If you are serious about improving your trumpeting skills, you will benefit from a trumpet method book. The books in this review are not meant for beginners. Rather, they are for the slightly advanced player. If you are just starting out with trumpeting, check out this guide of the best trumpet method books for beginners.
Below is an overview of the best trumpet method books.
Best Trumpet Method Books for Advanced Players
#1. Systemic Approach to Daily Practice
This book by Claude Gordon should be in your collection if you want to take your trumpeting skills to the next level. The book will help you to build your trumpeting skills through its focus on range, power, and good endurance.
The trumpet method book is structured as a 52-week study. After the 52 weeks (one year) of practice, you will have a well-functioning and strong embouchure, with an expanded high note register.
The Systemic Approach to Daily Practice is recommended for intermediate to semi-advanced trumpet players.
Our Review
As you go through the book, the exercises become tougher week by week. With that said, this book is not suitable for beginners. You should have at least one or two years of solid playing experience before delving into this book.
Available on Amazon | SheetMusicPlus
#2. “The Arban” Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet
This trumpet method book by Jean Babtiste Arban has everything you need through all the stages of your life as a trumpeter. The book comprises of hundreds of exercises that will help you improve every area of trumpet playing.
We recommend the book for complete beginners to first-class trumpeters.
Our Review
No matter what level of playing the trumpet you are in, the Arban book is for you. The initial exercises are easy but as you progress through the book, the exercises become harder. You’ll have over 400 pages of exercise for beginners, intermediates, and experienced players to go through.
If there is one trumpet method book that will improve your skills, no matter your playing level, it is this Arban book.
Here is a complete review of the Arban trumpet method book.
Available on Amazon | SheetMusicPlus
#3. Technical Studies for Cornet/Trumpet
In the Technical Studies for Cornet/Trumpet, H.L. Clarke will help you build the technical skills that a good trumpet player should have. The book mainly focuses on helping you to improve your endurance, tonguing technique, finger technique, and flexibility.
The trumpet method book comprises of technical exercises that you should first practice so that you can play the “technique etude”. At the end of each chapter, there is a “challenging etude: which you should be able to play after mastering the previous exercises.
This book is written for intermediate, semi-advanced, and advanced trumpeters. Like is the case with the best trumpet method books, the exercises become more difficult as you progress through the book.
This book is not for newbie trumpet players. You should have at least a year of playing if you want to get this book.
Available on Amazon | SheetMusicPlus
#4. Daily Drills and Technical Studies for Trumpet
This book by Max Schlossberg focuses on flexibility and finesse. After going through the book, you will excel in areas like finesse, sound, flexibility, and control.
The method book features a long of long tone as well as air control exercises in the beginning. We love the unique angles presented in the book that will force you to improve your skills as a trumpeter. Other exercises presented in the book include scale exercise, intervals, and more. The book starts with pretty easy exercise and progresses to more difficult ones.
While this book is recommended for intermediate players, you can still benefit from it if you are a beginner. However, we recommend you should have been playing for at least 6 months.
The initial exercises presented in the book are pretty basic. However, the exercises progress to be more difficult as you go along. About 70 percent of the material covered in the book is meant for intermediate to advanced trumpeters.
Our Review
This is a good trumpet method book that will help you develop finesses and play elegantly. The book has excellent exercises on control, which will help you improve your general playing skills and sound.
Available on Amazon | SheetMusicPlus
#5. The Allen Vizzutti Trumpet Method Book (Book No. 1)
In his first trumpet method book, Allen Vizzutti covers the basics of trumpeting. Some of the topics covered in the book include breath, high register playing, long tones, lip flexibilities, finger flexibilities, among others.
The book is clearly explained and easy to understand. There are also tons of exercises that will help you improve one basic skill needed to play the trumpet, after the other.
This book is designed for intermediate to advanced players.
While you don’t need to be an advanced player to benefit from this book, we recommend you should have some playing experience before delving into it. The exercises are presented from easy to hard in a progressive manner.
Our Review
The Allen Vizzutti Trumpet Method Book is well written and the practices are presented in a fun way. This may one day be the “go to” source for trumpeters in the years to come.
Available on Amazon | SheetMusicPlus
#6. Grand Method for Trumpet or Cornet
In this book by Saint-Jacome, you will get all the tools you need to become an excellent trumpet player. The book is packed with tons of exercises that will help to improve your skills.
Like is the case with other trumpet method books, the exercises become more difficult as you progress through the book. Each of the exercises focuses on one aspect of playing the trumpet.
This book is designed for intermediate, semi-advanced, and advanced trumpeters. The book is big and covers a lot of material. No matter where you are in your trumpeting journey, there is something you can learn from the book to improve your skills.
Our Review
Together with Arban’s Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet, the Grand Method for Trumpet or Cornet is regarded as one of the two pillars of modern trumpet pedagogy. You are sure to get value for your money from this book.
Available on Amazon | SheetMusicPlus
What You Should Know About the Above Trumpet Method Books
In our opinion, the above are the best trumpet method books on the market. These six books stand out from the crowd for the years of history and knowledge behind the exercises they have.
Here are some reasons why these books are the best.
Arban Book
First published around 1859, this legendary trumpet book by Jean-Babtiste Arban has been used by tens of thousands of trumpeters around the world. Legendary players swear by this book. Even Claud Gordon, who wrote the Systemic Approach to Daily Practice recommends the book.
With over 400 pages, the Arban is a must-have method book for all trumpeters.
Cornet Book
The Cornet Book by H.L. Clarke is another masterpiece you should have. Clarke was a great composer, soloist, bandmaster, and cornet player. In fact, he is considered one of the greatest cornet players of all time.
H.L. Clarke wrote the Cornet book in 1912, and like is the case with the Arban, the book has stood the test of time.
Allen Vizzutti Trumpet Method Book
When you hear Allen Vizzutti play, you will want to listen to what he has to say. Check the video below:
His three trumpet method books are fresh and different. Moreover, the short musical pieces implemented to accompany the exercises as and interesting and fun to play.
If you are a brass player, you need this book.
Max Schlossberg Book
Max Schlossberg wrote his trumpet book a few years before passing on in 1936. The book stands out for its unique exercises, which will help you in every aspect of playing. In particular, the book focuses on improving your range, finesse, control, and sound.
While this book is not as big as Arban, it has a lot of valuable material. This is one of the pillars of trumpet pedagogy that you should own.
Louis-Saint Jacome Book
First published in 1870, the trumpet method book by Saint-Jacome is above 300 pages. The book is packed with trumpet knowledge from the start, and there isn’t much about playing the instrument that is not covered.
Best Trumpet Method Book
The above are the top-rated trumpet method books that any serious trumpeter should own. If there is only one book I would recommend, then it would be the Arban book.
