Choosing solo pieces for students can be tough for band directors and nearly impossible for young players. Music should be fun at any level of playing, and I'd like to take the guesswork out of repertoire selection. A list of easy solos for Early Beginners is here, but read on for my favorite solos for the Advanced Beginner.
Advanced Beginner
Quicker pieces that generally do not go "over the break"
Contains eighth notes through whole notes
Uses varied articulations
Contains more right hand action than the Early Beginner suggestions
Here are my Top 5 favorite solos for the Advanced Beginner, in order of difficulty:
1. Dance Song by Sperontes. This majestic piece has a range of B-A. This piece is in Festival Solos by Standard of Excellence.
2. Cavatina by Mozart. This quick classical arrangement contains accidentals and uses chromatic fingerings with a range of C-A. It is located in Festival Solos by Standard of Excellence.
3. Serenade from Don Giovanni by Mozart. This is a fun classical arrangement with some challenging passages for the Advanced Beginner. The range is C-Bb. This piece is located in Festival Solos by Standard of Excellence.
4. Challumeau on the Go by Mike Hannickel. This quick piece contains accidentals and chromatic fingerings along with fast eighth note passages and a key change. The range is low F-Bb. It is located in 1st Recital Series by Hal Leonard.
5. Danse Harlequin by Mike Hannickel. This upbeat tune contains accidentals and has a range of G-A. This solo can be found in 1st Recital series by Hal Leonard.
5 1/2. March from Scipio by Handel earns an honorable mention because it contains the added challenge of going over the break in a scalar passage. The range is C-C. Scipio is located in Festival Solos by Standard of Excellence.
Thanks for reading. Download your printable clarinet solo recommendations here. Comment below to share YOUR favorite clarinet solos, and be sure to subscribe for more from ClarinetGeek.com.
Happy Clarineting,
Amy
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