Product Description
This authoritative guide provides all the pedagogical, historical, and technical material necessary for the successful instruction of brass. Chapters discuss the historical development of individual brass instruments and focus on technique, including guidance for teachers and a complete method for brass playing. Individual instrument chapters include lists of recommended study material and reference sources. An audio CD of concert-hall recordings of all the exercises in the book is new to this edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Complete Guide to Brass book/CD
Book was in good condition, but the CD was snapped in half.
I'm not sure that was mentioned in the item description, but for $70, it probably should have been.

Fits the description
Book arrived in timely fashion; fit the description.Had a few minor dings and tears in the little binding holes, but otherwise, I recommend this seller!

A must have Low Brass Book....
The book is awesome, price and delivery were almost flawless accept for the missing CD. Online Amazon advertised the book with CD included, no CD was included in package. So please list accurately in the future...

Good techniques book for those not familiar with brass instruments!
This book has great info on the various brass instruments, exercises and fingerings for the more common instruments. It is the required text for my college's Brass Techniques class for music teachers with little or no brass background. Overall a good buy, especially for those looking to get basic info before they start teaching instrumental music.

Get this book!
I took a course in teaching brass instruments at the University of North Texas this past semester.Scott Whitener's book was one of the texts used in the course.I believe that anyone wishing to learn more about brass instruments would benefit from reading Scott Whitener's book.He discusses the basic concepts of brass playing, mouthpieces, trumpets, trombones, tubas, horns, baritones/euphoniums, breathing, articulation, posture, instrument care, tone production, and the historical development of brass instruments.Enjoy! ... Read more

Product Description
Kristian Steenstrup:

Teaching Brass Second Edition

Published at Aarhus University Press


Ass. Professor of trumpet at The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus Kristian Steenstrup has published the book Teaching Brass, which is a scientific exposition on brass technique and - pedagogy.

Trumpet player Kristian Steenstrup (born 1966) received his Diploma Exam at The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus in 1992. He has had additional studies at Northwestern University in Chicago with Vincent Cichowicz and studied privately with Arnold Jacobs and John Henes.

He has played with the major orchestras in Denmark and has been employed as associate professor at The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus since 2000.

He has given master classes in Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Danish Military orchestras, The Guildhall School of Music, London College of Music, The National Music Academy in Estonia and conservatories in Scandinavia a.m.o.

Kristian Steenstrup has been appointed as visiting professor at the London College of Music 2004-2005

149 pages ISBN 87 988393 3 0 ... Read more

Product Description
A brief introduction to each of the brass instruments. ... Read more

Product Description
Three's a Crowd is a highly flexible series of books designed to encourage young people to play together in various combinations of numbers and instruments. Perfect for group instruction, the books feature trios of familiar melodies in classical, folk and jazz styles. These instrument books feature matching arrangements so they can be used interchangeably within each "level" (Junior Book A, Book 1 or Book 2), or with their corresponding piano accompaniment book with guitar chords. Great material for solo, duet or trio playing! Book 2 offers 19 easy intermediate level trios. Contents: A French Frolic * Allegro (Mozart) * Bill Bailey * Buffalo Gals * Dance of the Swans from Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky) * Ding Dong! Merrily on High * Ecossaise (Beethoven) * Fur Elise (Beethoven) * Grandfather's Clock * Greensleeves * Minuet (Mozart) * O Come, All Ye Faithful * Pyramids * Radetzky March (Strauss) * Rag Doll * The Big Brass Band * The Entertainer (Joplin) * The Yellow Rose of Texas * Traditional Tunes of Scotland (medley). ... Read more

Product Description

This complete book presents an approach to playing and teaching brass instruments that is based on the fundamental skills of good listening and good respiratory practices. It emphasizes the importance of developing these and other traditional skills—such as embouchure development, articulation, tone quality, range and stamina—through musical ideas rather than isolating on individual muscular behavior. Careful attention is paid to the natural way in which learning takes place in other skills and shows how such processes may be applied to learning to play a brass instrument. Chapter topics cover the art of teaching, listening, developing a concept of sound, posture, breathing, mouthpiece playing, the warm-up, slurring, intonation, endurance, taking auditions, playing high pitched instruments, performance anxiety, and professional ethics. For teachers who deal with brass students at all stages of development.

