Charting the Course, E-Flat Book 1: E-Flat Instruments Method Book

These six tunes land in the pocket—groovy, accessible, and built on the harmonic and rhythmic languages your students actually hear in jazz radio. From the bossa feel of Porto Alegre to the funk of Steam Punk Funk, each chart has personality and swing without asking players to stretch beyond what grade 2 fundamentals support.

E-flat players in grade 2 through 2.5 jazz ensembles who are ready to move beyond unison melodies into real small-group textures and improvisation. This collection serves sections with a mix of experience levels, since flexible three-part writing lets stronger players voice higher parts while developing players anchor the foundation.

• Assign roles strategically across your E-flat players before the first rehearsal. The three-part flexible instrumentation means different voices can anchor the harmony or carry the melody depending on who you have; pre-score those decisions so rehearsal time goes to ensemble blend and rhythmic unity.
• Start with the transcribed solos during initial run-throughs, even if your players eventually write their own. Singing through a master solo first (or having a strong player demonstrate it) establishes the melodic shape and phrasing language of each tune before anyone attempts improvisation.
• Use the play-along tracks strategically. Rotate which section sits in each rehearsal; one week the lead player solos over the band recording, next week a mid-range voice takes a chorus. This builds confidence and prevents burnout on any single player.
• Lock the rhythm section voicing in the rehearsal before you focus on solo work. Clean comping and steady time underneath make the soloists' jobs exponentially easier.

Sequence this collection across a full semester of jazz band rehearsals, learning one or two tunes at a time so you have room to build solo writing and performance. The transcribed and suggested solos make each tune a complete curriculum unit. You can program individual charts in festivals or smaller combo performances, or run all six as a concert set once your ensemble owns the material.

• Reading jazz chord symbols and realizing changes on E-flat instruments
• Building solo phrases from suggested themes and harmonic frameworks
• Listening to and transcribing melodic and rhythmic ideas from recorded solos
• Playing three-part jazz voicings with balance and ensemble intonation
• Comping and maintaining steady time as a rhythm section or supporting role
• Understanding scale-to-chord relationships across common jazz progressions