Trombone Bop Workbook
Why a workbook for trombone? Here are a few observations that inspired the idea. When one learns a “band” instrument, one gains many valuable skills related to being part of this musical organization. Most start around age 10 and stop by the end of high school. When one learns piano, one may start as early as age 3 or 4. Most stop by age 10. During that time, they learn more about the foundations of music than most band students will. Unless the band student has an exceptional director or private teacher, theory and harmony are considered “advanced,” something to be put off into the future, studied in college. For a 10 year old pianist, it’s really no big deal to know theory, harmony, ear training, solfege, harmonization, transposition, multiple clefs, how to jam, how to write. They’ve been doing it all along, since their first lesson. For a serious 18 year old trombonist, it has become a big deal. Those skills seem abstract, intimidating and unattainable and every pianist looks like a genius.
So, I think it’s not a big deal to let beginning, first-year trombonists practice drawing bass clefs, stems and bar lines, identify time signatures, write dynamics, flats, sharps and make simple musical choices. In the T-Bop workbook, each page is full of such opportunities. When elements are introduced, with isolated sections for writing practice, they are directly followed by musical applications. It’s not a big deal to do this while also learning trombone in a methodical and organized way, considering and putting the instrument first, as piano methods do. And for any who may arrive to Trombone Bop 3 (advanced high school/university level), trombonistic and musical skills will be in place.
But this is not the 70s piano workbook of my youth; there is nothing dry about this “workbook.” In fact, it may be fun. It is written and designed in a friendly way for all people of all ages of any musical preference. And when someone finishes writing, drawing and coloring on all 98 pages, it will be a very cool sight to see. It can be used in addition to whatever method one is already using. As a young student, I remember carrying a stack of books to piano lessons and was reminded of this as a teacher, seeing beginners with a method book, a workbook and a writing book.
These observations come from my experiences as both a 10 year old trombone and 3 year old piano student and a teacher of both instruments in Texas and other countries. Written for students at Jacob’s International Music School in Tokyo, our Piano Bop methods (published) and workbooks (not yet publicly published) were created as a response to qualities we felt lacking in piano pedagogy. There we integrated positive aspects of a band education. Now applying ideas of piano teaching to trombone, I hope trombonists can benefit from a higher degree of both rigor and fun.
On @mazon (link below), there is a free preview of the first 22 pages. As with the other T-Bops, the workbook can be acquired worldwide through their excellent print on demand service.