Chop-Monster, Book 1: Tuba Book & CD

Shelly Berg built Chop-Monster on a pedagogically sound principle: students absorb jazz language through listening and imitation before inventing their own lines. The call-and-response structure, reinforced by the accompanying CD, makes this method work for tuba players who might otherwise feel isolated learning jazz vocabulary. The progression from Ima7, iimi7, and V7 in one key through a basic blues gives students immediate, playable success without overwhelming harmonic territory.

Chop-Monster Book 1 feels like having a jazz mentor in the room with you, breaking down language into digestible phrases and waiting for you to catch on before moving forward. The call-and-response format makes improvisation less intimidating; you're never starting from scratch. As you internalize each phrase and begin improvising your own responses, the music shifts from a guided exercise into genuine creative play within clear harmonic boundaries.

Tuba players new to jazz who need a structured entry point into improvisation. This book works equally well for middle school jazz ensembles introducing brass players to improvisation and for high school or college jazz programs adding tuba to their rhythm section. It suits students who learn effectively through imitation and repetition.

• Listen to the CD tracks multiple times before attempting to imitate the given jazz phrase. Train your ear to recognize the exact rhythm, articulation, and inflection of each model before you echo it back.
• When you reach the "try it on your own" section, focus on maintaining the rhythmic pocket established in the call-and-response. Even if your melodic choices are simple, locking into the groove matters most.
• Pay close attention to the articulation markings and how the recorded tuba executes them. Jazz articulation differs significantly from classical brass technique; use the CD as your reference for tonguing, slurring, and breathing patterns.
• Practice the backing chord progressions (Ima7, iimi7, V7, and blues) on their own until they feel natural under your fingers. Knowing what harmonic territory you're improvising over makes generating ideas much easier.

Use this book in a jazz ensemble setting where the tuba section or a single tuba player needs systematic improvisation training alongside band or ensemble rehearsals. The 40-page length and clear progression make it suitable for a semester-long unit on jazz fundamentals, with CD tracks used in sectionals or individual practice to build fluency. Students completing Book 1 will have internalized foundational harmonic concepts and jazz articulation, preparing them for Book 2 and more sophisticated ensemble arrangements.

• Call-and-response imitation of recorded jazz phrases
• Improvising melodies over Ima7, iimi7, V7, and blues chord progressions
• Jazz articulation and inflection on tuba
• Internalizing harmonic function by ear
• Building rhythmic confidence within a groove