Gah Gah Gah Gah etc.
21
2)

Tah etc.
Dah etc.
Gah etc. (eliminate the “ah” as you go faster to end up with “T”, “D”, “K”, “G”

Alternating Syllables - Double Tonguing

The goal with these exercises is to equalize the sound between the two different syllables used.
Choose a note and stay on the same pitch all the way through. Use a metronome to guarantee a
steady tempo. Start slow and increase speed. Accuracy is more important than speed.
1)

T T T T G G G G T T T T G G G G
D D D D G G G G D D D D G G G G

T T T T G G G G T T T T G G G G
D D D D G G G G D D D D G G G G

2)

T G T G T G T G T G T G T
D G D G D G D G D G D G D

3)

T G T GT G T G T GT GT GT G T G etc. T
DG DGD G D G D GD GD GD G D G etc. D

22
 accel. To as fast as you possibly can...
4)

T G T G T G T G T G T G T G T G
D G D G D G D G D G D G D G D G

T G T G T G T G T G T G T G T G
D G D G D G D G D G D G D G D G

Use a metronome and the following syllables. Start at about 100 bpm and increase your speed up to
150 bpm, understanding that the single-syllable exercises will be next to impossible to reach at the
higher speeds.

5)

T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T
T T T T T T T T T G G G G G G G G G
T T T T T T T T T T G T G T G T G T
T T T T T T T T T G T G T G T G T G

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
D D D D D D D D D G G G G G G G G G
D D D D D D D D D D G D G D G D G D
D D D D D D D D D G D G D G D G D G

Once you have developed a good double tongue technique, use this exercise to develop endurance in
double tonguing. Use a metronome and start at 120 bpm, increasing up to 190 bpm.
6)

T GT G etc.
DGDG etc.

23
 Use the following exercises to develop double tonguing while changing notes. 1st time through single
tongue, 2nd time through double tongue (above 140 bpm, double tongue only). Use a metronome and
push your range from 110 bpm to 180 bpm. Use different keys (scales) with the patterns given below.
Develop this with both pairs of double tongue syllables...T-G and D-G.

7)

8)

Alternating Syllables - Triple Tonguing

Triple tonguing is very similar to double toguing, but slower because of the use of two front syllables
to one rear syllable (rather than one-to-one with double tonguing). Triple tonguing generally uses the
following patterns:

 T-T-G
 T-G-T
 D-D-G
 D-G-D

The goal with these exercises is to equalize the sound between the two different syllables used.
Choose a note and stay on the same pitch all the way through. Use a metronome to guarantee a steady
tempo. Start slow and increase speed. Accuracy is more important than speed.

9)

T T G T T G T T G T T G T (standard)
D D G D D G D D G D D G D (standard)
T G T T G T T G T T G T T (less common)
D G D D G D D G D D G D D (less common)

10)

T T G T T G T T G etc.
D D G D D G D D G etc.
T G T T G T T G T etc.
D G D D G D D G D etc.
24
 accel. To as fast as you possibly can...
11)

T T G T T G T T G T T G
D D G D D G D D G D D G
(same other tonguing patterns as above)

T T G T T G T T G T T G
D D G D D G D D G D D G

Use a metronome and the following syllables. Start at about 100 bpm and increase your speed up to
150 bpm, understanding that the single-syllable exercises will be next to impossible to reach at the
higher speeds.

12)

T T T T T T T T T T T T T T
T T T T T T T G G G G G G G
T T T T T T T T T G T T G T
T T T T T T T T G T T G T T

D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
D D D D D D D G G G G G G G
D D D D D D D D D G D D G D
D D D D D D D D G D D G D D

Once you have developed a good triple tongue technique, use this exercise to develop endurance in tri-
ple tonguing. Use a metronome and start at 120 bpm, increasing up to 190 bpm.
13)

T T G etc.
T G T etc. (less common)
D D G etc.
D G D etc. (less common)

25
 Use the following exercises to triple double tonguing while changing notes. 1st time through
single tongue, 2nd time through triple tongue (above 140 bpm, triple tongue only). Use a met-
ronome and push your range from 110 bpm to 180 bpm. Use different keys (scales) with the
patterns given below. Develop this with all four sets of triple tongue syllables.

14)

15)

Final Thoughts - Multiple Tonguing

From everything that I have seen, the standard practice for clarinet players is to single tongue
everything. I would recommend that you put more of your practice time into developing a very
fast single tongue technique before jumping into multiple tonguing.

