40 Rhythmical Studies: Trombone (B.C.) Book

Yaus strips away harmonic complexity and focuses entirely on rhythm, which means your trombones spend 40 studies building solid time feel and subdivisions without getting tangled in intonation problems across changing chord changes. The unison format keeps the focus laser-sharp on rhythm execution, and the "interesting" approach to division of measure means students won't feel like they're grinding through a dull workbook.

Straightforward and methodical. Each study is a rhythmic challenge isolated from harmonic distraction, so students experience the clarity of getting rhythm right without the cushion of chord changes. The unison writing creates focus and accountability.

Trombone players in middle school through early high school concert bands who need focused, scaffolded work on rhythm reading and subdivision without the added demand of harmonic thinking. This book suits ensemble contexts where the brass section needs a common language around pulse and division of measure before tackling more complex full band repertoire.

• Use a metronome starting at a moderate tempo and mark the exact subdivision you're practicing (eighth notes, triplets, sixteenths) so you can speak the rhythm before playing it.
• Keep the sound steady and centered on the staff, since intonation variables won't mask rhythmic sloppiness the way they do in full harmonies.
• Separate one or two studies per rehearsal rather than racing through the book; rhythm absorption works better with spacing and repetition.

Use this as a section warmup book or standalone drill sequence rather than as a concert or recital piece. It works well in the early weeks of a season when you're resetting rhythmic fundamentals, or as ongoing maintenance alongside your main concert repertoire.

• Reading and executing rhythmic division of measure (quarter notes, eighths, sixteenths, triplets)
• Maintaining steady pulse and subdivision awareness
• Confidence navigating easy key signatures while focusing on rhythm
• Consistent rhythmic articulation and phrasing across a full study