Paul Harris’s Clarinet Basics A method for individual and group learning FABER ff MusicSTAGE 1 Aamibreve 9 Count: 4 beats Clap: —e»———e——_e—__ Count: 1234 1234 1234 Further down! Top floor!! Now try to play alll four pieces continuously, taking breaths where necessary! L Saucer Rainbow oo Make up your own piece using these three notes. It can be any length you like. You can either memorize it or, if you prefer, write the notes down on the following music stave. Don’t forget to give it a title. by ee * The breath mark / above the music indicates where you shonld breathe.STAGE 2 Minim eee = Cone 2 bess /Half note @ /Half note rest Clap: Count 1212 1212 1212 1212 ) Allegretto means play at a fairly lively speed Dinner time dance f Circus polka Mango tango Allegretto oe deMerrily we roll over on the lottery (and still win nothing!) Traditional Exceedingly merrily! f 6 Sally’s sheep go astraying North Cornish folksong Allegretto Qaiz d is called a and is worth beats ~ is called a and is worth beats Play a long note for as long as you can (but with your best tone quality) and write down how long it lasted in seconds seconds To improve your tone quality, play long notes every time you practise. Clap the following rhythm: preyed tytit iii iy Now make up your own piece. You can either memorize it, or write it down on the following stave. If you need help ask your teacher. Don’t forget to give your piece a title. a Reminder! Check the position of your right-hand thumb (which should be under the thumb rest between the thumb nail and the first joint).STAGE Crotchet ) Count: 1 beat /Quarter note fectfile com pdt diddy * The time signature is the two numbers you'll Ce ee find at the beginning of any piece. The top number tells you how many beats there are in the bar. { is the most common — it means four d (crotchets/quarter notes) in each bar. mf (mezzo-forte) means moderately loud Moderato means play at a moderately lively speed Andante means play ‘at a walking pace’ Warm up f Fast-food rag Moderato nf Burgers ’n’ chips Greedily (with onions) gers ‘n’ chips with «a straw - ber - ry milk - shake. Four - The bells French folksong ModeratoSmooth mover Andante ce Sword dance Moderato Thoinot Arbeau oe The sun shines hot Allegretto Estonian folksong oe Qaiz 4 is called a and is worth beat Clap the following rhythm and write in the counting underneath: getdate iy Now make up your own piece. Make it a happy piece and don’t forget to give it a title. ao —————— oeSemibreve . STAGE 4 /Whole note © Cae e Clap: Ce te ee ee ee 000 000 Warm up f Step ladder Moderato (stepping carefully) f Cartoon tune! rune shoutd ve pronounced ‘toon’ Hilariously AWow! PLAYING THE CLARINET REALLY GREAT . Giant leaps Slowly and heavily f Sweet and sour chicken Moderately, with lots of spiceOde to joy Ludwig van Beethoven Andante Good King Wenceslas Moderato Traditional mf Jingle bells Allegretto Traditional f Qaiz Q is called a and is worth beats Clap the following rhythms: ey le pe Write the following notes in crotchets/quarter notes above their letter names, then play the tune. iC Ck EG Gb thr DD Ek Cac Now make up your own piece. If you want to write it down use the following stave. Don't forget to give it a title. SeSTAGE 5 te t Count: 1 beat factfile ee Alla marcia means in a marching style Count! 1234 1234 1234 1234 « Misterioso means mysteriously + ~ whole bar rest Warm up f ceo @ Spooks Misterioso mf Minty march Alla marciaThe oak tree Moravian folksong Moderato f Oteng’teng’ African folksong Steady of When the saints go marching in Traditional Moderato: Qaiz isa and is worth beats Allegretto means Clap the following rhythm, Write in the counting underneath. perdetitttitte pd ddd dy Now make up your own piece. Try making up a march and don’t forget to give it a title. SSSTAGE 6 actfile A curved line joining different notes is called a slur —— Tongue the first note only and then join other notes in the slur as smoothly as possible with a very even tone quality. This is called legato playing * Pesante means heavily * The time signature ¢ means ‘common time’. It is a shorthand way of writing 4 (four crotchet/quarter note beats in the bar) * Renaissance dance begins on the last beat of the bar - this is called an up-beat The symbol above a note means pause, ie. hold the note for longer than its written value Warm up a Rhino Andante pesante + ~ f Up the Nile! Moderato ci av py oo f Swaying in the breeze Christopher Gunning Moderato © 1998 by Christopher GunningSkip to m’Lou Allegretto Traditional yt The birch tree Moderato Russian folksong 2 ss, Renaissance dance Tylman Susato Allegretto f Qaiz Clap the following rhythm: esd eddie td dette What does the symbol ™ mean? Give your teacher a lesson on how to play legato. Now make up your own piece. Try making up a dance this time and don’t forget to give it a title. ¢| STAGE 7 factfile * Acurved line joining notes of the same pitch is called a tie. The duration of the tied notes is their value combined. Don’t tongue the second note {means three J beats in the bar ‘+ mp (mezzo-piano) means moderately soft eresc. (crescendo) means becoming louder dim. (diminuendo) means becoming softer A dot after a note lengthens it by half its original ° length. Thusa dis: J+J =d. 3 2+ 1-3 beats 123123123 123123 123 12 Ais played with the side of the 1s finger using a rocking movemer Don’t jump’ onto the A key. Warm up cE Finger gym f Play it again Sam! Andante f ———— A repeat ae Dance of the broken clarinet reeds Play the piece age Moderato —_— cresc. fLicorice waltz Allegretto nf Twinkle, twinkle, satellite dish Tune: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Allegretto 7 o£ Twinkle twinkle satellite dish, How I wonder what you ish, Stuck upon my house’s wall. Like an ear that hears it all, ‘Twinkle twinkle satellite dish, How I wonder what you ish. ‘Sam Edenborough Jasmine flowers Moderato Chinese folksong mf *Pop goes the weasel Traditional Allegretto od !pop! Qaiz What is the difference between a slur and a tie? Clap the following rhythm: ; , . l Now make up your own piece. Memorize it or write it down on the stave below. Try writing a waltz and don’t forget to give it a title. STAGE 8 factfile * The flat sign (+) in front of a note lowers it by a semitone. Flats, sharps (#) or naturals () which occur within a piece are called accidentals. Important rule: accidentals maintain their effect throughout a bar * p (piano) means soft * Adagio means slowly Bb bo e e e . ° ° Reminders! Don’t forget to practise your long notes Check 1) your posture and hand position 2) that your fingers are correctly curved 3) the position of your right-hand thumbWarm up A BAD piece! Moderato te Why is this a BAD piece? Babbling brook Flowing nf 7 Haunted house Adagio misterioso \s \S ef vas Pf Pp stealthily 7 f P Zs nf — should be played with extra volume and energy © * Practise your scales tongued and slurred oe e ° ° ° ° ° Warm up f Grooving (a G major scale) f Great grub (a G major arpeggio) # ae Rock solid Steady rock tempoHornpipe study Allegro moderato f Ed z z The floral dance Cornish traditional Allegro giocoso Fight the good fight J. Hatton AndanteQuelle est cette odeur agréable? French carol Andante se Quiz What is the key-signature of F major? What is the key-signature of G major? What notes make up an F major scale? Say them going up and down. When you play the arpeggio of a scale which notes will you play? Now play the scale and arpeggio of F major from memory. Clap the following rhythm: gO JO Oo od yy Now make up your own piece. Try beginning with the following notes and don't forget to give it a title. SS Choose a piece you have recently been working on; try to learn it from memory.STAGE 1 2 factfile ‘+ —= means the same as crescendo, ie. getting louder + == means the same as diminuendo, ie. getting softer * Lento means slowly * Grazioso means gracefully is a shorthand way of writing 2 bars’ rest Warm up Slowly Bounce Lively mf Dinosaur park Lento monsterioso ifThings that go bump in the night Creepily Poor wayfaring stranger Andante Cowboy SongMinuet Johann Sebastian Bach Moderato grazioso Qaiz Which notes make up a G major scale? Say them going up and down. When you play the arpeggio of a scale which notes will you play? Now play the scale and arpeggio of G major from memory. What does Andante mean? What is a key-signature? Clap the following rhythm and write the counting beneath the music: BT LT LY TTT Tog 12&3& Now make up your own piece. Try writing a sad piece this time and don’t forget to give it a title. ?