That said, once you have developed a good, solid, and fast single tongue, I do not really see any
problem with multiple tonguing. It appears that there are professional players and teachers out
there supporting the practice of multiple tonguing (double and triple) on clarinet and doing so
successfully. You will not use this technique very much as most of the literature out there is
manageable with a fast single tongue, but it could come in handy every now and then to know
how to double and triple tongue.

Of the two multiple tongues, the double tongue is the more useful. You will find that you will
use that technique a lot more than the triple tongue, so it is best to develop a good double
tongue before moving on to a triple tongue. Double tonguing is also a good foundation for tri-
ple tonguing, so if you learn it well first, learning to triple tongue is not that hard.

As a final thought, there are also some people who advocate what they call “speed-tonguing”
which is really a hybrid double-single tongue. Earlier, I said that many clarinetists would advo-
cate a slur two, tongue two articulation when a passage goes to fast for your single tongue in-
stead of double tonguing. From what I have seen, “speed-tonguing” uses the same philosophy,
but instead of slur two-tongue two, it uses a double tongue-single two technique, so the articula-
tion on four notes in a row would end up being:

T-G-T-T

This could be useful, but feels awkward to me. It also seems like a throwback to the “no double
tonguing ever” camp in the clarinet world…???...the choice would be yours on whether to de-
velop that technique or not.

26
 Pinky/Alternate Fingerings Studies

Pinky Studies
You need to be able to use both pinky fingers independently. There are some general rules about pinky
fingers that need to be followed:

 Alternate pinky fingers whenever possible...using the left hand pinky twice in a row or the right
twice in a row is bad technique.

 The top space Eb or Low Ab fingering is generally only found in the right hand pinky, so any
combination of pinky key notes that involve those notes will force you to use the left hand
pinky for the note that is not the Eb or Ab mentioned above...unless you break the rule given
above.

The following exercises should be done regularly and with a metronome. Find a medium speed that
works well for you and slowly increase your speed over time. Remember to keep everything fluid and
under control. Use only the pinky named for each exercise. Strive for a good, solid tone throughout
the exercise and work towards completing the exercise in one breath if possible.

1) Right Hand Pinky

2) Right Hand Pinky

27
3) Right Hand Pinky

4) Right Hand Pinky

5) Left Hand Pinky

6) Left Hand Pinky

7) Alternating Hands

L R L R L R L R L R

L R L R L R L R L R L R

L R

L R L R L R L R L R L R

28
 Alternate Fingerings
Besides the alternate pinky fingerings, there are 5 other standard alternate fingerings that you need to
be able to use correctly. They are:

When playing low B chromatically in connection with low Bb, you must use the
“forked” finger for the low B...play a low Bb and use the Right Hand sliver key (SL).

This Eb, when played in connection with any note that requires the Left hand ring fin-
ger, should be played with the side key (SK) fingering. If not, then you may use the
side key fingering or the sliver key fingering at your discretion.

When playing this F# in chromatically to an F, you must use the alternate F# finger-
ing...F plus the bottom two side keys on the right hand (SK).

This F# has the same type of rule as the low B above. When played chromatically
with the F next to it, you must use the “forked” fingering...F plus the Right Hand
sliver key (SL).

This Bb has the same type of rule as the Eb given above. Any combination of notes
that requires the use of the Left Hand ring finger will force you to use the side key fin-
gering for the Bb (SK). Any other note combinations, and you can use the side ey or
sliver key at your discretion.

The following exercises will give you a chance to practice these required alternate fingerings. Start
slowly with a metronome and speed up as you learn the alternate fingerings. Consistent speed is more
important here than a fast tempo...ideally, you will gain both in the end.

1) Alternate F#: Use the side key F# for this exercise.

SK etc.

2) Alternate Low B: Use the sliver key B for this exercise.

SK
SL etc.

29
3) Alternate F#: use the sliver key F# for this passage

SK etc.

4) Alternate Eb: where marked, use the side key Eb...otherwise, you can choose between the side and sliver keys.

SK SK SK

SK SK SK SK

5) Alternate Bb: where marked, use the side key Bb...otherwise, you can choose between the side and sliver keys.

SK SK SK

SK SK SK SK

These rules apply to scale passages as well. As you work through scales, you should try to be con-
scious about what rule for any alternate fingerings (pinky or otherwise) apply to the music and always
try to use the alternates correctly. At first, this may seem frustrating and it may seem like it slows you
down, but eventually, the use of the alternate fingerings will become automatic and second nature to
you.

