Benny Goodman's Clarinet Method

Benny Goodman's clarinet tutor is a real bargain, with a period flavour nicely complementing a series of valuable exercises and original Goodman swing tunes. It's almost worth buying for the illustrated biography of BG alone. There's a good assortment of traditional mechanical exercises, and more idiomatic studies...

. (For example, No. 46, on p. 43, is a pretty waltz tune worth playing on aesthetic grounds alone, in my humble opinion). It's a paperback, with fairly cheap binding, so will unfortunately disintegrate fairly quickly with frequent use, but then, it will only share the fate of my copy of the Artie Shaw method (also well worth getting - it is sufficiently distinct from the Goodman approach to justify owning both).

The book starts out with a lot of simple exercises on scales, intervals, rhythm, the foundations. If you are taking lessons you will likely know some or most of this. Also includes a few of his songs.

Great for the more advanced student interested in learning some jazz. Most of the book wasn't that hard for the high school student but there were some great fundamentals for the aspiring jazz musician.

Good for beginner through intermediate players. The exercises are more challenging and interesting than the usual "etudes" in other methods. The few solos in the back of the book are just the thing to finish up a good practice session . Good advice too- embouchure, breath etc.

I haven't started playing the BVG music as yet but can't wait to have a go at it. 50 years ago I was pretty good and played a lot of jazz and BG stuff. But aside from that the teaching portion looks like it blends in very well...

with the chosen music. Like I said can't wat to have a go at it.