éS=omoVY— oSTAGE 1 2 For B flat pivot the thumb so that only its edge touches the speaker key. Operate the A key in the usual way. factfile = * Espressivo means play expressively * Swing tempo is found in jazz-style pieces. When you play swing quavers, make the first quaver longer than the second, in a lilting fashion. Ask your teacher to demonstrate Warm up Finger gym 1 Finger gym 2 Finger gym 3 \ \a tricky one! You'll probably have to Monday morning practise this many times to perfect it. With that ‘start of the week’ feeling P Friday night!! With that ‘start of the weekend’ feeling! fStudy in F Aura Lee American traditional Andante espressivo Frankie and Johnny Traditional blues Gentle swing tempo Do ee eo 7 nf VS Qaiz What does mp mean? Clap the following rhythm: PDL DID de ode Now make up your own piece. Don’t forget to give it a title. You might like to buy a manuscript book now, so you can write longer pieces. SSsrace 4 factfile * In a minor scale the 3rd note is flattened and the 7th note sharpened. They usually sound Eastern and sadder than major scales + A natural sign (#) cancels a flat or sharp + Rall (Rallentando) means slow down gradually Warm up f Suspense movie Lento, misterioso a P A minor scale (harmonic version) = A minor arpeggio = Sarabande Stately 7 000 0d attrib. Henry VIII nf F_—_~NFDown memory lane Andante espressivo Winter Polish traditional Qaiz What does Andante expressivo mean? What does Lento misterioso mean? What does } mean? Clap the following rhythm: i TJ. TW. Now make up your own piece. Don’t forget to give it a title. es SScetfile .C. (Da capo) al fine means go back to the beginning play until the Fine. Da Capo literally means ‘from head’ and Fine means end tempo means go back to the original tempo rit, means slow down a little new notes you are about to learn are part of the ‘clarinet’ register 1 rst Don’t forget to practise your long notes. y them evenly and with crescendo and diminuendo 3S f Kangaroo waltz ae” Modeata PP « aUp high! Andante espressivo Tiger tango Allegro moderato pia f A Nordic tale Christopher Gunning Rhythmically fos 7 wr ee 17 poco rit. a tempo {© 1998 by Christopher GunningMountain stim Adapted from Henry Lazarus Stately a — — Fine mf D.C. al Fine r —S oS ere —* March Moderato A.B. Wood Qaiz What does Allegro moderato mean? What notes make up the scale of A minor? Say the notes up and down and then play the scale from memory. Now do the same for the arpeggio of A minor. Clap the following rhythm and write the counting beneath the notes: POHL Ly Now make up your own piece. Don’t forget to give it a title.STAGE 1 6 factfile * The break is the point where the clarinet goes from the lower ‘chalmeau’ register to the higher ‘clarinet’ register, between B flat and B natural. You should be able to play B and C with the same light finger pressure that you use for low E and F. Ifyou experience any difficulty with B and C ask your teacher to check your instrument. Warm up f Keep your right-hand fingers down for the next four pieces: Take a break Andante fBreak up Moderato f Break down Moderato f Break even a if C major scale C major arpeggio Yankee Doodle American traditional Allegro moderato fSweet Betsy from Pike English music-hall song Moderato eC \S < f Qaiz What notes make up a C major scale? Say the notes going up and down. When you play the arpeggio of a scale which notes will you play? Now play the scale and arpeggio of C major from memory. Clap the following rhythm: ply . Now try to improvise (make up as you go along) a piece starting with the following notes. You might like to try improvising quite a long piece. Each time you have a go your piece will probably