| Trumpet Pedagogy
Ed et al,
A thread in one of the other forum's regarding method books got me thinking about the current state of trumpet pedagogy. It is a pretty widespread opinion that the bar has been raised very high regarding the current level of trumpet playing all over the world and I think this is largely due to the brilliant pedagogues of the past and present. Luckily many of these pedagogues have been able to document some of their ideas and they are now widely available thanks to international publishers such as Balquhidder, Editions BIM, etc. I thought I would share my experience with some of the methods that I've discovered and that others may not be very familiar with and invite others to jump in and share with us their experience. After all, what is the purpose of a site like TM if not to pool resources?
Some newer (and some older) works that I've had recent experience with are:
James Thompson-Complete Buzzing Book
This has become quite popular and for good reason. I work out of this book daily I've found the concepts incredibly helpful. It is also wonderful that Thompson has included accompanying soundtracks to play along with the exercises. It really helps to solidify intonation, sound, time, and is helpful in thinking of the exercises in a more musical context.
Pierre Thibaud-Method for the Advanced Trumpeter
This book has received less notice and I guess it is understandable why. It is quite challenging and requires a substantial time commitment. It is also difficult to decipher the meaning of some of the text if you're not previously familiar with some of Thibaud's concepts. Much of the book deals with the production of pedal tones which can be frustrating for some people as there seems to be a large learning curve for learning to play them "correctly" (i.e. with a middle setting). I've only been working out of this book a short time but I've already noticed some benefits and I'm very excited to continue with it.
Pierre Thibaud-Chromatic Exercises and Technical Studies for the Advanced Trumpeter
This book of exercises provides some new and interesting challenges beyond those of any other technical studies I've come across. It also includes many different articulation patterns that are challenging in themselves, but really help to conquer each study. The second part of the book is a series of virtuosic etudes. They're very challenging but I find pretty rewarding.
Chris Kase-Twentieth-first Century Technique
In this book Chris Kase has taken the class Clarke technical studies and re-written in various modes and extensions. It is a great adjunct to the original studies in that it really expands the ear while helping to maximize the benefits of the originals.
Also, I haven't received it yet but it was recommended to me by too many great players to ignore it any longer, so I've ordered a copy of Merri Franquin's method. Once I receive it and work out of it for a bit I will update or possibly create a new thread.
-Matthew |