Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
FUNDAMENTALS
CLARINET FUNDAMENTALS
A Workbook for Developing Clarinet Technique
By Joshua Gardner
The purpose of this workbook is to present the performance fundamentals necessary to
develop satisfactory technique on the clarinet. The exercises include long tones, scales,
arpeggios, thirds, and various single and multiple articulation exercises. With proper
instruction, they will help you develop adequate air control, correct and agile finger motion,
proper hand position, flexible intonation, and articulation accuracy and speed. By learning
these fundamentals and committing them to muscle memory, you will be able to make music
more efficiently and with fewer limitations. All of the exercises are presented in two
octaves. You should expand them to three octaves gradually as you become comfortable
with the upper register. An altissimo fingering chart is included at the end of this workbook
for your convenience.
CONTENTS:
Intonation Guide for Long Tones .............................................................................................1
Long Tones ...............................................................................................................................2
Major & Minor Scales ..............................................................................................................3
Major & Minor Arpeggios ........................................................................................................5
Major & Minor Thirds ..............................................................................................................7
Additional Scales & Arpeggios ................................................................................................9
Rhythm Patterns ......................................................................................................................14
Intermediate Single & Multiple Articulation Exercises .........................................................15
Single Articulation ..................................................................................................................16
Multiple Articulation ..............................................................................................................17
Articulation Patterns ...............................................................................................................18
Altissimo Fingering Chart ......................................................................................................19
Ratio
Adjustment (cents)
Unison
1:1
Minor 2nd
16:15
Major 2nd
9:8
+3.91
Minor 3rd
6:5
+15.64
Major 3rd
5:4
-13.69
Perfect 4th
4:3
-1.96
Augmented 4th
45:32
-9.78
Diminished 5th
64:45
+9.78
Perfect 5th
3:2
+1.96
Minor 6th
8:5
+13.69
Major 6th
5:3
-15.64
Minor 7th
7:4
-31.17
Major 7th
15:8
-11.73
Octave
1:2
0.00
+11.73
0.00
Long Tones
&c
&
#w
#w
& #w
#w
#w
#w
#w
#w
&
&
&
#w
#w
#w
#w
#w
#w
#w
#w
#w
#w
#w
#w
C Major
&
A Natural Minor
&b
F Major
&b
&b
&b
Bb Major
Eb Major
& b
R
bb
C Natural Minor
& b
&
bbbb
&
bbbb
&
bbbb
&
bbbb
Ab Major
F Natural Minor
Db Major
Bb Natural Minor
R
R
R
R
G Natural Minor
bb
D Natural Minor
R
L
R S
R L
R
L
R
L
R
L
R
R
R
R K
K
L R
R
S
R
K
K L R
R
S
b
& b bbbb
Gb Major
&
&
&
&
&
####
####
R 2
K R 2
E Major
R
####
C# Natural Minor
###
&
##
&
##
A Major
&
&
F# Natural Minor
D Major
B Natural Minor
# G Major
#
E Natural Minor
C Major
&
G# Natural Minor
###
&
B Major
b
& b bbbb
Eb Natural Minor
####
R
R
L
R
R
K
L R
L
2
R
R
K
2
R
2
R
L R
R
L
R L
L
R L
R L
R
L
R L
R L
R
L
R L
w
&4
R
R
R
&
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
&
b
&
1/1
R
R
bb
&
bb
&
R
R
R
bb b
&
R
R
R
R R
R
R
L
L
L
bb b
&
R
R
L
L
bb b b
&
R
R
L
R
R
R
R
R
bb b b
&