Customer Reviews (1)

A Must Have For a Pro...or Beginner!
This book is short and sweet. I have been performing and teaching brass performance for a number of years, and this book encompasses several approaches I have learned to brass playing. It is easy to read, functional, and eliminated many aloof ideas about how to play a brass instrument. The work covers everything from breathing, how to develop *your* tone, and even tips and guidance on auditioning. I would highly recommend this book to High School students who want to further thier music education. It will help you build very solid foundation, and help guide you into the many years of music to come. This book should also be in the library of any music educator, whether it be middle, high school, undergrad, advanced, or doctoral studies. It truly is a Brass Bible! ... Read more

Product Description
In the history of brass instruments, few developments can rival the early nineteenth-century invention of the valve for enduring significance. Nevertheless, the acceptance of valved brass instruments proved controversial, as newspapers and other documents repeatedly attest. Christian Ahrens (Ruhr-Universität Bochum) in his important monograph, Eine Erfindung und ihre Folgen: Blechblasinstrumente mit Ventilen (1986), devotes considerable attention to this heated controversy, as he traces the early use of valved brass instruments in the realms of art music, military music, and Volksmusik. Stressing social and aesthetic issues over the more familiar mechanical aspects, the author draws on a rich body of journalistic source material to detail a compelling reception history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Entertaining, informative, and challenging to our preconceptions about the development of brass instruments.
I grew up playing the trombone from 5th grade through my freshman year of college.By the end of high school I was playing in the orchestra, the symphony band, marching band, wind ensemble, and dance band.What a lot of fun!Many of my friends were fellow musicians and I enjoyed becoming familiar with all the other instruments.Of course, I learned more about how they worked and transposed during my college studies in music theory.This book is a translation of a 1986 German monograph by Christian Ahrens of Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany.Steven Plank has rendered the book in lively and enjoyable English and we owe a debt of gratitude to Pendragon Press for bringing this 135 page book to us in 2008.

This thoughtful and well researched look at the history and development of valved brass instruments during the 18th and 19th Centuries shows us that our usual assumption that new technology supplants the old shortly after arrival is naïve at best.We live in a time of standardized mass production and we forget how recent an innovation this is.Even the mass production of the second half of the 19th Century would appear rather artisanal to us.See the illustrations on pages 95, 96, and 97.Prior to that, all manufacturing, including musical instruments, was done in very small quantities and without the kind of standardization that became the hallmark of the 20th Century.Look at the chart of instrument makers in just Paris from 1769 through 1892.Imagine having 180 companies making just pianos just in Paris in 1847.I suspect we don't have that many in the entire world today (don't count "brands", which are often made by the same companies to sell into various price ranges).Brass instruments, the subject of this book, rose from 2 in 1769 to more than 20 in 1847 and 1855.After that the numbers go down, but the quantities of the surviving firms go up.

The book has nine chapters plus an introduction.They cover a history of valves on instruments.Here we learn that they began earlier than suspected and the early examples were awkward to use and produced tones that did not smoothly transition and were rejected by virtuoso natural horn players.Chapter II provides testimonies of period musicians on their thoughts about valved horns.The third chapter is very important because we learn about the reticence of art musicians and serious virtuosos to adopt horns, trumpets, and bass brass instruments with valves.Chromatic horn effects were achieved by having two or more natural horn players in different keys play the part.Some horn groups were father and son teams who practiced to produce a matched tone.There were also guilds of musicians who worked against the adoption of these new fangled instruments.

Where brass instruments with valves were adopted, developed, and successful were in military bands (chapter IV) and in popular music (Volksmusik).I found it fascinating how the trombone was refashioned into something like our modern baritone to allow marching military bands to not have to deal with slides.Of course, we dealt with it just fine in my high school band and we had baritones, too!As these instruments evolved they also attracted their own brilliant players and from there they migrated into the art music world.Eventually, the guilds who hand blocked valved instruments not only lost the battle and war, they became extinct.We learn about these developments in chapters VI on the social aspects of using these instruments, and chapter VII on the economic changes wrought by these instruments (the rise of the great instrument manufacturers).Chapter VIII covers the way other instruments, especially the grand piano, were improved and developed during the second half of the 19th Century.The summary provided in chapter IX is very nice reading and pulls the entire story together.The illustrations throughout the book are well chosen and illustrate the times and technology very well.

