14 Lessons for the First Year Trumpeter

This book was written to be used in a private lesson setting but could also be used as a classroom method or as a supplemental resource.  All the exercises and etudes within will support and extend the trumpet classroom curriculum.

Here are a few notes about the book:

*The 14 lessons are designed to be used during the student’s first year.

*The book is designed to be started after the students have learned their basic fundamentals of posture, breathing, hand position, embouchure and articulation. I start using these lessons once the student can play a C, D, E, F and G. Everything my students do prior to starting in the book is hand written on their assignment sheet.

*The book is very sequential. Not all of my students make it to lesson 14 by the end of the year. Most make it to lesson 10, which is why lesson 10 is mainly a review. 

*Starting with lesson 3, the first page is dedicated to warm-ups and technique. The second page consists of songs that reinforce the new technique.

*The keys presented are Concert G, C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, and Db.

*Rhythms progress from whole notes to triplets and various 16th rhythms.

*Various musical concepts such as dynamics, repeats, endings, retards and fermatas are presented. Staccato, legato, and accents are addressed in the final lesson.

*The warm-ups notes change as the student progresses although the concepts remain the same. This way, the students won’t just play by rote - they have to think. I always tell my students that the first page is the most important.  The warm-ups for lessons 12 to 14 change from the previous lessons to reflect the type of exercises we will be doing during their second year.

Included with this digital download:

*14 two - page lessons designed to prepare the first year students for their second year of trumpet playing.

*Scale sheets.

*A chromatic handout.

*Duets that mirror the concepts presented in each lesson.