Chop-Monster, Book 1: Trumpet 2 Book & CD

The call-and-response structure mirrors how jazz has always been taught: listen, absorb, try it yourself. By anchoring trumpet 2 players in the specific harmonic territories of Book 1 (Ima7, iimi7, V7, and blues), Berg removes the paralysis of open-ended improvisation and builds genuine fluency. The included CD makes this method work whether your jazz band rehearses once a week or you're coaching students independently.

Playful and purposeful at once. The call-and-response format feels conversational rather than prescriptive; you're learning the language of jazz through imitation and experimentation, not memorizing rules. The blues and dominant seventh sounds unlock a completely different melodic vocabulary than classical training provides.

Jazz ensemble trumpet 2 players who are ready to move beyond written solos and begin improvising with confidence. Students at the middle school through early high school level benefit most from the scaffolded approach, though college players new to jazz can use it as a foundation for more advanced harmonic exploration.

• Listen to each recorded phrase multiple times before attempting it. The goal is internalization, not immediate accuracy; let your ear absorb the contour and rhythmic feel before your fingers engage.
• Practice the transcribed phrases at slow tempos using the CD, then gradually increase speed as the patterns become muscle memory.
• Record yourself improvising over the backing tracks and listen back critically. You'll hear whether your phrasing matches the jazz idiom or if you're reverting to classical articulation patterns.
• Work through the book sequentially. Each chord progression builds on the previous one; skipping ahead will create gaps in your harmonic vocabulary.

Assign this as independent study material during the jazz band season to deepen section depth and individual fluency. Trumpet 2 parts often get simpler written lines in full-band arrangements; this method ensures those players are actively developing as improvisers rather than waiting for their moment. Students who complete Book 1 will bring noticeably stronger ears and more confident comping choices to your ensemble.

• Call-and-response listening and internalization of jazz phraseology
• Improvising over Ima7, iimi7, and V7 chord qualities in B-flat
• Blues improvisation and the blues scale in a jazz context
• Developing jazz articulation and phrasing distinct from classical technique
• Building harmonic vocabulary through repetition and imitation