Classic Festival Solos (B-flat Trumpet), Volume 2 Solo Book: Trumpet Book

Moving from baroque counterpoint to American ragtime to lyrical character pieces, this book invites trumpeters to discover what their instrument can express across centuries of music. Each solo feels like a real composition, not a étude disguised as a showpiece.

Advancing trumpet students, typically in the second or third year of study, who are ready for more demanding repertoire and want to experience multiple genres in one book. Directors preparing soloists for festival competitions will find these selections reliable and musically substantial.

• Study the baroque arrangements (Bach and Scarlatti selections) for clarity of articulation and line; these demands transfer immediately to every other style in the book.
• Record yourself playing through the entire volume in order of difficulty; you'll spot where technical or musicality breakthroughs happen, which guides your next lesson priorities.
• Approach the ragtime and comic pieces (The Easy Winners, Road Runner) with rhythmic precision first, then add character; rushing or playing loosely here will undermine the humor and style.

Assign solos from this collection as part of your festival preparation cycle; the graded difficulty means students at different levels can work from the same book. Individual pieces also work well as recital selections or as performance warmers during rehearsals when you want to highlight one student's progress.

• Reading and performing baroque melodic writing with proper phrasing and articulation
• Executing syncopated rhythms and ragtime style with precision
• Sustaining lyrical phrases with consistent tone and breath management
• Interpreting written articulation markings across different musical periods
• Building confidence with contest-level solo repertoire