Katrina offers personalized instruction on the clarinet for musicians who want to build a base with solid technique. While she primarily uses classical music to teach these skills, she acknowledges that many other styles of music can be performed with them. Katrina believes that honing the fine details of classical clarinet tone, articulation, and finger movements can improve awareness of how to consciously choose one’s musical expression without relying on what happens “naturally.”
Usually Katrina’s first lesson with a student involves her listening to the student play several types of passages from any books they’ve already studied and questioning them on what might be happening in places she can’t see (inside the mouth!). Upon conversing and listening, she then suggests to the student a variety of options for continuing study.
If the student is entirely new to either the clarinet or music or both, she will gently guide the beginning sounds to be made. The first lesson consists of learning to assemble the instrument, make a sound on its mouthpiece, and at least three notes to play. Some students find this easier than others, and those students will learn how to articulate (or tongue) as well as at least five notes in that first session.
Katrina’s rates vary based on the location of the lessons. Please contact her for more information.
General Syllabus
Beginners
Clarinet Student by Fred Weber Level 1
Learn to Play Clarinet Duets by William Eisenhauer
Also good: the first two books in any of the following series:
- Accent on Achievement
- Essential Elements
- Standard of Excellence
Clarinet skills developed: basic embouchure, tonguing, air movement, finger position, basic breathing (inhalation) skills.
Music fundamentals introduced: time signatures (4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 2/2, 6/8), key signatures and major scales (up to 2 flats and sharps, note durations (whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth; dotted notes), basic articulation (slur, staccato, accent), beginning of chromatic scale and enharmonics, basic dynamics (piano, mezzo-piano, mezzo-forte, forte; crescendo and decrescendo), phrase definition.
Intermediate
Clarinet Student by Fred Weber Level 2
Learn to Play Clarinet Duets (above)
Various solo repertoire
Clarinet skills developed: firmer embouchure, more detailed focus on tonguing, air support, alternate fingerings for certain notes, tongue position for focused sound, more detailed descriptions of how to inhale to ensure a phrase length and clear sound.
Music fundamentals introduced: difference between “fast” 6/8 and “slow” 6/8, dotted sixteenth notes, tenuto, key signatures and major scales to 3 sharps and flats, minor keys and forms of minor scales, solidification of chromatic scale and enharmonic notes, advanced dynamics (ppp-fff, subtlety of crescendi and decrescendi); chromatic scale to almost 3 octaves, how to shape basic phrases.
Advanced Intermediate
Rubank Advanced Method for Clarinet Volumes 1 and 2
Various solo repertoire
Clarinet skills developed: solid embouchure, precise tonguing movements, introduction of “fingers ahead” articulation practice method.
Music fundamentals: Key signatures and scales to 5 sharps and flats (both major and minor), double-dotted notes, double-sharps and double-flats, Sforzando, 3 octave chromatic scale, phrasing with dynamics.
Advanced
JB Albert 24 Varied Scales and Exercises for Clarinet
Baermann Complete Method for Clarinet Op 63 Third Division
Cavallini 30 Caprices for the Clarinet
Rose 32 Etudes for Clarinet
Rose 40 Studies for Clarinet Solo (sometimes in 2 volumes)
Alfred Uhl 48 Studies for Clarinet (in 2 volumes)
Various solo repertoire
Clarinet skills developed: precision of air column (and speed), tonguing, and tone quality, speed of fingers and articulation, intro to vibrato and other ways to make a timbre change, breathing bag used to teach inhalations and improve clarity of sound.
Music fundamentals: all major and minor scales, chromatic scale over 3 octaves, rubato, cadenzas, advanced phrasing studies, how to shape a piece of music, etc.