Description
What makes Habits of a Successful Beginner Band Musician unique? Features include:
- Teacher tips for each exercise in the book.
- Diatonic solfege that begins on the first day of instruction.
- Initial exercises on the mouthpiece, mouthpiece and barrel, reed, bocal and reed, or headjoint prior to playing the first notes in the book.
- Sequential rhythm charts embedded in the book. These same rhythms are then presented with pitches for a seamless transfer to the music students are performing.
- Technique and skill-building exercises embedded within the method, which helps to prepare students for future Habits exercises.
- The introduction of the key of Concert C, which results in students playing the pitches B, E, and A more often (as opposed to the typical emphasis on B-flat, E-flat, and A-flat).
- The introduction of five keys: Concert B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, C, and F. The Concert G scale is also provided in the back of the book.
- Left (L) and right (R) indicators for woodwinds along with appropriate chromatic alternate fingering indicators.
- Shaded boxes around first-time challenges in the student books.
- A thorough explanation of (T:1) for trombones and rules for when to use it.
- Rhythm vocabulary that progresses through quarters, eighths, dotted rhythms, sixteenths, and an eighth and two sixteenths.
- The sequential introduction of the one-handed breakdown of a percussion rudiment before introducing the rudiment itself.
- The use of the “enharmonic ladder” and the “call-and-response game” to learn enharmonic notes.
- A thorough explanation of and markings for the “F dilemma” on oboe.
- An explanation of appropriate flicking on bassoon.
- Two pages of slow “clarinets only” work that focuses on going over the break and throat tones.