Team Brass: Trumpet & Cornet Book

Team Brass strikes the right balance between playability and genuine musicality. The carefully graded pieces respect where beginners actually are while the variety of styles keeps students engaged across the entire book, and the piano accompaniments transform what could be simple exercises into real ensemble experiences.

Purposeful and spirited. The pieces move through accessible melodies with supportive accompaniments that make students feel like they're making real music from day one. There's room to grow, but no moment where a player feels lost or overwhelmed.

Beginning trumpet and cornet players who benefit from ensemble experience early in their study. This book works equally well for private students exploring group playing and for classroom or beginner band settings where individual progress matters as much as collective sound.

• Use the piano accompaniments from the start. They anchor intonation and give students a sense of playing in a real musical context rather than in isolation.
• Let students choose which pieces to work on together. The flexible structure of Team Brass makes small ensemble pairing natural, which builds collaborative habits early.
• Take time with the style changes. Each new genre (march, waltz, jazz-influenced piece) requires a shift in articulation and phrasing, so rehearse the musical character alongside the mechanics.

Pair this with your beginner band curriculum during the first year when foundational technique is still forming. The range of styles works well as a supplementary book alongside a standard method, or use individual pieces in student recitals throughout the year to celebrate incremental progress.

• Reading in treble clef with increasing rhythmic complexity
• Playing in ensemble while maintaining individual intonation
• Stylistic interpretation (march, waltz, contemporary idioms)
• Dynamic control and phrase shaping
• Listening and responding to piano accompaniment