Using the Arban

The J.B Arban Cornet Method, is many trumpet players 'bible'. It really helps to improve tounging, tone, range, ornamentation and overall technique. Each section begins with very basic exercises and ends with much harder, more demanding exercises. This book is therefore perfect for a trumpeter at any stage.

The Arban is particullarily useful for developing double and tripple tounging. This is a very important technique for all trumpeters as sometimes passages are too fast to single tongue perfectly. The sections start off simply, with repeated notes and as the book progresses the exercises become much more difficult with more intervals and movement. Double and triple tounging is something that should be practised every day in order to be maintained and developed.

The exercises are useful for warming up as well as the slur exercises beginning on page 39. Slurring is an important exercise for brass players and although is not easy at first, gets much easier as time goes on (as long as you practise regularily!) and the muscles in your lips become stronger.

I also like the exercises in intervals (from page 125 onwards). These will help to improve your range and make high notes much easier to play from nothing. Exercise 38 on page 36 is also very useful for developing intervals.

Each section has a written introduction explaining how each technique should be acheived and faults that should be avoided.

Part 3 of the book (191 onwards) contains 18 technically demanding pieces and also 14 very demanding studies which make use of most of the techniques covered in the rest of the book.

This book is a must for all trumpet players and should be a feature of every practise session. It will really help to develop technique which can be applied to all types of music.