The Best of Shorties, Volume 2: Tuba Book

This collection solves the real scheduling challenge of pep band: you need sharp, instantly recognizable music that lands in under two minutes. López's tuba writing here is idiomatic and fun without ever sacrificing musicality or voicing clarity. You get 18 ready-to-go options that actually sound polished, not like filler music.

These arrangements burst with recognizable energy. You get everything from classic pop hooks ("All Star," "Any Way You Want It") to sports anthems and movie themes, each one trimmed to its most essential, catchy core. The tuba voice stays in a comfortable register and usually carries the root of the harmony, which means your player stays grounded while the melody floats above.

Any director building a pep band library or needing reliable time-out music for marching season. Tuba players at the intermediate level (grades 2.5 to 3) will find parts that are straightforward enough to learn quickly but musical enough to take pride in. This book works equally well for bands that march full shows and those that focus primarily on sideline entertainment.

• Lock the sousaphone/tuba line with the electric bass part early; these two voices define the harmonic foundation on every chart, and their rhythmic unity matters more than perfect balance with the melody section.
• Check the keyboard voicings before your first read-through. López often voices chords differently than you might expect, especially in the bass register, so knowing what the left hand is doing will help your tuba player sit in the right harmonic pocket.
• Treat the drumset and tuba rhythm section as one unit during sectionals. The pocket on these shorter charts is tight and energetic; if the drums rush or drag, the tuba part will feel disconnected no matter how well it's played individually.
• Isolate any syncopated rhythms unique to your tuba part and drill them separately before full ensemble rehearsals. With 18 different charts in this book, your player will benefit from knowing their specific rhythmic fingerprint on each one.

Build your pep band rotations around these charts. Use them as walk-on music, time-outs, or quick crowd-pleasers during halftime. Because they're short and high-impact, they're perfect for learning new material on a tight schedule or filling in when fuller arrangements aren't needed. Rotate through them across your season so your band stays fresh and your audience always hears something different.

• Reading and executing syncopated rhythmic figures in a section context
• Balancing harmonic support with rhythmic precision in a rhythm section
• Adapting tone and articulation style across multiple musical genres within one book
• Sight-reading proficiency through exposure to 18 different arrangements and styles