Approach to Practice
From the beginning you should set yourself a goal. Many people learn clarinet because of a desire to play like their favourite artist (e.g., Buddy De Franco or Benny Goodman), or to play a certain style of music (e.g., Jazz, Blues, Rock or Classical).
Motivations such as these will help you to persevere through the more difficult sections of work, but don’t set your immediate goals too high at first. Aim for something within your reach and update your goals as your playing develops.
It is important to have a correct approach to practice. You will benefit more from several short practices (e.g., 15-30 minutes per day) than one or two long sessions per week. This is especially so in the early stages, because your lips and facial muscles are still developing.
If you want to become a great player you will obviously have to practice more as time goes on, but it is still better to work on new things a bit at a time. Get one small piece of information and learn it well before going on to the next topic. Make sure each new thing you learn is thoroughly worked into your playing. This way you won't forget it, and you can build on everything you learn.
Within each practice session, you should divide your time evenly between the study of new material and the revision of past work. It is a common mistake for semi-advanced students to practice only pieces they can already play well. Although this may be more enjoyable, it is not very satisfactory. You should also try to correct mistakes and experiment with new ideas. Finally, don’t forget that you should always practice with a metronome to ensure that you develop a good sense of timing.
