Chop-Monster, Book 1: Trombone 3 Book & CD

Chop-Monster Book 1 cuts through the intimidation that surrounds jazz improvisation by grounding it in call-and-response learning; trombone students hear a phrase, absorb it by ear, and then step into it themselves. The included CD provides the essential models and backing tracks that make independent practice real, and the sequential focus on specific harmonic territories (Ima7, iimi7, V7, and blues) means your section can build vocabulary without getting lost in harmonic abstraction.

Conversational and playful, with the confidence of a master sitting beside you at the piano, playing a phrase and waiting to hear you play it back. The recorded models swing with genuine ease, and the backing tracks push gently without rushing, inviting you to find your own voice within the harmonic structure.

Trombone players in jazz ensembles who are ready to move beyond charts and learn improvisation through direct listening and imitation. This book works for middle school through early high school players, as well as adults new to jazz, provided they can handle the trombone's slide mechanics with basic competence.

• Listen actively to the recorded examples multiple times before attempting to play along; the goal is internalization through imitation, not reading.
• Practice the call-and-response tracks in short sessions (10-15 minutes) to maintain focus on melodic accuracy and phrasing rather than rushing through pages.
• Sit with the recorded blues progression for several days before improvising over it; let the harmonic feel settle into your ear first.
• Record yourself during the "try it on your own" sections and listen back to identify which phrases sit comfortably in your range and which need adjustment.

Assign this as individual study material for your trombone section during the first part of the jazz season, before or alongside your ensemble's chart reading begins. The skills students develop here transfer directly to their ability to improvise on the band's actual repertoire, and players who complete Book 1 will be ready for the ii-V-I progressions in Book 2.

• Call-and-response listening and transcription by ear
• Improvising over Ima7, iimi7, and V7 chord changes
• Phrasing and articulation in a jazz context
• Blues improvisation and vocabulary
• Intonation and tone adjustment while focusing on melodic shape rather than written notes