be different. Write down your favourite version! esCount: 1'beats STAGE 1 7 Dotted Crotchet J /Dotted quarter note Count 12&3 4 12&3 4 12&34&1234 Warm up f Coffee beans Allegro moderato a Round dance Allegretto nf G major scaleG major arpeggio a G major scale upside down! f G major arpeggio upside down! f Now play the scales of F major and C major upside down! Theme from ‘Eastenders’ Leslie Osborne & Simon May Moderato f= = i = © 1985 ATV Music, Used by permission of Music Sales LidWaltz (1923) Benjamin Britten Quiet and simple eT FEF SE 27 ae ee This arrangement © 1998 by Faber Music Lid Qaiz You now know all the notes to play a two octave scale of both F and G majors. Try both of them! Clap the following rhythm: Now compose or improvise a piece that paints a picture of you (in music!).. STAGE 1 8 actfile = ff (fortissimo) means very loud! - * Apiece in Bb major has a key-signature of two flats (Bb and Eb) & -* A dot under (or over) a note is a staccato q ° oO Oo Oo oe mark. Play notes marked with a staccato = dot short and crisp ooo e ve e e e e a Warm up 1 2 a Finger gym 1 2 Tongue tango Allegro moderatoRoundabout Moderato nf 5 Rush hour Moderato with frustration soe "ae a, sss Sf Like a hooter) — 26 atempoScarborough fair English traditional . Grazioso Qaiz What are the dots above or below a note called? Give your teacher a lesson on how to play staccato. What does Grazioso mean? Clap the following rhythm and write the counting beneath the notes: 126 34 Now compose or improvise a piece that paints a picture of one of your friends.STAGE 1 factfile * Apiece in D major has a key signature of two sharps (F¥ and C#) Happy music Allegro giocoso t% f King Richard’s pavane AndanteTV movie Allegretto 2 =A am a What kind of movie is this? The English National Anthem ModeratoTwilight Malcolm Arnold Andante con moto ‘p cantabile ——— pp _ This arrangement © 1998 by Faber Music Ltd. Qaiz Play a long note for as long as you can (but with your best tone quality). Write down its duration. Compare it with the length of your long note in Stage 2! Clap the following rhythm: ped ib Now compose or improvise a piece inspired by a shape (eg. a square or circle). oS oJ Choose a piece you have recently been working on; try to learn it from memory.Clap: gi_l it ty Count: 123456123456 Finger gym 1 2 oo Here are two exercises to strengthen your little fingers! Finger gym 3 Right-hand little finger only Left-hand little finger onlyCan-can Jacques Offenbach Allegro of Canon can-can Moderato 3 Can we go round the mulberry bush? Traditional Allegretto + of Watering can Allegretto =f Can of worms ModeratoCan-do blues Steady blues tempo ——_" —_ te mp —————— Theme from ‘The Archers’ Arthur Wood Allegro giocoso Sf lightly —— $ Copyright © 1925 by Boosey & Co Ld, Reprinted by permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Lt Qaiz Choose a tune you know well (that doesn’t appear in this book!) and play it from memory. Clap the following rhythm: Now compose or improvise a piece in the style of a TV signature tune (a quiz show or soap opera for example).STAGE 2 1 Factfile * con moto means with movement 000 00®@ Oo i ay 5 [! 5 becomes mp; bar 10 f becomes p, and so on 000 Oo@e Warm up ee a ——_— a . = cf Hit the roof! Moderato —— aeC major scale (2 octaves) 86° C major arpeggio (2 octaves) G Affair in Manhattan Allegretto con moto e espressivo rel P?Greensleeves attrib. Henry VIII Andante Qaiz Play F, G and C major scales and arpeggios all from memory and over your complete range (2 octaves). You deserve a prize if you were 100% successful! Clap the following rhythm: Now compose or improvise a witty piece. Don’t forget to give it a title.srace 2 2 O° ° ° Be flat cha-cha-cha Brightly - f D.C. al Fine =Dark bluesy Very steady 2 —————~ > ——[ ——. f Ses mp —=. > _ owe. —" 4 ae ——— eS ee aa dim. —= Stranger on the shore een Moderato, with feeling mf Noe Seaaeeeees = poco dim. © 1962 EMI Music Publishing Limited, Reproduced by permission of Intemational Music Publishers, Southend Road, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 SHN