Technic Today, Part 3: Baritone T.C. Book

Technic Today, Part 3 is authored by someone who understands what baritone players actually need to solidify their intermediate skills. Ployhar designed this book as a direct technical complement to Band Today, Part Three, meaning every exercise connects to repertoire your students are already learning. The progression is natural and purposeful, making it feel like part of the journey rather than busywork.

The 24 pages feel deliberate and focused, never overwhelming. Each page presents a challenge that connects to real skills baritone players encounter in concert band literature. The exercises have a purposeful quality that comes from decades of classroom experience; Ployhar knows exactly where intermediate baritone players struggle and builds solutions.

This book is written for baritone players working through the later stages of the Contemporary Band Course who need targeted technical development beyond the main method. Advanced-intermediate band students benefit most from its carefully sequenced drills and exercises. Directors using Band Today in their curriculum will find this an essential resource for keeping baritone players technically sharp.

• Use the exercises to isolate technical passages from your band's current repertoire. When a passage trips students up, turn to the corresponding skill-builder in this book and work it separately before returning to the full score.
• Establish a weekly routine where baritones tackle one new page with focused attention to tone and accuracy rather than speed. The 24-page format lends itself to steady, consistent progress.
• Encourage students to see these exercises as extension work for the method, not replacement work. The supplemental approach means they complement lessons, rehearsals, and their Band Today assignments.

Assign one page or section weekly as a technical supplement during the year you're working through Band Today, Part Three. The material works best when integrated into regular baritone lesson planning or sectional rehearsal time, keeping technique development steady without pulling focus from repertoire. Directors moving ensembles from intermediate to early advanced repertoire will find this book bridges the transition smoothly.

• Articulation clarity and consistency across multiple styles
• Interval accuracy in both stepwise and disjunct motion
• Tone production and intonation at dynamic extremes
• Reading fluency in keys and meters used in contemporary band literature
• Technical passages requiring rapid fingerwork and breath control