Trombone Book Ranking

[toneovertune]

I thought it would be fun to rank pedagogical books based on which have the most interesting concepts and how they are covered. I am curious about how other people would rank them. Here are some options, feel free to add more.
If the question is worded confusingly, another way to put it is if you could only ever use one of them, rank based on which you would take.

Brad Edwards Lip Slurs
Sam Burtis The American Trombone
Edward Kleinhammer's Art of the Trombone
Charlie Vernon A Singing Approach to the Trombone
J.B Arban Complete Method for Trombone and Euphonium
Brad Edwards Trombone Craft: A Musical Approach to Building Tone and Technique
Mantia The Trombone Virtuoso
Walter Beeler Method for Trombone

[Posaunus]

... if you could only ever use one of them, rank based on which you would take.

Aha. The "desert island" trombone book competition!

[tbdana]

If I could only have one to learn from I'd have to go with Arbans, even though that's my last preference, because it's the most complete in terms of content.

[BGuttman]

In place of Arban's I would suggest the LaFosse Methode Complete. It's got everything Arban's has plus clefs and some duets.

[hyperbolica]

Yeah, I would second the LaFosse set, its huge and includes a lot of stuff even beyond Arbans.. Mantia is also very good for basic fundamentals. I don't think you can limit studies or practicing to just a single book. There are so many books that cover different areas of playing that were important growing up.

All Rochut
LaFosse Sight Reading and Style series
Snedecor
Blazhevich
Kopprasch
Kahila
Schlossberg
Bitsch Rhythmic Studies
Marsteller
Edwards

Bass bone-
Aharoni (non- classical)
Ostrander (bass bone fundamentals)
Edwards

Non-trombone
Top Tones for Trumpet
Bach Cello Suites
Galliard flute sonatas
Telemann flute suites

You also have to include jazz instruction of some sort some jazz etudes, transcribed solos, chord work, improv...

If i could really only pick one, it would be Arbans, Rochut or LaFosse

[Thom]

Arban's is the best for all around practicing, if you can only have one, IMHO(H=humble)

[Mingmonk]

Sam Burtis: Time, balance &connections
André Lafosse' méthode complète de trombone à coulisse (3 volumes)
Michael Lake: trombone improvisation savvy

Have ears on Christiane Bopp, French trombonist (my teacher); she plays with the Orchestre National de Jazz and Sylvaine Hélary's Orchestre Incandescent

Philippe Montagne
Tromboniste amateur

[timothy42b]

If I could only have one to learn from I'd have to go with Arbans, even though that's my last preference, because it's the most complete in terms of content.

Ah, but which one?

The original treble clef version is public domain. And if you're a digital user, you don't even need to print it.

But a trumpet teacher out there (Clint Mclaughlin) took the public domain version and rewrote it with greatly expanded range. The original doesn't go above high Bb, and that just doesn't cut it for a total solution. At one time that version was available free also, I'm not sure if it still is.

[drbucher]

Reginald Fink's Trombonist's Handbook, 1977, especially Chapter 17: Intonation.

[CalgaryTbone]

If I could only have one to learn from I'd have to go with Arbans, even though that's my last preference, because it's the most complete in terms of content.

Ah, but which one?

The original treble clef version is public domain. And if you're a digital user, you don't even need to print it.

But a trumpet teacher out there (Clint Mclaughlin) took the public domain version and rewrote it with greatly expanded range. The original doesn't go above high Bb, and that just doesn't cut it for a total solution. At one time that version was available free also, I'm not sure if it still is.

I use the Arban's (original trumpet book) for my students. We use it the way that it was used when I was a student - use different clefs and adjacent keys to play it in different ranges, etc. Treating it like tenor clef (add 2 flats, use tenor clef lines/spaces) is the original keys/range. Change the key to B major rather than B flat, and you're working on your sharp keys. Put it in Alto and you can have 2 keys in a higher register. Read it as Bass clef and now you're playing into the valve range. In addition to working in different keys for familiarity with technique in more difficult keys, I also find that intonation gets better for the students too. After playing exercises in familiar B flat, they notice that the intervals aren't quite as secure in B. They also catch any missed accidentals in their own practicing because the intervals are familiar from the "easy" key. Reading the book in bass clef is a good starting point for young bass trombonists. You can expand on this method by adding octave changes in the various clefs.

Jim Scott

[robcat2075]

I would disqualify the Arban's and any others that begin by having the student tongue with "tu". That is building-in failure.

I was taught from the Arbans for several years in high school. I review it today and see it as a collection of mostly mechanical etudes dutifully covering the numerous technical possibilities of a brass instrument but neither so well-ordered nor so well-varied as to be a strong program of progressive study for a learner.

It is something a proper teacher might teach from here and there when it can fill some gap but as the "GRANDE MÉTHODE COMPLÈTE" it claims to be, it is painfully antiquated.

In the last 15 years, as I have surveyed instructional materials for cello, I have discovered it IS possible to do this "method book" thing in a far better fashion.

[Wayne]

I am only using one book at present: Rich Willey's Focal Point.

Using the material and ideas in it as my daily workout has done a lot to make me able to play the stuff I come across in the groups that I play with.

As a catalogue of scales and intervals the Arban's is useful. It was in my practice bag for a couple years.

But if the question is that I can not have any other physical musical input in my life I'd probably keep my Real Book.

[harrisonreed]

Brad Edwards "Lip Slurs" should be the Bible for low brass.

What he put in the book is gold. What he hints at but leaves out is platinum.

[mbarbier]

Brad Edwards "Lip Slurs" should be the Bible for low brass.

What he put in the book is gold. What he hints at but leaves out is platinum.

Agreed. Between that and his Trombone Craft book, one can have a pretty great desert island.

[Midnightboner]

La Fosse -Arban-Trombone Craft & -Lip Slurs -All the play along books by Mike Davis are excellent -Ian Bousfield Unlocking the Trombone code-Philip Sparke Super Studies - Eric Crees and Peter Gane How trombone players Do It - Bach Cello Suites- Rochut Melodic Studies 1,2&3-Daniel LaSalle TrombOlympic -Remmington Warm up Studies edited Hunsberger