The Best of Shorties, Volume 2: Electric Bass/Opt. Baritone B.C. (Tuba Double) Book

López's track record with the Shorties series proves he understands what makes an arrangement teachable and entertaining simultaneously. This collection stacks recognizable hits and pop culture hooks against the reality of rehearsal time and personnel constraints, giving your electric bass and tuba players genuinely fun material that doesn't require advanced facility to execute musically.

These arrangements capture the propulsive energy of their source material while scaling the technical demands to fit developmental brass players. The charts pulse with infectious rhythms and clear melodic hooks, creating moments where students can feel the power of playing together without needing virtuosic chops.

This collection works for marching bands, pep bands, and athletic event ensembles at the Grade 2.5 to 3 level who need reliable, crowd-pleasing material that doesn't demand extensive rehearsal to sound polished. Electric bass and tuba players in particular benefit from arrangements that treat their parts as essential to the groove rather than filler.

• Lock the electric bass and drumset pocket before pulling in the full ensemble; these charts live and die on groove precision, and the foundation will carry even modest brass blend.
• Treat the optional baritone B.C. doubling strategically rather than as a given substitute. Use it when tuba strength is limited, but recognize that the original voicing is weighted toward tuba color.
• Study the original recordings for these songs before rehearsal. López's arrangements make specific editorial choices about which phrase to emphasize or which section to strip down; knowing the source material helps you explain his intent to your students.

Build a pep band or halftime show around these titles. They work equally well for concert closers when you want the audience to leave smiling. Mix and match from the collection to create themed sets, pair Celebration and We Are Family for a feel-good finale, or sequence All Star, Dynamite, and Gonna Make You Sweat for a high-energy run.

• Groove-based ensemble playing and pocket awareness
• Reading and executing rhythmic figures across funk, rock, and pop styles
• Balance between supporting harmony and punctuating rhythm with tuba and electric bass
• Stylistic flexibility across 18 distinct musical idioms
• Managing shorter, focused arrangements for performance clarity