Selections from Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: Instrumental Solos, Volume 1: Trombone Book & CD

These arrangements capture the swagger and energy of their source material without oversimplification. You'll find yourself inhabiting the blue-eyed soul of "When a Man Loves a Woman," the rock-solid groove of "Honky Tonk Women," and the breezy sophistication of "Both Sides Now," each with its own character. The accompaniment CD makes the experience feel like playing in a real ensemble rather than practicing in isolation.

Trombone players at the intermediate level (grades 4-7 typically, though placement depends on individual progress) who are ready for solo exposure but not yet tackling advanced classical literature. Students benefit from working with well-known melodies, which lets them focus on tone, phrasing, and rhythm without the cognitive load of learning entirely unfamiliar material. This collection works equally well for the serious hobbyist, adult learner, or young musician exploring contemporary solo repertoire.

• Balance your tone against the recorded accompaniment during the play-along tracks; these arrangements feature full orchestration that can easily mask a thin or unsupported sound, so focus on projection without forcing.
• Pay close attention to the demo tracks on the CD before learning the solo part; hearing the original song's groove and phrasing will inform your interpretation and help you lock into the feel of each arrangement.
• Watch the rhythm section's pocket on uptempo tracks like "Soul Man" and "Rock Around the Clock." These songs groove, and your accuracy with sixteenth-note figures and syncopated rhythms makes or breaks the energy.
• Use the slide positions marked in the part as written; the arrangers have selected specific positions to keep the tone consistent and the intonation centered, especially in the upper register passages.

Build a "Golden Hits" concert pairing these solos with other Level 2-3 repertoire, or use them as transition pieces between classical selections to showcase the breadth of what your students can do musically. They work beautifully as pre-contest warmups since students already know these melodies, reducing performance anxiety. Consider programming one or two each across several concerts throughout the year rather than clustering them all in one performance.

• Reading and executing syncopated rhythms in contemporary pop-rock contexts
• Sustaining tone quality and intonation in longer melodic phrases
• Interpreting groove and phrasing cues from recorded accompaniments
• Balancing melody against fuller ensemble accompaniment without oversinging the line
• Navigating position changes smoothly across a two-octave range