Band Today, Part 2: Trombone Book

Ployhar's Part 2 volume continues the methodical, confidence-building approach that makes the Contemporary Band Course a classroom standard. The progression respects where second-year trombonists actually are musically while introducing the technical and musical demands they need to meet intermediate band repertoire. Unlike generic method books that feel disconnected from real ensemble playing, this book integrates musicianship development with the rhythmic and melodic vocabulary students encounter in their band's library.

The book maintains steady forward momentum through its 32 pages, building confidence without overwhelming the player. You encounter familiar musical patterns mixed with new technical challenges, so each exercise feels achievable yet purposeful. The writing reflects Ployhar's classroom experience: there's room for success alongside genuine growth.

Trombonists in their second year of study or students who have completed a foundational method and are ready for more sophisticated rhythmic figures and musical independence. This book suits players in intermediate concert bands (typically grades 6-8 through early high school) who need systematic development of tone production, slide technique, and ensemble awareness before tackling advanced literature.

• Balance slide movement with air flow from the start of each exercise; rushing the air to compensate for slow slide technique creates intonation problems that compound throughout the book.
• Approach dynamic changes gradually across multiple exercises rather than attempting them all at once; mark three to five exercises where you'll focus on one specific dynamic, then rotate the focus.
• Anchor lower register exercises to your breathing pattern before moving between registers; a consistent breath placement prevents the register jumps from feeling abrupt or uncontrolled.

Deploy Part 2 as your primary trombone instruction material throughout second-year band studies, supplementing it with full-ensemble arrangements your band is rehearsing. Assign exercises that reinforce whatever rhythmic or articulation concepts the full band is working on that week, creating continuity between solo study and ensemble performance. This alignment turns individual practice into direct preparation for repertoire rather than a separate activity.

• Slide technique and position security across the trombone range
• Dynamic control and sustained tone production in varied registers
• Rhythmic accuracy in mixed meters and syncopated figures
• Articulation styles (staccato, legato, accents) and their musical application
• Breath support and phrase management for longer melodic lines
• Sight-reading of intermediate clef and key signature combinations