I enjoyed this book very much.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

A deftly written, superbly organized, seminal work of impeccable research
Brass musical instruments are a fundamental aspect of both classical and popular music traditions. With the introduction of metal valves, the capabilities of brass instruments advanced western music even further. The seventh volume in Pendragon's acclaimed 'Bucina, the Historic Brass Society Series', and ably translated from German into English by Steven Plank, "Valved Brass: The History Of An Vention" by Christian Ahrens is an informed and informative descriptive history beginning with the earliest recorded use of valved brass instruments in popular, classical, and military music. Emphasizing social and aesthetic issues in addition to the mechanical aspects of valved brass evolution, Ahrens draws upon an impressive array of historical sources that reflect the highest standards of academic research and reference materials. Of special note are the chapters devoted to 'Valved Instruments in Art Music' (which include the horn, the trumpet, and the bass instruments), 'Economic Aspects of the use of Valved Instruments', and Improvements to Other Instruments and their Evaluation'. Concluding with a concise Summery, "Valved Brass" is enhanced with the inclusion of an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index. A deftly written, superbly organized, seminal work of impeccable research, "Valved Brass" is especially recommended for academic library Music History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
... Read more

Product Description
A conservatory-style approach to the various brass methods, utilizing Beeler's own teaching techniques. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wrong book for me too!
I also believed I was ordering Book 1, but received Book 2. Eventually my son will be moving into Book 2 so I'll hang on to it, but now I have to try to find a copy of Book 1 for lessons we've already started. The description needs updated to clearly reflect which book you are really getting. Nothing wrong with the book itself - just not what is advertised as being sold.

Good but Wrong book
The Beeler books are good method books, but when I ordered this item, I got Book Two, rather than the Book One that is pictured above.Who knows whether this is a one-time or systemic error? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent pedagogical resource
This book has an excellent overall pedigogical approach to brass.Goodhistorical outline of each instrument; good description of accessories;list of recordings for each instrument; group examples that can beperformed with the entire class.An added bonus is a section that includespictures of famous performers and ensembles.The only reservation that Ihave with this resource is that, in my opinion, the ensemble materialsprogress too rapidly.I would strongly recommend this book for universitybrass technique (music education) courses and for public/private schoolmusic educators. ... Read more

Product Description
This unique combination of exercises, instruction, and reference material helps music education students learn to play and teach brass instruments, and is a resource students can use after they move into their teaching careers. Written by five brass players, Teaching Brass addresses the problems of learning and teaching the five principle brass instruments from the viewpoint of an expert teacher on each specific instrument. ... Read more

Product Description
Well-researched history by noted authority traces evolution of trumpets, trombones, bugles, cornets, French horns, tubas and other brass wind instruments. The text is supplemented by over 140 black-and-white illustrations as well as 48 music examples. Corrected and updated by the author, this book remains an indispensable resource for any brass player or music historian. New preface. Bibliography.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

THE MUST-HAVE OF ITS FIELD
Every field has its classic work, and this is it for brass instruments. Not definitive, because nothing could be, but the linch-pin of the library as far as brasswind instruments go.

Great book for brass history
When I ordered this book I was expecting something that closely followed the form Baines had used in his Woodwind Instruments and Their History.This was not to be the case. Instead, it is a detailed history of the brassfamily from prehistoric time to the modern valved era.This is not quiteas exhaustive of a book as I was looking for (something that dealt withmodern valved brass).With all that said it is still a marvelous book andfull of usefull information. ... Read more

Product Description
Collecting antique brass musical instruments involves a fascinating and wide range of subjects, including music history, art history, political history, industrial history, and changing aesthetics. Designed for musical instrument collectors and those who regularly encounter antique brass musical instruments made before 1920, this book features more than 100 original line drawings from musical instrument catalogs as well as interesting new information regarding these instruments. Readers with a background or interest in music and musical instruments will find this book a valuable resource for years to come and one that will enhance their knowledge and collection. Antique Brass Wind Instruments also includes a helpful value guide, a glossary of terms, a bibliography of scholarly reference books, and several appendices of particular interest to beginning collectors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Almost useless
I have 25 years' experience in buying and selling antique wood and brasswinds, so this book was of very great interest. It claims to be a buyers'/collectors' guide but fails miserably. It gives lists of original prices for 19th century brasswinds by only TEN makers without consistent indication of current values. Pictures are arbitrary, poorly reproduced and often too small to be useful. Commonly encountered makers (Boosey, Gautrot, Sax etc) are absent.The "subjective price list" is poorly researched and not limited to antiques.Shame on Schiffer Publishing for publishing this book, it is almost useless. A potential buyer or seller will find little or no value in this book.

