Project Scope

Instrumentation: Clarinet duet (two equal clarinets)

Difficulty: Grade 3-4

Duration: 5 movements, total time 10-13 minutes

Buy-in: $35

Student: $20

Deadline: January 15, 2025

Anticipated Delivery: January 31, 2025

Listen to a demo of the first, fourth, and fifth movements!

Benefits:

• Name (and Institution, if applicable) listed in the score
• Score delivered via PDF
• Educators may print copies as needed for their studio
• All consortium performances are considered premieres and may be labeled as such in their concert programs. There is no cutoff date for these performances.
• Group video chat session with the composer if five or more people sign up

If you need an invoice instead of purchasing via this page, please fill out this form

Scores will be available to the general public beginning March, 2025

Consortium members – thank you!
Lynda Dembowski (Anne Arundel Community College)
Timothy J. Graf
Ryan Kellerman
Dr. Elisabeth Stimpert (University of Central Missouri)

Project background

As a private clarinet teacher, I’ve noticed that once students move into general band music, they rarely play in the clarinet’s lowest register. Unfortunately, that leads to students not knowing note names or fingerings for ledger lines below the staff. The exceptions are students who move to bass clarinet.

As Dr. Deborah Andrus discusses in her excellent book, “The Chalumeau Register,” there are fundamental aspects of playing clarinet that benefit from studying those low notes. We can get away with a lot of ills that resurface as problems later when trying to expand range upward. By working on some of those issues without the pressure of playing ever higher notes, we can develop good habits and techniques earlier.

To this end, I’m composing a suite of duets that focus on the chalumeau and throat tones, aimed at high school students. These will move students beyond the basic introduction to low notes found in beginner books and early band literature. Students will become familiar with enharmonics and alternate fingerings.

An additional benefit of focusing on this range is that any two equal clarinets can play these duets (two Bb, two bass, etc). As the auxiliary instruments often don’t cooperate as well in higher ranges (don’t get me started on school horns!), this allows those players to access more challenging music without it being overly frustrating.

The chalumeau register is beautiful and doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves.