Chop-Monster, Book 2 Cover Image

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

$19.95 USD
$19.95 USD
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Chop-Monster, Book 2 Cover Image
Chop-Monster, Book 2: Trombone 3 Book & 2 CDs

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

By Shelly Berg

Item: 00-251582
$19.95
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Description
Chop-Monster is a sequential jazz improvisation method by acclaimed jazz pianist and educator Shelly Berg that utilizes a "call-and-response" approach: students listen to a jazz idea, imitate it until it is internalized, and then "try it on their own." In Chop-Monster 1, students will hear and improvise to the Ima7, iimi7, and V7 chords in the key of B-flat, plus a basic blues progression. In Chop-Monster 2 students will hear and improvise to the ii-V-I progression in three keys (concert B-flat, E-flat, F).

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Additional Details
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 40
ISBN10: 0-7390-3145-7
ISBN13: 978-0-7390-3145-2
UPC: 038081213101
SKU: 00-251582
Instrumentation: Trombone 3

More about this title

About the Author: Shelly Berg

Shelly Berg

Shelly Berg commands the jazz piano with the energy of a natural performer. The Los Angeles Times calls him "a powerhouse jazz pianist who always swings hard," and his technical facility is matched by his harmonic sophistication. A finalist in the 1988 Great American Jazz Piano Competition, Berg has served as pianist and arranger for trombonist Bill Watrous, earning Dave Brubeck's endorsement as "a great jazz pianist who has a total command of his instrument."

Beyond the bandstand, Berg has built an impressive career in composition and orchestration. His television work spans ABC's Fudge, CBS's A League of Their Own, and HBO's Dennis Miller Millennium Special, while his film credits include Warner Bros.' Almost Heroes and Three to Tango and Fox's Men of Honor. As Chair of Jazz Studies at USC Thornton and former president of the International Association for Jazz Education, Berg has shaped jazz education nationally and internationally through his teaching, clinics, and published methods including the Chop-Monster series.

Why we love this

Berg's call-and-response method removes the mystery from jazz improvisation. By having students internalize patterns through listening and imitation before attempting their own ideas, Chop-Monster builds confidence alongside musicianship, making it possible for young brass players to genuinely swing.

What to expect

Working through these pages feels like having a patient jazz mentor in the room with you. The call-and-response format makes improvisation feel less like improvisation and more like conversation. By the time you're trying ideas on your own, they feel natural because they've already lived in your ears.

Who it's for

Trombone 3 players in a jazz ensemble who have completed Book 1 and are ready to tackle the ii-V-I progression across multiple keys. This is for students who learn by listening and internalizing patterns, not just by reading theory.

How to get the most out of it

  • Listen to the recorded ideas multiple times before attempting them. The rhythmic pocket and articulation matter as much as the pitches.
  • Practice the ii-V-I progression in all three keys until you can recognize the harmonic movement by ear, not just by reading the page.
  • Record yourself improvising to the accompaniment tracks and listen back critically. What worked? Where did the phrasing feel natural versus forced?
  • Connect the ball-and-response exercises to real tunes in your jazz repertoire. Hear how the same harmonic patterns show up in standards you're learning.

How to use it

Dedicate 10-15 minutes of each rehearsal to a new etude from Book 2, cycling through them over several weeks. The ii-V-I progression is the backbone of jazz language, and having all three trombone parts working through it simultaneously builds ensemble cohesion and gives everyone the same harmonic vocabulary for more complex arrangements later in the year.

Skills your students will build

  • Hearing and imitating jazz phrasing and articulation
  • Improvising over the ii-V-I progression in multiple keys
  • Understanding harmonic movement by ear rather than memorizing chord names
  • Building fluency with jazz rhythm and swing feel
  • Translating what you hear into your own musical voice

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