On this page you will find help on how to structure your daily practice, a complete list of materials available for download, syllabi for those of you who are studying with me at Brevard Community College and Stetson University, a repertoire list, and a list of recordings of interest to trombone, euphonium, and tuba players. Many of these downloads are .pdf files which require Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download this program here. It's free.

 

Daily Practice:  Developing an effective practice routine. Obviously mastery on any musical instrument is only achieved through a great amount of regular daily practice. Additionally the greatest success comes from the efficient use of practice time. Outlined below is what I consider to be an efficient and effective practice routine.

  • Begin with the daily warm-up routine. Developing players need a daily dose of exercises that work toward the development of sound production (embouchure and breath control) as well as flexibility. Developed players, such as myself, need a daily dose of these exercises in order to maintain and refine the skills acquired over the years. During your lessons we will together work out a daily routine that is best for you mostly through the study of long tones, slurs, and lip slurs. In addition facility in all keys and development of the extremes of the instrument’s range are pursued through scale studies. I cannot overemphasize the importance of practicing scales, both slurred and tongued, every day.

  • Proceed to technical and melodic etudes. As you develop you will study progressively more challenging etudes. Technical and musical skills should be developed simultaneously. Etude books specific to your abilities will be recommended during your lessons. Generally you will practice out of both a melodic etude book and a technical etude book.

  • Continue on to solo literature. You should apply technical and musical skills to learning the solo repertoire of the instrument.

  • Finally practice ensemble literature. Whether it is your school band or other ensembles you must be prepared when attending rehearsals.

I highly recommend that you visit David Zerkel's web page at the University of Georgia. Click on resources for some very informative articles about tuba performance.

Materials: Warm-ups, Scales, and Scale Studies downloadable as Acrobat files.

Syllabi:

Stetson University; For my Applied Tuba students your syllabus is here.

Brevard Community College; For my Tuba students.

  • If you are a non-music major and are taking half-hour lessons your syllabus is here
  • If you are a music major taking hour-length lessons your syllabus is here

 

Repertoire: This list is primarily for the more advanced student. If you are a beginning or intermediate player I usually coordinate with your Band Director about what books you should be studying from.

Arban's Complete Method This book can usually be relied upon to provide exercises for most any aspect of your performance that you want to develop.

For Trombone and Euphonium I recommend the version of Arban's Complete Method edited by Alessi and Bowman.

For Tuba I recommend the version of Arban's Complete Method edited by Young and Jacobs.

Trombone and Euphonium Technical Etudes

  • Blume, Studies

  • Blume, 36 Studies for F-attachment

  • Tyrrell, 40 Progressive Studies

  • Kopprasch, 60 Studies

  • Blazhevich, Studies in Clefs

  • Vandercook, Etudes

  • Hering, Progressive Etudes (40)

Trombone and Euphonium Melodic Etudes

  • Bordogni, Vocalises - comes in multiple volumes, begin with volume 1

  • Rochut, Melodius Etudes - earlier version of the same Bordogni vocalises listed above, this a three volume work, begin with volume 1

Special Methods and Books for the Bass Trombone It is usual for a Bass Trombonist to study from both the Trombone etude books listed above and the Tuba etude books listed below. In addition there are books written expressly for the Bass Trombone.

  • The Double Valve Bass Trombone, by Alan Raph

  • New Method for Bass Trombone, Aharoni

  • The Non-Classic Bass Trombone, Aharoni

  • 20 Etudes, Gillis

  • 70 Progressive Studies, Gillis


Tuba Technical Etudes

  • Blazhevich, 70 Studies, this is a two volume work, start with volume 1

  • Tyrrell, Advanced Studies

  • Kopprasch, 60 Studies

  • Vasiliev, Etudes for Tuba

  • Snedecor, Low Etudes

Tuba Melodic Etudes

Tuba Advanced Etudes

  • Fritz, Twenty Characteristic Etudes

  • Maenz, Twelve Special Studies

  • Maenz, 20 Studies for Bass Trombone or Tuba

  • Senon, Kaleidoscope Etudes
     

Solo Repertoire

Euphonium Solos, Advanced Middle School & Intermediate High School

  • Curnow, Rhapsody

Euphonium Solos, Advanced

  • Barat, Introduction and Dance
  • De Luca, Beautiful Colorado
  • Guilmant, Morceau Symphonique
  • Horowitz, Concerto for Euphonium
  • Manita, Believe me of all Those Endearing Young Charms

