Brass Tactics Third Edition-Just Published!

Brass Tactics teaches you what you need to know about playing a brass instrument for fun or profit (or both). Whether you are a student, semi-pro, comeback player or aspiring professional, this book will help you develop the knowledge and the skills that will make playing a brass instrument a joy, rather than a chore. (Mostly…)

 

A bit of history: The first edition of Brass Tactics was published thirty years ago. A subsequent volume was titled The Brass Tactics Companion. Those two books were eventually combined and revised for the Brass Tactics Second Edition.

 

Some years later, the Brass Tactics 6/60 Routine was published, an eight-step practice routine that has been likened to circuit training for athletes. It covers all the bases of sound production including tone, range and technique in about an hour.

 

In this, the third (and probably final) edition of Brass Tactics, the information from previous volumes has been extensively revised, and the complete 6/60 Routine, originally published as a separate book, is included.

 

Brass Tactics is a compendium of tips, techniques and ideas , based on the author’s nearly 50-year career as a professional trumpet player, and an extensive amount of research into various schools of thought regarding the ancient art of blowing into a brass tube and demanding union scale for the result.

Brass Tactics is the first really sensible and fun book for today’s trumpeters. The information is realistic, encouraging, and comprehensible.

Bobby Shew (Los Angeles, CA)

 

Brass Tactics gives students a complete approach to the basics and beyond, while providing a comprehensive guide to the other important and pertinent literature that they will be utilizing all of their musical life. It is an invaluable resource!

Marvin Stamm (New York, NY)

 

Chase Sanborn has a uniquely logical approach to playing the trumpet, with the musical part of this challenging endeavor always in mind. Brass Tactics is a must for every trumpet player’s library.

Ron Romm (Sarasota, FL)

 

Brass Tactics is an amazingly effective and comprehensive method book. Chase Sanborn is a GREAT trumpet player who knows EXACTLY what he’s talking about!

Jens Lindemann (UCLA)

 

Brass Tactics is the coolest trumpet/brass technique book I have ever seen. There’s some pretty funny stuff in there too! Brass Tactics rocks!

Adolfo Acosta (Tower of Power)

 

Brass Tactics is a first-class method that is clear and concise.

Jim Thompson (Eastman School of Music)

 

I am incredibly impressed by the clarity of thought, the attention to detail, and the very correct ideas that are presented in Brass Tactics. Chase Sanborn’s book is excellent for the beginner, but is also completely relevant to any professional. Absolutely fantastic!

Andrew McCandless (Toronto Symphony)

 

Brass Tactics provides a practical and all-encompassing guide to playing while plugging you into the real world as a brass player. Chase is the Marcella Hazan of brass playing!

Guido Basso (Boss Brass)

 

Brass Tactics shows you how to handle yourself in any professional or amateur situation. No trumpet player, at any stage, should be without this book.

Dennis Najoom (Milwaukee Symphony)

 

Brass Tactics offers a comprehensive wealth of information, written by a widely-experienced player who has the ability to pass on his experiences in a positive and encouraging way.

Eddie Severn (Birmingham, UK)

 

FINALLY, someone has written a brass book with the correct priorities!

Paul Navarro (Lyric Opera of Chicago)

 

Brass Tactics provides welcome insight into the world of the modern professional musician. For the advancing player who is serious about his art, or anyone considering a career as a professional trumpet player, this book is a must-read.

Review: International Trumpet Guild Journal

 

I have never seen so much valuable information, not only about playing the instrument, but about every other aspect of being a musician covered so completely.

Phyllis Stork (Stork Custom Mouthpieces)

 

Brass Tactics is a very important text for all trumpet players!

David Baldwin (University of Minnesota)

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
William Penn

 

The Brass Tactics 6/60 Routine was originally published as a separate book, now included as part of the Brass Tactics Third Edition. This routine was born out of several considerations:

• Playing a brass instrument is an athletic activity and must be approached as such.
• There never seem to be enough hours to practice everything we want and need to practice.
• Most of us don’t use our practice time as effectively as we could. Distractions are ever present.
• Concentrated effort is effective and efficient.
• A well-balanced menu is as vital for a brass player as it is for a human being. ☺

 

The 6/60 Routine can be likened to circuit training. It consists of eight exercises to be performed in a specific sequence. Each exercise is carefully timed, including rests. No exercise takes longer than 6 minutes. The entire routine can be performed in less than 60 minutes. (See what I did there?)

 

A COMPLETE WORKOUT
The eight exercises that comprise the routine address virtually all aspects of sound production:

• Long notes
• Short notes
• High notes
• Low notes
• Loud notes
• Soft notes
• Slurred notes
• Articulated notes
• Scales
• Arpeggios
• Finger dexterity
• Leadpipe buzzing
• Mouthpiece buzzing
• Flexibilities
• Long tones
• Note bending
• Whisper tones
• Initial attacks
• Tonguing (Single / Double / Triple)
• Tone
• Endurance
• Intonation
• Mental Focus

 

LEVELS / VARIATIONS
Each exercise is presented in three different levels. Six of the eight exercises are presented in two variations, so that two different routines are available at each level.

 

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION
The most effective way to practice the routine is to perform one exercise after another with minimal rest in between. But each exercise takes you through the full range of the horn and can be performed separately, like a mini routine. This is a good option for those whose schedule more easily accommodates a number of shorter practice sessions throughout the day, rather than one longer session. Once you realize how much can be accomplished in just a few minutes, you’ll discover there are more opportunities to practice than you may realize.

 

WHO IS THIS ROUTINE APPROPRIATE FOR?
The routine is presented in three levels to suit a range of players from intermediate to professional. A trumpet bias is evident, but all brass players face similar challenges and the exercises can be adapted to any brass instrument.

 

USING THIS ROUTINE, HOW LONG SHOULD I EXPECT IT TO TAKE BEFORE I HAVE A CONSISTENT DOUBLE C?

Between one week and never.