Comfort, Command & Control in the Trumpet Section: Trumpet Book & CD

Collette cuts through the isolation of solo practice to address what actually matters in an ensemble context: listening, blending, and following the lead player's interpretive choices. The included CD featuring Collette performing all four trumpet parts of Steve Guttman's sectional etudes gives students a clear sonic model for what unified, responsive section playing sounds like.

Practical and grounded in real ensemble work. The writing avoids abstract technique talk in favor of clear, actionable guidance about listening, responding, and supporting the lead. The CD performances are precise and musical, showing exactly how these principles sound in practice.

Trumpet players at the intermediate and advanced levels who regularly perform in sections and want to understand the leadership dynamics and blending principles that make a section sound unified. Bandmasters and jazz ensemble directors will find this especially valuable for players struggling with section cohesion.

• Lock your vibrato to the lead player's vibrato, not to what feels natural in isolation. If the lead player isn't using vibrato, neither are you.
• Anticipate the lead player's dynamic choices rather than reacting to them. Stay slightly ahead aurally and match intensity, not volume alone.
• Use the recorded demonstrations on the CD to internalize how each part sits within the section sound. Listen repeatedly before playing along.

Assign this to your trumpet section during rehearsal periods when sectional independence is a priority. The etudes and recorded examples work well as listening assignments and sectional study materials before or after full ensemble rehearsals.

• Listening and blending with section players
• Following and responding to a lead player's interpretive choices
• Matching vibrato characteristics to ensemble context
• Balancing volume and intensity within a section
• Section intonation and cohesion
• Playing in multiple jazz and contemporary styles