Euphonium Solos, Very Advanced

  • Boccalari, Fantasia de Concerto
  • Curnow, Symphonic Variants


Tuba Solos, Beginner and Middle School

  • Grieg/Holmes, In the Hall of the Mountain King

  • Handel/Bell, Honor and Arms

  • Bizet/Bell, Carmen Excerpts

  • Mozart/Morris, O Isis and Osiris

  • Schumann, The Jolly Peasant

Tuba Solos, Advanced Middle School & Intermediate High School

  • Haddad, Suite for Tuba

  • Handel/Little, Larghetto & Allegro

  • Hartley, Aria

  • Holmes, Emmett's Lullaby

  • Marcello/Little, Largo & Presto

  • Presser, Sonatina

  • Walters, Scherzo Pomposo

Tuba Solos, Advanced

  • Bach/Bell, Air and Bourree

  • Barat/Smith, Introduction and Dance

  • Beethoven/Bell, Variations on a Theme from Judas Maccabeus

  • Bencriscutto, Concertino for Tuba and Band

  • Beversdorf, Sonata

  • Capuzzi, Andante and Rondo

  • Curnow, Concertino

  • Defaye, Suite Marine (requires a good high register)

  • Frackenphol, Sonata for Tuba and Piano

  • Frackenphol, Concertino

  • Frackenphol, Variations on The Cobbler's Bench

  • Goedicke/Emilson, Concert Etude Op 49

  • Grant, Stuff for Unaccompanied Tuba

  • Gregson, Tuba Concerto

  • Grundman, Tuba Rhapsody

  • Hartley, Sonatina

  • Hartley, Sonata

  • Hartley, Sonata No. 3 for Tuba and Piano

  • Hindemith, Sonate

  • Jacob, Tuba Suite

  • Marcello/Little, Sonata

  • Persichetti, Serenade #12 for Solo Tuba

  • Ross, Villanella

  • Stevens, Suite No. 1 for Solo Tuba

  • Swan, Two Moods for Tuba

  • Shostakovch, Adagio from the Limpid Stream

  • Vaughan Williams, Six Studies in English Folk Song

  • Vivaldi/Morris, Sonata No, 3 in A minor

  • Wilder, Sonata for Tuba and Piano

Tuba Solos, Very Advanced

  • Barnes, Concerto for Tuba

  • Bozza, Concertino

  • Broughton, Sonata” also know as “Concerto

  • Casterede, Sonatine

  • Curnow, Fantasia for Tuba and Piano

  • Ellerby, Tuba Concerto

  • Ewazen, Concerto for Tuba or Bass Trombone

  • Gárdonyi, Sonate

  • Graham, Three Furies

  • Gregson, Alarum for Solo Tuba

  • Jones S., Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra

  • Kellaway, The Morning Song

  • Kraft, Encounters II

  • Koetsier, Concertino

  • Persichetti, Parable XXII for Solo Tuba

  • Penderecki, Capriccio

  • Plau, Concerto for Tuba and Strings

  • Plog, Three Miniatures

  • Stevens, H., Sonatina

  • Stevens J., Salve Venere, Salve Marte for Solo Tuba

  • Stevens, T., Aria con Variazioni

  • Stevens, T., Variations in an Olden Style

  • Wilder, Suite No. 1 ("Effie Suite")

  • Wilhelm, Concertina for Tuba and Wind Instruments

  • Vaughan Williams, Concerto

  • von Koch, Monologue No. 9 for Solo Tuba

  • Woodward, Tuba Concerto

  • York, Sonata

 

Orchestra Excerpts

What Excerpts should I study? A very good start would be to study the excerpts listed by David Zerkel  at the University of Georgia. With permission from the author you may download it here.

