First Division Band Method, Part 3: Baritone (B.C.) Book

Part 3 arrives at the moment when baritone players have developed real facility, and Weber's sequencing meets them there with exercises and arrangements that reward their progress without overwhelming them. The method's proven track record across over twelve million students speaks to how thoroughly it works; you're not experimenting, you're drawing on decades of classroom success.

The exercises and arrangements in Part 3 carry a satisfying sense of growth. Students feel the range of their instrument expanding, their fingers gaining independence, and their role in the ensemble becoming more substantial. The repertoire selections celebrate progress without losing sight of the fundamentals.

Baritone players who have completed Parts 1 and 2 and are ready to deepen their technical foundation and begin exploring fuller musical contexts. Directors using the First Division Band Method across their concert band will find Part 3 maintains the same pedagogical coherence that makes the series so effective for mixed-ability ensembles.

• Spend extra time on legato transitions between the wider intervals common to baritone range; the method introduces these systematically, but isolated practice on each interval jump pays dividends in evenness.
• Use the accompaniment parts as written to build ensemble listening habits; baritone voices anchor the harmonic foundation, and locking that responsibility early shapes students' sectional awareness.
• Approach the solo passages with the same attention to articulation and phrasing as you would a solo work; these moments build confidence and musical maturity beyond simple note-reading.

Integrate Part 3 into your full-band rehearsals as the baritone section's primary study material during the middle band year. Pairing these exercises with full-ensemble arrangements reinforces how individual technique supports ensemble balance and tone. The method works most effectively when all sections advance through the series in parallel, creating a unified foundation across your entire band.

• Legato articulation across wider intervals
• Extended range in the middle and upper register
• Independence and accuracy in faster note passages
• Harmonic awareness and sectional balance
• Confidence in solo and featured passages
• Sight-reading of moderately complex rhythmic figures