L
R
R
L
R
bb b b
& b
1/1
R
R
R
bb b b
& b
R
R
R
R
1/1
L
R
R
R
1/1
b
& b bbbb
1
1
R
R
R
R
& b bbbb
R 1
1 R
L 1
R
1 L
####
& #
R
R
L
#
& # ##
R
L
L
R
R
R
R
L
R
R
R
####
&
L
R
R
L
R
R
####
&
R
R
R
R
###
&
R
R
R
L
R
R
R
R
R
###
&
R
##
&
R
R
R
R
R
R
##
&
R
R
R
R
#
&
R
R
R
R
R
#
R
R
&
R
R
R
R
&
1
R
1
R
R
R
R
R 1
1 L
R
R
L
R
R
1
R
R
R
1 R
L 1
R
R
R L R
& c
R
L
L
R
L R
# # # # n n R L R
& # # #
#
L R
L
R R R
R
n # n # bR n R R
R L R
& b n # n
L
R
&b
&
bb
&
&
bbbb
L R
R
R L
R R
R
R
R
bbb
R
R
# 2 n # 2 b n L
n
n # 1 n
R
R
R
R
R R R L R
b
& b b
b
&b
#
R
R
R
n n n b b R L R
n
n n n
R R
R
R
R
L
L
R L
L L R R
R R
R
R
R
2
R
n b L b L R R
n
R
R
R
L
2
2 R
R R R 2 2 L L R
R
R L
L
b
& b bbb
b
& b bb
L S
b
& b bbb
n
L
L R
R
S L
R b 2b 2 L L R
L n n n n
n
R R
1
S L
R
R
R
R L
L
2 2 L L R
2 2 R LS 1
L
1
S L
R 2
R
b b R R 2 2 L L R L
R
R
2
L
2 n nn n
bbb
n
b
& b
b
& b bbbb
LS
&
####
&
####
####
2
L
L R
n R
1
S L
R R 2 2 L L
2
2 R
#
1 1 L
L
R
1
1
R L
2 R
R 2
L
R n # 2 L L
#
# #
L
1
1
R L
2 2R R
R
R 2
2
RL
&
1 1 L
L
R
1
1
2 2R R
R
R 2
2
L
L
L
L R
R
R # R #
L L
2 2 #
#
n n 2 2 L L R
####
###
&
R L
R1
&
1 R
L
2
R
2 2 2 R L R
L
L
1
1
1
1
R
###
# # # n n
#
&
# # #
2 2 R
LS
L R
L
1
1
1
2
2
R
L R
L
2 2 R L
R L
R
2
##
2
&
###
&
&
&
LR
2
2 R
# # # R n n 2 R L
#
##
#
1 1
#
1
1
L
R L
##
RL
R
2
2 2 R L
1
1
1
1
L
R
L
R L
# # # n n
#
# # # 1 1 L
R L
1
1
2
2 R
2
2
R
RL
L R
5
&4
# #
# #
# # #
#
L
b n b b L
b b b K b L R L
b b b b
&
b b
L R
& 46
&
b b b
K
L
R L
n # n b n # b
n # b n # n b n # b
b
b n # b n # n b# n n b
b b n # n b # n b
# b n
& # n b # n b n b b n # n b # n b # n
b # n b n b b n # n n
&
&
b n n b # n b b
b n n b # n b #
bn n b# n bb n# bn bb n b b
# n # n b b
# #
b
& # nbbn#bn#bn bb # b n b
b n # b n # b n n
9
b b b b b
b b
& c b b b
b w
Minor Scale Forms
Natural
b N N b b
N b
& b b N
b w
Harmonic
N N b b b
b b
& b N N
b w
Melodic
b A A
b
b b
b
b
& 68
a a
#
a
#
# # #
&
#
# # #
# # #
.
Octatonic Scales
&c
&
b
#
b
#
b b n #
b b n b A A
a b b b
b n #
b
#
bbn
&
#
# #
a bA
b # nA
10
# b b
#bb
a #nb
b #
# b b
# # n b
Blues Scales
& 4 b # b
b # n
b b
# n b
b b
b
& b b n b b
b
b b
b
& b b b n b b
b b b N b
b b b
b N b b
b b b N b
b b b
b N b b
b b N b b
b
b N b
b
b b b N b b
b b N b
& b b n b b
b
b
b b b b N b
b
b b b
b
b
b N b b
b
& b b
&
# # # n
#
# # # n
#
#
#
# # # n
# # n
& # #
&
# n
# n
# n
# n
& #
# n
# n
& #
&
# n b
# n b
&
b #
11
3
&4
b
b b b
b
b
b b
b
b
b b
b
&
b b
b
b
b # b
# b
b #
# b
&
#
b
.
.
#.
Augmented Arpeggios
a
a
#
aa
&
#
a
#
a a # #
a a
# #
a
a
#
&
a
#
a #
&
b b
b b
b b
A A
A A
A b b
b b
b b
A A
A A
a
a
#
&
a #
a
#
12
& c b
&
b
b b
& b b
b
b b
b
b
& b b b
b b
b b
b
b b
b
b b
b
b b
b
& b b b
b
b
b b
b
& b b b b
b
w
w
bw
bw
b b
b
b
b b
bw
b b
b
b
b b
bw
b
b b
b
&
b b
b
bw
b
b
#
& # #
#
b b
b
&
w
#
#
#
& #
#
w
&
&
13
Rhythm Patterns
1.
& c ..
2.
& ..
3.
& ..
4.
& ..
..
..
..
..
3
3
5.
.
& .. . . . .
6.
& .. . . . .
7.
& 43 ..
8.
& ..
9.
..
& c ..
10.
& .. ..
14
..
.
.
..
..
.
.
2
&4
etc.
2. Pre-Langenus #2
& c
etc.
&
& b
b b
&
etc.
4. Five-note scales
# # # #
etc.
&
&
& #
# #
# #
# # # #
#
# # #
15
etc.
Single Articulation
Adapted from Langenus
&
#
#
&
5
&
10
&
14
# #
#
&
19
#
&
23
28
&
32
&
37
&
40
&
#
#
#
#
#
#
# #
# #
16
Multiple Articulation
6
&4
3
&
# #
#
& #
6
&
11
&
13
&
15
&
# #
# #
b b b
b b
&
17
& b b b
20
b b
23
&
25
&
27
&
# # #
# # #
# # #
# #
#
b b b
b b b
b b b
17
b b b
b
b b b
b b
Articulation Patterns
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
&c
w
&
w
&
w
&
w
&
w
&
w
&
w
&
w
&
w
18
C6
D6
C#/Db6
D#/Eb6
E6
F6
F#/Gb6
20
G6
G#/Ab6
21
A6
A#/Bb6
B6
C#/Db7
C7
D7
22
D#/Eb7
F7
E7
F#/Gb7
23
Custom Fingerings
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
24
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
25
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
26