Fun pieces for grade 1/2 trumpet Options

[Splog]

Hello all.

I have recently taken on a trumpet student, after her teacher retired. She got a merit at grade one, and is making progress with grade two, although she is finding the higher notes a bit difficult. She has learned all the scales and arpeggios, and is practising them from memory and in one breath. She is also very keen to learn more complex rhythms, which we do separately, and she really enjoys.

However, she seems less than enthusiastic about playing her pieces. I think this is because she went straight from doing grade one into learning grade two pieces, and is struggling a bit. She has learned one with a lot of help, but she is not enjoying it. I want to give her a break from playing exam pieces, and give her some real fun stuff to do.

Anyone got any suggestions? Thanks.

[boneman]

Moving from Grade 1 to 2 should not be that tricky really, what pieces are you working on? Sometimes the choice of music can inspire them to do the work!

[sbhoa]

What do your between grade 1 and 2 students usually enjoy?

[Splog]

She is my first student! Have to start somewhere (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) So I'm not that familiar with the repertoire., and everything I have is at a much higher level.

I have been going with the two books she has already; Time pieces vol one, and 30 modern studies. She is playing serenade (C3), but before I started working on her scales was having difficulty getting to the D and E. Now she can play them, but has convinced herself that the piece is too hard. Or too boring, I'm not sure which. She has a lovely tone and is developing the breath control to do the phrasing well. I think she was learning on her own for a while without any help.

There is no pressure on her to do the grade 2 exam, and I am happy to look elsewhere for repertoire for now. I don't know if the other grade pieces would be more fun, or if I should just look for something completely different to play.

To help her develop the high notes we have been going up the harmonic register on the different valves. We call this space music (eg when you play C G C E then change to Eb) and she quite enjoys this.

I could probably do loads of research and find stuff, or write out fun tunes in the notes she can play, but I just wondered if anyone knew offhand of a good book, or particularly good tunes which she would enjoy and would help her learn. I have only had her a few weeks, and I can see that she is making progress. I want to keep it fun.

[Maizie]

A good place to look might be the AB, TG and LCM syllabuses, classical and jazz. That should give you lots of variety of stuff around the G1 level, there's got to be something fun in there somewhere (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Splog]

Thanks for advice. I managed to get to a music shop today and spent some time looking through books. I found a couple of more exciting exam pieces than the ones she has, but it would mean her parents having to buy two new books when they have already bought two. Something to think about investing in if I ever get more students.....

I did find a rather good book with a whole load of jolly tunes though so she can start those next week. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[boneman]

I am sure that the parents would not mind, it is an investment after all!

[saxophile]

From memory, Son No.1 enjoyed a lot of the stuff in:

- Easy Winners (comes with a CD backing track)
- Easy Jazzy 'tudes

both of which he got for his early grades.

(There was another one which I can picture mentally but I can't remember the name of it! This was on the old syllabus, but I can't see anything from it on the current early grades syllabi.)

[Splog]

Thanks for that. I think it was the Winners book I got in the end. Didn't have a CD. She is thoroughly enjoying it, and making good progress. The parents paid for it without question. Will look out for the other one too.

I think if I get more pupils - I teach mainly singing, so this was just a chance conversation with the parent desperate for a brass teacher and I offered to help - these books are worth investing in. The brass syllabus doesn't appear to change that often.

[Alison]

Winners Galore is a companion volume to Easy Winners and equally good. (Great winners is more Grade 4 / 5 - my children have enjoyed all three on a variety of instruments!)

[Aero]

Also try Really Easy Jazzin' About - there are quite a few fun jazzy pieces in there, all around G1-2 level.