Hello all,

I've recently decided to take up the clarinet. I'm an avid jazz drummer and guitarist and have been playing both for around fifteen years, but the time has come for a new challenge! Although I'm hoping to teach myself as much as is possible, I intend to take a few occasional lessons to make sure I don't fall into to many bad habits.

What I'd like to find out is whether or not there are any decent elementary clarinet books with a jazz focus. I've got my hands on a copy of the Rubank Elementary Method, but it would be great to get hold of something more genre-specific, not least from the point of view of keeping myself motivated! If anyone has any recommendations, I'd be extremely grateful.

Thanks in advance,

Matt

Hi Mike here from w yorks
I have a number of jazz clarinet books I bought on amazon, most with a cd to play along with
mike

Hi. Does it make any difference which instrument's book you use or what style of music is in there? The blues scale is just a very simplified 8 note scale (it only has 7 notes) but the dotted crochets and quaver format in some types of jazz music is merely that. Nothing special about it. The tunes are entirely those of jazz players past but even these are basically the same as marching tunes with an added swing. At least, all this is my opinion. Others will no doubt disagree