ATSSB Clarinet All-State Etudes Year B Tips

ATSSB Clarinet All-State Etudes

ATSSB Clarinet All-State Etudes Year B Tips

Need some help teaching your students the ATSSB Clarinet All-State Etudes? This FREE measure by measure guide is what you’re looking for!

You’ll want to go to this link to download a PDF of all tips for BOTH Clarinet Year B etudes – completely free. The download also includes pictures, information about the “Clarinet Law of Minimal Motion” and a copy of the “4 Rules to Choosing the Right Clarinet Fingering” page.

Slow Étude Tips Overall
Tone, Tone, Tone!
“As smooth as glass”
Be sure you have a great reed (on both etudes)
Tons of dynamics – overdo dynamics (within reason)
Pay close attention to the releases of notes before breath marks Use a metronome!
Count in your head
Learn the dynamics from the earliest practice sessions
Play with good phrasing from the beginning
–(if you need extra breaths, make them musical)
Musical Terms (as defined in the back of the étude book):
— con espress. – with expression
— sostenuto – sustaining
— sempre – always, throughout the entire duration

Slow Étude Tips by Measure Number
17 – Third line B – right hand Bottom/Bottom key (personal preference)
21 – Drill 16ths under tempo, with a metronome daily and speed up slowly
21 – Last note B – right hand Bottom/Bottom key (personal preference)
22 – Third line B – right hand Bottom/Bottom key (personal preference)
22 – Keep right hand down throughout beat four
24 – Keep right hand down throughout measure
24/25 – Trill B natural to C, then C to D, then D to E – Always hold the ‘main’ note for a bit before beginning the trill. Start a little slower and then speed up. Don’t trill too fast – it’s a slow, musical piece!
25 – Be sure tongue is in “ee” position (high) & air is moving very fast to help high C respond 26 – C# on the right coolio key (personal preference)
26 – Leave right hand down as you go to A# (Bb) and back to B
26 – Third line Bs – the one immediately I play right hand Bottom/Bottom key as a personal preference. However, the B on the last triplet MUST be played on the right hand Bottom/Bottom because it’s next to a C# which MUST be played on the left – no sliding! 26 – Keep everything from beat 2 on smooth – don’t lift the ends of slurs
27 – C# (both of them) on the right coolio key (personal preference)

EVERY DAY SPOTS (Practice these EVERY DAY! Start slowly.) Measure 21 beat 2, Measure 22 beat 3-4, Measure 26 beat 3-4, Measure 27 beat 1

FOR ETUDE #2 (Fast ETUDE) go to THIS link. Download a PDF of all ATSSB Clarinet All-State Etudes Year B tips for BOTH etudes – completely free. The download also includes pictures, information about the “Clarinet Law of Minimal Motion” and a copy of the “4 Rules to Choosing the Right Clarinet Fingering” page.

Clarinet fingerings 

ATSSB Clarinet

A 1999 music education graduate of WTAMU, Tamarie Sayger is currently teaching band in Texas.  As a private clarinet instructor and band director for 17 years, she has taught hundreds of students from grade 6-12 in classes, sectionals, and individual lessons.  She previously held band positions in Plano and Odessa, TX for 5 years. Mrs. Sayger has presented at district in-services and co-presented at the Texas Bandmasters Association convention. Her website, CrossingTheBreak.com, provides resources for clarinet teachers around the country.  Her podcast, Crossing The Break, can be found on iTunes.

Teaching Clarinet

ATSSB Clarinet All-State Etudes Year A Tips 

Download a PDF handout of the following tips for your students – ATSSB Clarinet Etudes Tips

Slow étude tips overall
Tone, Tone, Tone!
“As smooth as glass”
Be sure you have a great reed (on both etudes)
Tons of dynamics – overdo dynamics (within reason)
Pay close attention to the releases of notes before breath marks
Use metronome!
Musical Terms (as defined in the back of the étude book):
– con grandezza –  with grandeur, with dignity

– intimomente – intimately
cresc. – getting gradually louder

Slow étude tips by measure number
2 – Keep right hand down the entire time down
3 – Keep right hand down on the 16th notes
Read this article on playing in this mid-range smoothly
Read this article on hand position to help with smoothness
4 – Last note should be Ab (only a problem in earlier editions)
6 – Count rhythm very carefully, don’t chop E, take a very big breath
Read this article about not chopping notes before rests
7 – Learn without trill/grace notes 1st, then add grace notes, then add trill. Practice the trill/grace notes separately and then add to music. Tap foot.
8 – Careful counting, don’t forget to tongue when needed, keep right hand down on G#9
9 – Right hand down on A, be sure to tongue where needed
10 – Fast air, pop fingers to keep the large jumps smooth, don’t chop C

Fast étude tips overall
Confidence! Should sound easy.
Don’t let tonguing distort tone.
Overall light, bouncy tonguing
Staccatissimo is shorter and exaggerated
The duramente should be more intense (firm), but not at the expense of tone
The 2nd half will need more practice time than the first half. A lot more.
Dig in and start working on m. 17 – end early and slowly.
Keep fingers as close to keys as possible at all times
You need some tonguing exercises to speed up your tongue so it can execute.
Use a metronome! Even fingers are a must.
Musical Terms (as defined in the back of the étude book):
– duramente – firmly, with hardness
– leggiero – light, graceful

Fast étude tips by measure number
1 & all similar measures – be sure you tongue correctly. It is tempting to tongue slur 2, tongue 2 on the 2nd half of the measure, but it should be slur 2, tongue 4.
3 – be sure you count the right amount of rests – it has an unusual feel when fast
4 – practice without grace notes 1st, add later
7-9 lean on downbeats a bit to give it a “lilting” feel
10 – trickier than it looks when you get to a fast tempo – practice it extra
11-13 lean on downbeats a bit to give it a “lilting” feel
(Use these pictures for fingerings)
Clarinet fingerings
ATSSB Clarinet
17-21 – Correct fingerings are:
      17 – 1st Db – Right coolio (personal preference)
           – Eb – TopTop
2nd Db – outside left
Gb – thumb, 2 side keys
Eb – thumb 1,2, banana (personal preference)
       18 – B natural banana
C eighth note – Left golf club
       19 – Db – outside left
20-22 Correct fingerings are:
      20 – 1st Db – Right coolio (personal preference)
           – Eb – TopTop
           – 2nd Db – outside left
Eb – thumb 1,2, banana (personal preference)
It’s also helpful to know that the differences between these 2 patterns (17-19 and 20-22)are that the 2nd pattern has no A natural, no Gb, and no low B natural.
      22 – Db – outside left
      23 – Bb – bottom side key
25-27 Correct fingerings are:
      25 – Eb – thumb 1,2 and 2 side keys
           – Gb – middle
           – Eb – TopTop
           – C – Left golf club
           – Gb – top 1st finger
           – Eb – thumb 1,2 and 2 side keys
       26 – Db – Right coolio (personal preference)
            – Gb – top 1st finger
       27 – Gb – outside left
            – Eb – TopTop
            – C – Left golf club
            – Eb – thumb 1,2 and 2 side keys
Don’t forget to Download a PDF handout of the above tips for your students (includes pictures) – ATSSB Clarinet Etudes Tips and Lessons