Essential Solos for Trumpet: Trumpet Book & CD

Harrington grounds every solo in real jazz language rather than trumpet-centric patterns, which means students internalize actual vocabulary they'll hear in performance. The backing tracks make this genuinely playable in practice rooms without needing a rhythm section, and the demo recordings model authentic phrasing and dynamics that students can't get from notation alone.

Straightforward and swinging. These aren't decorative etudes; they're actual jazz language that sits naturally on the trumpet and moves through standards with the ease of someone who has spent years in the idiom.

Trumpet players working toward jazz fluency who need concrete models of how experienced improvisers construct solos over standard chord changes. Students preparing for jazz competitions, auditions, or ensemble placements will find these solos directly applicable to real performance contexts.

• Listen to the demo first without the book open. Let your ear absorb the phrasing and swing feel before you see how it's notated.
• Sing each solo out loud before playing it. This cements the melody in your muscle memory and reveals where you're relying on fingers instead of sound.
• Work with the backing track at a slower tempo initially, then gradually increase speed as the solo becomes automatic.
• Record yourself playing along with the backing track and compare your sound and timing directly to the demo.

Use individual solos as technical exercises during sectional rehearsals, or assign them as preparation for jazz ensemble auditions. They also work well as listening assignments paired with professional recordings, helping students develop ear training alongside their own playing.

• Jazz phrasing and articulation in swing style
• Transcription and imitation from recorded models
• Chord-tone soloing and targeting guide tones over standard progressions
• Rhythmic flexibility and swing feel in structured contexts
• Building personal lick vocabulary from authentic sources
• Listening and ear training through comparison with demo recordings