Interesting book, limited value to collectors
This book has lots of illustrations taken from old music catalogs andlimited text. Most of the text that is there is quoted from other sources.Information on about 10 companies only and skips some of the largestincluding Conn, Buescher, York, and Boosey and nothing on some of thesmaller old brands like Lehnert. The valuations given are for specificinstruments, and the guidelines for generalized pricing are next touseless, with statements such as: "Valuing antique brass instrumentsis like shooting at a moving target in the dark." All in all somelimited information about a number of companies, and many interesting oldillustrations of historic instruments, but not of much use in determiningvalue of instruments other than the specific ones in the book.

Interesting book, limited value to collectors
This book has lots of illustrations taken from old music catalogs andlimited text. Most of the text that is there is quoted from other sources.Information on about 10 companies only and skips some of the largestincluding Conn, Buescher, York, and Boosey and nothing on some of thesmaller old brands like Lehnert. The valuations given are for specificinstruments, and the guidelines for generalized pricing are next touseless, with statements such as: "Valuing antique brass instrumentsis like shooting at a moving target in the dark." All in all somelimited information about a number of companies, and many interesting oldillustrations of historic instruments, but not of much use in determiningvalue of instruments other than the specific ones in the book. ... Read more

Product Description
The Cambridge Companion to Brass Instruments provides an overview of the history of brass instruments, and their technical and musical development. Much of the volume is devoted to the way brass instruments have been used in classical music, but there are also important contributions on the ancient world, non-Western music, vernacular and popular traditions and the rise of jazz. The editors are two of the most respected names in the world of brass performance and scholarship, and the list of contributors includes the names of many of the world's most prestigious scholars and performers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A GAP-FILLER
On one level this is disappointing compared with, say, the Oxford companions to various subjects, being a series of detailed essays that leave large gaps between them. But taken along with Baines's classic, it documents a lot of significant stuff, notably the role of brasswinds in avant garde music. Don't buy it first -- but do buy it second (if only because this is a field whose entire available English-language literature is feweer than a dozen books) ... Read more

Product Description
Wind Talk for Brass provides instrumental music teachers, practitioners, and students with a handy, easy-to-use pedagogical resource for brass instruments found in school instrumental programs. With thorough coverage of the most common brass instruments - trumpet, horn, trombone, baritone/euphonium, and tuba/sousaphone - the book offers the most topical and information necessary for effective teaching. This includes terminology, topics, and concepts associated with each specific instrument, along with teaching suggestions that can be applied in the classroom. Be sure to look to the back of the book for a "Practical Tips" section, which discusses common technical faults and corrections, common problems with sound (as well as their causes and solutions to them), fingering charts, literature lists (study materials, method books, and solos), as well as a list of additional resources relevant to teaching brass instruments (articles, websites, audio recordings). Without question, Wind Talk for Brass stands alone as an invaluable resource for woodwinds! ... Read more

Product Description
This dissertation investigates the use of wind instruments in Mozart's operas. Where are the origins of Mozart¿s ¿wind band¿? What are the innovative ways in which he uses wind instruments? Why did he employ such full orchestral forces in his later operas and not in his symphonies and concertos? What was the legacy prompted by Mozart¿s use of wind instruments and how did his innovations influence the next generation of composers? The genesis of the classical symphony orchestra is to be found in the Viennese and Bohemian wind bands of the time, combined with the Italian style opera orchestra. This is nowhere more apparent than in the stage works of Mozart. It is Mozart, by virtue of the fact that he was a composer of symphonies, concertos and operas, who was at the forefront of this development. The origins of the ¿high-Classical¿ orchestra are to be found, more than anywhere else, in Mozart¿s mature operas. The synthesis of German symphonic style and the more string dominated Italian operatic style is at the core of this development, and the Viennese and Bohemian fondness for wind instruments was a key factor in this evolution. ... Read more