Chop-Monster, Book 2: Trumpet 3 Book & 2 CDs

Shelly Berg designed this method from the ground up around how jazz musicians actually learn: listen, absorb, then create. The call-and-response structure cuts through the intimidation many young players feel about improvisation. By the time students reach Book 2, they're working with ii-V-I progressions across multiple keys, gaining the harmonic fluency that opens doors to real jazz playing.

Opening the CDs, you hear the rhythm section lock into the groove while a voice calls out a phrase. It's inviting, never condescending. The progressions have room to breathe, giving you space to try ideas without the pressure of a fast-moving harmonic landscape. By the end, you're not just playing changes; you're having a conversation with the music.

Trumpet players with solid fundamentals who are ready to move beyond reading written lines and start thinking melodically. This book is essential for jazz band members aiming to develop real improvisation chops and for any trumpet student curious about how jazz musicians construct solos.

• Spend time with the recorded models before attempting your own lines. Internalize the phrasing, rhythmic placement, and articulation choices you hear on the CDs.
• Don't rush the progression through all three keys. Lock one key thoroughly before moving to the next; the muscle memory and harmonic confidence you build carries over.
• Treat the call-and-response as a conversation, not a competition. Match the energy and tone of what you hear, then find your own voice within that framework.
• Record yourself improvising over the accompaniment tracks. Playback reveals rhythmic habits and melodic patterns you might not notice in the moment.

Integrate this into your jazz band curriculum as the core improvisation text, running parallel to your ensemble repertoire. It works especially well in the fall and winter when you're building ensemble cohesion; individual students work through the book at their own pace while the band rehearses arrangements. For all-state audition prep, this gives candidates a proven method for developing the fluency judges listen for.

• Recognizing and internalizing ii-V-I progressions across concert B-flat, E-flat, and F
• Constructing coherent melodic lines over jazz chord changes
• Call-and-response listening and imitation as a pathway to independent improvisation
• Jazz articulation, phrasing, and rhythmic placement specific to the trumpet
• Harmonic fluency that extends beyond single-key playing