Concert Duets: Trombone Book

These duets strike the rare balance between musical substance and pedagogical purpose that makes contest season meaningful rather than drill-heavy. Blazhevich writes for two trombones with the kind of idiomatic voice leading and harmonic sophistication that holds players' attention across 64 pages, and the variety of styles and difficulty levels makes this book invaluable for students progressing from intermediate to advanced.

These duets range from lyrical, song-like passages that ask for warmth and connection to more rhythmically driven sections that test precision and clarity. The writing feels purposeful rather than formulaic; Blazhevich gives you something genuine to play, whether that's a tender dialogue or a spirited dance.

Trombone students from high school through college who are preparing contest or recital material, or who simply want to develop musicianship through duet literature that demands real musical thinking. Directors looking for duets that bridge technique and artistry will find immediate, reliable options across multiple difficulty levels.

• Listen actively to your partner's tone quality and dynamic shape, especially in unison passages where blend determines how polished the duet sounds in performance.
• Work through the book in order of difficulty rather than jumping ahead; the early duets establish technical and musical foundations that later pieces require.
• Mark your own breathing points and communicate them to your partner before rehearsing any duet. Coordinated breathing prevents awkward phrase breaks and maintains line continuity.
• Attend to Blazhevich's articulation markings with precision. His staccatos and legato indications define the character of each piece and separate contrasting sections.

Pair duets from this collection with solo works or small ensemble pieces for a recital program that showcases range and versatility. For contest preparation, select pieces that highlight your students' strengths while addressing technical challenges they're actively working on in lessons.

• Balance and blend between two equal voices
• Sustained legato playing with consistent tone quality
• Clear articulation and rapid tongue agility in faster passages
• Musical phrasing and shape across longer melodic lines
• Listening and responding to a partner's musical choices in real time
• Reading and interpreting stylistic markings specific to early 20th-century brass writing