Band Today, Part 1: Trombone Book

Band Today establishes a pedagogically sound sequence that moves students from fundamental concepts through practical musicianship without overwhelming them. The method integrates seamlessly with Ployhar's broader curriculum, so supplementary materials, ensembles, and solo arrangements extend learning naturally rather than requiring piecemeal assembly from different publishers. Trombone players get writing that respects their instrument's full range and slide mechanics from the start.

Straightforward and encouraging. The writing assumes competence from the instructor while meeting students exactly where they are, introducing slide positions and basic articulation with clarity before advancing to more expressive playing. Each page builds confidence through achievable goals rather than jumps in difficulty.

Trombone players in beginning band classes, instrument-specific lessons, and full band instruction who need a method that builds fundamentals methodically without skipping essentials. It serves students from their first day on the instrument through their first year of serious study, assuming no prior musical experience.

• Mark slide positions clearly in the early pages using the charts provided. Students who see the visual correlation between position numbers and written notes internalize slide mechanics faster than those who guess.
• Separate breath marks from articulation markings when rehearsing. This clarifies whether a silence is structural (end of phrase) or stylistic (tonguing preparation), helping trombonists develop consistent air support.
• Play the recorded accompaniment during individual practice sessions. Hearing your part within the full band texture builds intonation awareness and rhythmic precision that isolated practice cannot develop alone.
• Address pedal tones and alternate positions as soon they appear in the material. Trombone students who delay understanding these concepts create gaps in their technical foundation.

Use this as the core text for your first-year trombone class, moving through it sequentially during the fall semester. Pair it with supplementary exercises from the Contemporary Band Course technic books and ensemble arrangements to reinforce specific concepts as your full band rehearses corresponding material from the band books.

• Slide position reading and muscle memory (positions 1-7)
• Fundamentals of breath support and tonguing
• Half-note, quarter-note, and eighth-note rhythms in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 time
• Interval recognition and pitch accuracy in the basic trombone range
• Coordination between breathing and slide movement
• Concert band ensemble playing and blending with other brass voices