30
 Scale Studies

Major & Minor Scales

You can use the warm-up books from band class to work on your scales. For major scales, you can
pick a key signature and work through #’s 1 (with tuner, although this is more of a long-tone thing), 2,
3, 4, and/or 8. For minor scales, you can use any of the scale studies (including the finger twisters, 7-
9). This should be done with a metronome to ensure an even tempo. It is more important to be even in
tempo than to be fast at first. Over time, you slowly inch the metronome up in speed and increase your
speed.

A finger twister for major keys is included below:

C)

C#)

31
 D) 

5)

D)

6)

E) 

32
E)

F)


F)

33
 G) 

5)

G)

6)

A) 

34
A)


B)

B)

35
 C) 

12)

Chromatic Scales
You can also use the #5 exercise out of your major key warm-up book for a chromatic exercise
or do the following pattern, starting on a different note each time and playing a one-octave (or
even two octave) chromatic scale. Use you fingering chart if necessary...just play every note
(enharmonic pairs count as a single note).

36
 Interval Studies

Major Scale Intervals

You can use the warm-up books from band class to work on your major scale intervals. You can pick a
key signature and work through #’s 6 & 7. This can be done slowly with a tuner as a long-tone exer-
cise or with a metronome and push for speed (with accuracy).

Natural Minor Scale Intervals

The following patterns for natural minors can be used either slowly with a tuner for intonation or with
a metronome and push for speed (with accuracy).

A)


A)


B)

B)

C)


C)

37
D)


D)


E)

E)

F)


F)

G)


G)


A)

38
 Harmonic Minor Scale Intervals
The following patterns for harmonic minors can be used either slowly with a tuner for intonation or
with a metronome and push for speed (with accuracy).

A)


A)


B)

B)

C)


C)

D)


D)

39
 
E)

E)

F)


F)

G)


G)


A)

40
 Melodic Minor Scale Intervals
The following patterns for melodic minors can be used either slowly with a tuner for intonation or with
a metronome and push for speed (with accuracy).

A)


A)


B)

B)

C)


C)

D)

41
 
D)


E)

E)

F)


F)

G)


G)


A)

42
 Arpeggio Studies

Triadic Arpeggios
For any major, minor, diminished, or augmented arpeggio, you can use the warm-up books from band
class. You can pick a key signature and work through any arpeggio with any slur pattern of your
choice. This can be done slowly with a tuner as a long-tone exercise or with a metronome and push for
speed (with accuracy).

Major 7th Arpeggios

The following patterns for major 7th arpeggios can be used either slowly with a tuner for intonation or
with a metronome and push for speed (with accuracy).

C)


C)


D)

43
D)


E)

E)

F)


F)

44
 
G)

G)


A)

A)


B)

45
B)


C)

Dominant 7th Arpeggios

The following patterns for dominant 7th arpeggios can be used either slowly with a tuner for
intonation or with a metronome and push for speed (with accuracy).

C)


C)

46
 
D)

D)


E)

E)

F)

47
 
F)


G)

G)


A)

A)

48
 
B)

B)

C)

Minor 7th Arpeggios

The following patterns for minor 7th arpeggios can be used either slowly with a tuner for intonation or
with a metronome and push for speed (with accuracy).

A)

49
 
A)


B)

B)

C)


C)

50
D)


D)


E)

E)

F)

51
 
F)

G)


G)


A)

Half-diminished 7th Arpeggios

The following patterns for half-diminished 7th arpeggios can be used either slowly with a tuner
for intonation or with a metronome and push for speed (with accuracy).
A)

52
 
A)


B)

B)

C)


C)

53
D)


D)


E)

E)

F)

54
 
F)

G)


G)


A)

55
 Diminished 7th Arpeggios
The following patterns for Diminished 7th arpeggios can be used either slowly with a tuner for
intonation or with a metronome and push for speed (with accuracy).

A)


A)


B)

B)

C)

56
 
C)

D)


D)


E)

E)

57
F)


F)

G)


G)


A)

58
 Trill Studies

Single Finger Exercises

The following pairs of notes use only one finger. Do one row per practice session. Here’s how:

 Use a full breath of air for each measure.

 Alternate between the two notes slowly and evenly, accelerating gradually until you are going
as fast as possible between the two notes.

 Maintain an even and smooth sound. Accuracy is important. Keep thinking of this as going
between two different notes, not as a trill.

 When you have the possibility of an alternate fingering, do the measure twice...once for each
fingering.

59
 Trill Exercise
You will need your trill chart if you are unfamiliar with the proper way to do each trill. The following
type of study should be done with a metronome...start slowly and learn the exercise smoothly and
evenly. Then crank up the speed bit by bit until you are doing the 16th notes at a trill speed. Once you
have achieved that tempo, you need to maintain your skills by doing different trills on this exercise at
that tempo. You should divide up the trill chart and do several trills (4 or 5) each practice session.
Some things to keep in mind:

 Both notes in the trill need to be even in sound.

