First Division Band Method, Part 2: B-flat Cornet (Trumpet) Book

This method's staying power comes from its rock-solid pedagogical sequence. Students progress through material that builds confidence without overwhelming them, and directors consistently report strong fundamentals and sight-reading skills from students who work through it systematically.

Straightforward and encouraging. The material feels achievable at every step, with familiar melodies and folk songs that keep young players motivated. The progression builds genuine musicianship rather than just mechanical technique.

Beginning trumpet and cornet players in concert band. This method works equally well for players learning either instrument, whether in a school band setting or private study.

• Establish consistent air support before worrying about embouchure adjustments; Weber's early exercises build breath control first.
• Use the correlated material indicated in the text to ensure your full band stays synchronized across all instrument books.
• Work through the sequence without skipping ahead; each line prepares the next one.
• Encourage students to sing exercises before playing them to internalize the pitch and rhythm patterns.

Use this as your foundational method book for beginning brass players. It works best as a primary text during the first year of instruction, with its scope and sequence allowing students to audition for festival selections (it is a Federation Festivals 2020-2024 selection) by mid-year.

• Reading in treble clef with proper note identification
• Rhythmic accuracy in simple and compound meters
• Breath control and sustained tone production
• Articulation techniques using tonguing
• Dynamic control from soft to loud passages
• Understanding of time signatures and counting
• Basic fingering and embouchure concepts specific to brass instruments