  • Orchestra Musician's CD-ROM Library, Three volume collection of complete trombone and tuba parts to many of the more challenging works for symphony orchestra.

  • Cherry Classics, Another CD-ROM Library of complete trombone and tuba orchestra parts available at Cherry-Classics.com

Recordings: A listing of recordings of interest to Trombone, Euphonium, and Tuba players. (As you see this is unfinished work.)

Listen to This

Bones Apart All-Girl trombone quartet playing "Stars and Stripes" is here!
Go to their Web-Site

Trombone; Available through Dillon Music

  • Trombonastics
    Joseph Alessi, trombone
    Ami Fujiwara, piano Barbara Allen harp
  • Bass Trombone
    Orchestral Excerpts
    Jeffrey Reynolds 
    Los Angeles Philharmonic
    Tenor Tuba- Bass Trumpet
    Michael Mulcahy
    Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Available through Walking Frog Records

  • Beyond The End Of The Century -
    Joseph Alessi, Trombone, J. Feldman, Piano
  • EPISTROPHY
    Matt Niess and The Capitol Bones

Available through web links (click on the hyperlink)

Euphonium; Available through Dillon Music

  • The World of the Euphonium
    Vol. One    , Two, Three, & Four
    Steven Mead, Euphonium
    Richard Phillips and
    Joyce Woodhead, Piano

Available through Walking Frog Records

  • Elegance
    Roger Behrend, Euphonium, Richard A. Donn, Piano/Harpsichord, William W. Wiedrich, Piano
  • Euphonic Sounds
    American music for euphonium and piano
    John Mueller, euphonium; Joseph Holt, piano
  • Roger Behrend, Euphonium
    Roger Behrend, Euphonium, Caryl Conger, Piano, Emily Fisher, Harp

Available through Sotto Voce

  • Soliloquies
    Demondrae Thurman, Euphonium

Tuba; Available through Dillon Music

  • Portrait of an Artist 
    Arnold Jacobs
  • Tuba Orchestral Excerpts 
    Gene Pokorny
  • Tuba Tracks
    Gene Pokorny
  • The Romantic Tuba
    Floyd Cooley, tuba
    Naomi Chaitkin Nimmo, Piano & Harpsichord
  • Lollipops
    Patrick Sheridan, Tuba 
    Rich Ridenour, Piano
  • Bon Bons 
    Patrick Sheridan,Tuba
    Rich Ridenour, Piano
  • Dos Amigos
    Patrick Sheridan & Sam Pilafian
  • Gravity is Light Today 
    Roger Bobo, Tuba
    Froydis Ree Wekre, horn 
    Roger Kellaway, piano
  • Getting It Together 
    Sam Palafian, Tuba
    Frank Vignola, Guitar
  • Changing Colors 
    Jim Self, Tuba
  • Ain't My Fault 
    Dixie Power Trio
  • Greetings From Gumboville 
    Dixie Power Trio
  • Out of Control 
    Dixie Power Trio
  • The Virgil Sessions
    Dixie Power Trio

Available through Walking Frog Records

  • Smile
    Marty Erickson, Tuba with Jazz Combo
  • Daniel in the Lion's Den
    Daniel Perantoni, tuba

  • Something Old, Something New
    American Music for Tuba, David Zerkel, Tuba

Available through Sotto Voce

  • Consequences
    Sotto Voce Tuba-Euphonium Quartet

  • Viva Voce!
    Sotto Voce Tuba-Euphonium Quartet

  • Forbes Plays Koetsier
    Michael Forbes, Tuba

 

 

  
   

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