 Trills generally always start on the higher note.

 Trills generally go between the given note and one note higher within the key signature (unless
otherwise notated with a natural, sharp, or flat sign by the trill sign.

 The trill should sound even...that is why you start at a moderate tempo and work faster as you
develop the ability to do each individual trill.

The exercise for each trill is:

Tremolo Exercise
A tremolo is the same idea as a trill, but can be between any two different notes. The same approach to
learning trills can be done (with the same exercise and guidelines...except that tremolos do not start on
the upper note...they generally start on the lower note). A tremolo would be notated as:

You can pick two random notes (I would note go more than an octave apart) and do the above trill ex-
ercise with those two notes. You should do 4 or 5 pairs per practice session.

60
 Range Studies
Range on clarinet is not just doing the right fingering and blowing air through the instrument. There
are embouchure changes as well as changes in the shape of your tongue that need to happen in order to
make the higher notes come out properly. Here are some of the big things…

 Air speed must be fast and well-supported.

 Above the high D, put pressure down into the heart of the reed (thicker part) with your lower
jaw...do not bite into the top of the reed. This will feel a little like you are pushing your bottom
jaw lower on the reed.

 The back of your tongue needs to be high in your mouth (lie you are saying “ih” or hissing like
a cat). This is called “voicing” a note and different notes will require a slightly different voic-
ing with your tongue.

Embouchure Change Exercise

This exercise is a preliminary to the other range exercises. This will help you focus on your embou-
chure and the slight changes needed for the high range. To do this exercise:

 Hold down the fingering for a low C.

 Start with playing the low C and then move your jaw very slightly down the reed, keeping the
corners of your mouth rounded and try to get a G (above the staff) to come out.

 Make another bottom jaw adjustment and aim for another higher note (should sound similar to a
high E)

 Keep going and see if you can get up to 5 notes out with the low C fingering.

Mastering this exercise will make it much easier to play into the Altissimo register (above high C).

Clarion Register Slurs

This exercise is will work on slurring from the Chalumeau register (Low E to middle Bb) to the Clar-
ion register (middle B to C above the staff). Make sure that you use a tuner and do not change notes
until you are holding the note in tune. Take short breaks between measures to relax your embouchure.

61
 Altissimo Register Slurs
The same instructions will apply here as in the last exercise...use a tuner and do not change notes until
you have held your current note in tune.

This next exercise will take you into the extreme Altissimo range. Beyond a high G, fingerings almost
become meaningless. If you end up with notes beyond the high G, you should find a good fingering
chart online that shows the multitude of options that you have and experiment with a tuner to figure out
what fingering to use.

Chromatic Exercise
Use a tuner and go slowly to make sure that you are playing the notes in tune. Choose one exercise a
day when you do this. Focus on your embouchure and voicing as you jump into the Clarion and Altis-
simo registers.
1)

2)

62
3)

Expansion Exercise
Use a tuner and go slowly to make sure that you are playing the notes in tune. Choose one exercise a
day when you do this. Focus on your embouchure and voicing as you jump into the Clarion and Altis-
simo registers.

1)

2)

63
 Philosophy of the Warm-Down

Warming down after you run this routine and practice music that you need to work on outside of this
routine is very important. Without warming down, you are doing the equivalent of an athlete not
stretch after the workout...you run the risk of doing damage to the muscles that you use to
play...embouchure as well as intercostals or abdominal wall muscles. Warming down should be done
when you are ready to finish practicing for the day.

The point of warming down is to relax your face. You need to get blood flowing through the lips to
carry away the byproducts of using the muscles in your face to play your instrument. You also need to
relax the muscles in your chest and abdomen to keep them from having more serious problems down
the road. Stretching/flexing your hands and wrists will help protect them from carpal tunnel syndrome
and help you continue to play the clarinet longer in your life.

Exercises

You can warm down in several different ways...it is important to do at least one from each of the fol-
lowing:

 Embouchure/breathing muscles:

 Long tones played in the lowest register (second line G down)...must be

done at a moderate volume with a relaxed embouchure.

 “Horse Face”...blowing out your lips (slow buzz, without a solid embou-
chure) as if you were making a horse sound...just get the lips flapping to
bring blood into them.

 Breathing muscles:

 Dying Fish or By The Numbers...not too strenuously, but enough to

stretch the lungs out a bit.

 Hands/wrists

 The “Lightness of Touch” exercise from earlier in this book.

