Has anyone played this with clarinet and band? What`s the grade level and how complicated is the music?

Actually, I did play this last year in band. i play the Bb Clarinet, and it was really tough. But we played it and played it well. I played it as a Freshman, but I played 3rd Clarinet. 1st Clarinet is very tough. Probably only Seniors in High School and above can play this.

I believe that it must be pretty difficult because the SCSBOA Southern California School Band and Orchestra Accociation Honor Band which if you know what it is you know is something that takes a great deal of skill to be accepted to played it last school year. The Clarinet section leader Oscar in our band was accepted to the SCSBOA Honor Band and being the superb player that he is only made 3rd Clarinet he also met Frank Ticheli while on the Cal State Fullerton campus.However if you are looking for a Challenge then I sugest you try if you have not already the Copland Concerto for Clarinet it`s of great difficulty and is a Great piece of music. I hope this helps you in some way and thank you for taking the time to read this.

We`re playing it this semester at FAU and the graduate students (1st clarinet) are having a lot of trouble with it. I`m playing 3rd clarinet and have no idea how I`m gonna "flutter".

Yes, I played this song my sophomore year in high school. I think it is a grade 5 or 6. I had a great time with this song. I played 3rd part, but I played the solo on my own, and sometimes still do. I didn`t think it was that difficult. If there is a hard part, it is trying to get 15 retarded clarinets to have the same swing feel! lol... Anyway, it is a very awesome song. Our band went to Bands of America that year and last year we went to the Midwest Clinic, so we are used to playing pretty difficult music. Blue Shades will always be one of my favorites!

I`m a junior in high school and principal clarinet in my high school`s wind ensemble and we just got this piece today for our spring concert. From what I saw it`s a piece that takes a lot of skill and lots of practicing to learn. That`s why he gave it to us so early in the year. I haven`t really gotten a chance to really look closely at the piece but from what I saw it`s very technical.

I think it`s a grade five piece, if i remember correctly, and i hope your band is good if they wanna play it

Amazing chart.... Tichelli is an awesome composer... Just a good song.

i play 2nd part on Bb clarinet and am a sophmore in high school. we got this piece about a month ago and i LOVE it! it is very challenging, i think like a grade 5 piece, but i`ve been putting a lot of effort into it. as someone commented earlier the hardest part is getting all the clarinets to have the same type of "swing" style. also trying to combine all the 3 completely different clarinet parts together. we`ll be playing it in the spring and i`m really looking forward to the final outcome of it. Ticheli rocks!

I played 1st clarinet on it. However my band played it for Marching Band comeptitions, so it wasn`t the original version. It was still very, very tough. The orginal version is Grade 5.

We`re looking at playing it, i play Bass Clarinet for the top band in my school *im a junior in HS* and i cant wait to try the bass solo x.x haha.. the clarinet solo seems insane.. i was never that good at clarinet.. :D

Hey guys, where can I get the solo part for Blue Shades (Sheet music for free)? I am going to play that stuff in Green Hope High Band (Cary, NC), as first chair.
Thanks!

If anyone wants a look at the solo, email me - i can scan you a copy. It`s a really fun song, but our entire band has trouble with the "swing" factor. The solo is worth atleast a grade six in itself.

I just happened to come across this forum as I was doing a search for Frank Ticheli. I am a junior music major in college (I play Bb clarinet) and every year, my school holds a competition thing where soloists compete for a chance to perform their solo with the orchestra. I am in search of a piece for solo clarinet and orchestra. I am looking for something maybe somewhat jazzy, along the lines of Blue Shades. So many of the solists in the competition play pretty concertos by composers such as Mozart, Haydn, and Handel. I am looking for something a little different. Does anyone have any suggestions for pieces? Thanks so much for your help!

try the Aaron Copland concerto for clarinet and string orchestra. It was written for Benny Goodman. It`s really different. The first part is very lyric and beautiful, and the second part is very upbeat and jazzy.