This publication is comprised of Austrian composer Wolfgang Gabriel's two volumes of original Etudes, supplemented by recommended preparatory exercises by bass clarinetist Michael Davenport. The challenging Etudes are intended for the accomplished clarinetist wishing to develop as a bass clarinetist, or for the performer already comfortable with the bass clarinet and in search of further study and preparation for difficult repertoire.

While the fourteen Etudes of Volume 1 each focus on a particular challenge, the twelve Etudes that comprise Volume 2 expand into more developed short compositions. In the composer's words, "they are not meant as mere exercises, but as little pieces of music, the player need not be ashamed of."