 Any to all of the finger stretch section of the warm-ups in this book.

64
 Appendix: Reeds

It is very important to understand the difference between a good reed and a bad reed. The reed can make all the
difference in your playing and when dealing with natural cane products, you can find a wide variety of quality in
reeds. The following information about reeds comes from the US Army Field Band Clarinet Manual:

—————————————————————————————————————————

In Order to play well, clarinetists must learn to properly choose and adjust reeds to suit their personal needs.
Many volumes have been written about working on reeds. The following is an over-
view of the important concepts to master on this subject.

Good reeds share many common traits. The tip must be the same shape as the tip of
the mouthpiece (see Examples 11 and 12). The cut of the reeds needs to even
(regular and uniform on both sides, also look at the arc). The tip must not be
chipped, nicked, or split. The table of the reed must be flat to match up with the table
of the mouthpiece.

Reed Selection
After wetting a reed thoroughly with water, press the tip against the table of the
mouthpiece to ensure that the tip of the reed is flat. Put the reed on the mouthpiece
(maing sure it is not off to one side, or above or below the rails).
Hold the reed in place with the right thumb and blow an open G.

If the reed feels comfortable and sound good, put the ligature on and play for a short time (no
more than ten minutes worth for a new reed).

Adjusting Reeds
If the reed is difficult to play, attempt to find out if it is warped or unbalanced (one side harder
than the other). To determine if the reed is unbalanced, do the “tilt test”. Place the mouthpiece
in the mouth tilting it so that one side of the reed is firmly pressed on the lower lip. Play an
open G holding the barrel with the left hand. The side which is up
and free of the lower lip is the side being heard. Do this to each side.
If one side feels more unresponsive or is harder to blow than the
other side, lightly sand the harder side with reed rush or #400 or #600
wet-or-dry sandpaper. When sanding the reed, eep the shape of the
resisting part (heart) intact and work on the vibration portion of the reed (see Example
13). Only when a reed blows extremely hard should the player thin down the resisting
part of the reed.

Keep in mind that the tip of the reed must be thin, gradually increasing in thickness
towards the resisting part (heart). The sides of edges of the reed should also taper up
from side to center.

The register in which a reed is hard to blow will also give clues as to where to work on a reed. The lower third
of the vamp corresponds to the lower register; the middle of the vamp corresponds to the middle register; and the
65
 top third of the vamp to the upper register (see Example 14).

The table of the reed must be smooth and flat, since it must align with the table of the
mouthpiece. In order to carry the vibration into and through the instrument, no air can
leak between the reed and the mouthpiece.

To check if the reed is warped, lay the reed on a flat surface (preferably glass) and alter-
nately press with the fingertips on each side of the reed. If the reed rocks back and forth,
it is warped on the bottom.

Probably the easiest way to fix the warped bottom of a reed is to place the reed on #600
wet-or-dry sandpaper. Gently sand the back of the reed a few strokes; then try playing it
again. When satisfied with the results, polish the back of the reed on the smooth side of
the sandpaper or on the glass itself. This will give the reed a smooth, polished finish that is less likely to be af-
fected by moisture again.

After adjusting reeds, store them on a flat surface to minimize warping and protect the tip from chips and splits.
Many commercial reed holders and reed cases are designed to meet these needs, including products from La
Voz, Vandoren, and Harrison.

—————————————————————————————————————————

More reed information:

Conditioning Reeds
When you buy a new box of reeds, it is really tempting to find the first good reed in the
box and then play it until it dies. The problem with this approach is that the reed won’t
last as long as it should. It is better to play through each reed in the box, marking the
good ones, and then letting them get conditioned.

What to do when you open a new box of reeds:

1. Play each reed for 2 minutes.
2. Mark good reeds with a pencil.
3. Use a reed case or guard for storage.
4. Don’t play on the same reed each day. Alternate them.
Have at least 4 great reeds to use at all times.

Adjusting Reeds
With some simple sanding, many mediocre reeds can be turned into great reeds. The reed affects our confidence
and enjoyment in playing the clarinet. There isn’t any reason why students should suffer through playing on a
bad reed. With a few easy steps, a good reed is within reach.

1. If the reed is too stiff: Using 600 weight wet/dry sandpaper, sand the back of the reed in circles. (25 circles,
then rotate 180 degrees, another 25 circles)
2. If the reed is unbalanced (when one side is stiffer than the other): Using 320 weight wet/dry sandpaper, sand
the front of the reed along the rails, the tip, and right above the bark. Avoid sanding in the heart of the reed.
3. If the reed is too soft: Use a reed trimmer to clip the tip.

66