Favourite Books of Unaccompanied Music

[2nd tenor]

Part of my practice at home includes the use of books of unaccompanied music. I find working at the tunes in them develops my skills and is more enjoyable than the exercises which are also part of my practice routine.

One of my favourite books is '50 + easy classical solos for trumpet' (by wise publications). Do other members have similar books that they find enjoyable and helpful and if so what are they?

 

[Cornet Nev.]

I used to use quite a selection of books from the easy beginners sort of stuff to quite reasonably difficult, however I found that recording my playing helped a great deal as I could then hear the faults when played back, so I could then address those area's.
Yes I agree that they are fun and a lot more interesting than boring practice routines.
In fact playing stuff for pure enjoyment can be just as helpful as the various routines. There will be the odd few bars of difficult stuff, so get them mastered and you may find then that what was a difficult and similar routine becomes easier too.

 

[pbirch]

I like playing the Bach 'cello suites, they are a great challenge for low brass players in terms of phrasing and musicality.

 

[2nd tenor]

I like playing the Bach 'cello suites, they are a great challenge for low brass players in terms of phrasing and musicality.

Might be a bit too low for a Trombone but out of interest and for others how and where are they available please?

 

[Andrew Norman]

Might be a bit too low for a Trombone but out of interest and for others how and where are they available please?

Here

 

[2nd tenor]

Thank you for the link above into Doug Yeo's site.

The music looks great though the player needs (I believe) to be a bass clef reader and have a Bb plus F instrument. For those who are happier with printed music Larry Clark arranged six cello suites for trombone and the ABRSM seem to have something for Bass Trombone too - as seen on an online auction site.
Edit. Clark has also done a version for trumpet - I guess it's OK for other three valve instruments and/or treble clef only readers.

The cello stuff looks rather 'challenging', but I guess that there's a great sense of achievement when you master it and pleasure from playing classical stuff.

 

[nethers]

The trombone version of this is excellent, available here for trumpet Melodious Etudes For Trumpet Sheet Music By Giovanni Marco Bordogni (SKU: CF.WF7) - Sheet Music Plus

Standard repertoire at many universities, highly recommended.

 

[pbirch]

I have this one, edited by Ralph Sauer, but if bass clef reading is a problem, Ernest Piper wrote a collection of Bach preludes entitled "The Well Tempered Player" that is equally challenging in treble clef

 

[Andrew Norman]

There is a free version of the Suites 1-3 in TC here

 

[alan rawlinson]

Apologies to all for butting in here....

I have just found the site after hunting around the Internet for the name of a slow march played every week at my nautical school inspections - way back in 1948! I have had a love of this brass band music ever since. I can still recall the notes, but the name escapes me. As the school and the bandmaster were RN related, it was likely a marine tune. Was the word 'hands' in the title. ? ( Not the March - Hands across the sea)

Hope someone has a clue here - many thanks. / Alan​

 

[halfcent]

Apologies to all for butting in here....

I have just found the site after hunting around the Internet for the name of a slow march played every week at my nautical school inspections - way back in 1948! I have had a love of this brass band music ever since. I can still recall the notes, but the name escapes me. As the school and the bandmaster were RN related, it was likely a marine tune. Was the word 'hands' in the title. ? ( Not the March - Hands across the sea)

Hope someone has a clue here - many thanks. / Alan​

Hi Alan
Just a suggestion, because it is not a slow march, but you should check out "Nancy Lee". This was often played at RN divisions just before Heart of Oak. "Hand" is not in the title but is in the verse if you were ever singing along under your breath. The RM bands used "Early one morning" as a regimental slow march around 1948 so you could have heard it played regularly as well -but no connection with "hand".

 

[2nd tenor]

Part of my practice at home includes the use of books of unaccompanied music. I find working at the tunes in them develops my skills and is more enjoyable than the exercises which are also part of my practice routine.

One of my favourite books is '50 + easy classical solos for trumpet' (by wise publications). Do other members have similar books that they find enjoyable and helpful and if so what are they?

I remember starting this thread quite some time back and add a tittle or two.
# 50 plus greatest classics by wild music publications. Beginner to intermediate standard, gets harder as you work through the book, the tunes are good to play and good to learn from too. My copy happens to be in Bass Clef and hence I tripped up here and there .......... easy enough and enjoyable for everyone else here though (‘cause you’re all grade eight level plus experts, ;-) ).

# The Winners series by Brass Wind are similarly enjoyable (love my copies) however each of those books (in the progressive series) seems to cater for a narrower ability spread instead - just my compare and contrast, there’s nothing wrong with either route (progression within a series or within a single book).

# Matt Kingston of Big Shinny Brass has a good electronic book that’s marketed as a Cornet book but can be played on other instruments too. See: The Ultimate Cornet Method | PDF tutor book by Matt Kingston.com
It’s a very good resource, if I printed my copy out then I’m sure I’d use it more. Loads of tunes to enjoy and learn from.

 

[2nd tenor]

It’s some time since I started this thread and some new members will both not have seen it and might has something to contribute.

If I have a favourite then it’s Larry Clark’s arragement, for Trumpet, of the Bach Cello Suites - in treble clef and it suits any three valve instrument, published by Carl Fischer. I only manage a small part of that book, but it’s a big book and what I manage is very rewarding (both musically and in skills building).