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What method books do you have students use in private lessons and why?

What advantages and disadvantages are there to those books?

I teach both tuba, euphonium and trombone lessons at the middle and high school level and I want to find a good book or series of books to use with students, but am unfamiliar with most other than Brass Gym, Breathing Gym and the standard Blazhevich, Bordogni and Kopprasch books.

My favorite method books, and why (no particular order):

1. Tyrell 40 etudes- For me, they do not feel like exercises, each one is its unique tune, full of musical intrigue. They cover a variety of keys, styles, and technical challenges, although most stay in the "quick" tempi. They are good for any level, though for the younger students, doing section-by-section teaching would be less overwhelming.

2. Snedecor Low Etudes- These work out the low range (obviously) but are similar to the Tyrell in that they cover a variety of keys (especially the 4+ sharps -- get your kids out of "band" keys) and styles. Bring an oxygen tank, and make sure your students are making MUSIC down there.

3. Bordogni/Ostrander- Melodious etudes- Same ol' Bordogni, but since these were transposed to a bass trombone-friendly range, I use these to work on middle/mid-high range on CC and mid-low range on F -- I also use the Robert King and Rochut ones for various range workouts.

4. Robert King Kopprasch- Once you get past the first dozen, they stop being fun, and will make you WORK. There's a reason horn players hate (and love?) this book.

I use the Brass Gym a lot, too.

with HS students I usually use the Rubank Advanced method. it is organized by key and has exercises for scales and apggios, melodic interpretation, articulation, special techniques such as trills and other ornaments, and flexibilty. The solos are not so hot, so I use other etude and solo books, such as the Canadian Brass Series, Solos for the Tuba Player. There is neat book by Sy Brandon called Holiday Etudes, which used to be available through TUBA press, but I am not sure if it any longer.
For younger students, Michael Davis has a neat series called Just Add Tuba with includes a play along CD. Check out his website Hip-Bone Music. He has books available for all brass instruments.


kk

If MS and HS, I have always liked David Uber. I am fortunate to now publish a series from David that I discovered in his files after he passed away:

http://www.cimarronmusic.com/catalogsea ... rogressive

They are generally short, lots of different styles and not taxing in terms of range.

You can't go wrong with Kopprasch. Look for volume 1 and 2 (Low and High originally) of this soon from me

Good luck!

For the beginner and intermediate student, Robert Getchell's "First Book of Practical Studies" is excellent. They are simple and smoothly progressive. (there is also a Second book). The more advanced student can play the studies down or up the octave.
I'm from the"keep it simple" school of practicing. For basic sound, time, phrasing work, these are great. (They are also fantastic Bass Trombone exercises.)

In the order that I introduce them.

1) Getchell Book One and Two. I like these because they contain a LOT of repetition of idiomatic rhythms and melodic patterns.

2) Tyrell 40 Advanced Etudes For Bb Bass coupled with the Reginald Fink Studies In Legato, Bordogni after this. Also Arnold Jacobs Special Studies (in back of the Hal Leonard book).

3) Bower Murphy Advanced Etudes (best tuba etudes on the planet).

4) Walter Sear Advanced Etudes.

Thanks Brian for pubishing those Uber books. In particular I like the "12 Etudes for Solo Tuba." They are wonderful for dealing with interpretation, but tend to be more for F than CC tuba, though for some the e above middle C is not really an issue these days. I could also see using these as unaccompanied recital material.

Ken K. mentioned my Holiday Etudes as a suggestion. You can find where to buy them at my website http://cooppress.net" target="_blank Thanks Ken for recommending them. They are fun to play.

Sy Brandon

Hope this doesn't sound pompous, but books of etudes, while being essential, aren't "method books". So there's been some very good recommendations for method books AND etude books, but the traditionalist in me keeps saying "ARBAN! ARBAN!"

I started using the Arban trumpet book with my private teacher in 6th grade, and I have the little rubber stamped "good job!" characters to prove it... even then I remember the first studies were dull, but my teacher kept me at it. I was still working with the Arban's book in grad school, and still grapple with the Characteristic Studies. Let's face it, if you can master HALF of what's in the Arban book, you'll be a monster player. On top of that, now you don't have to read it in treble clef (although that's good practice too)

Peter Popiel's edition of the Bousquet Etudes is a good addition to those already mentioned, and so are the Gallay Etudes from Robert King. As a SmartMusic aficionado, I love playing the Bordognis with it!

Books I used when taught by Sam Gnagey, Harvey Phillips, and Paul Ebbers include Arban's, Blazevich, and the "Melodius Etudes". Rubank's is a very nice beginning book.