Arban's Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet is a method book for students of trumpet, cornet, and other brass instruments. The original edition, Grande méthode complète de cornet à pistons et de saxhorn, was written and composed by Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825-1889) and published in Paris by Léon Escudier in 1864. It was reissued by multiple publishers, with notable revisions made by published in 1879 by J.W. Pepper; Edwin Franko Goldman, published in 1893 by Carl Fischer; and Claude Gordon, published in 1982 also by Carl Fischer. It contains hundreds of exercises ranging from basic to advanced compositions, with later editions also including a selection of popular themes as solos and duets by various composers, and several original compositions by Arban including his famous arrangement of Carnival of Venice.

Structure

Introduction

In the introduction, Arban covers the range of the cornet (trumpet). He also details alternate fingerings and describes the use of the tuning slide. Arban says in his opinion that the mouthpiece should be two-thirds on the lower lip and one-third on the upper. Arban then stresses the proper "attack" technique. He uses the "tu" pronunciation, which in French is said with the tongue in the "tee" position. Arban concludes with proper breathing technique (see diaphragmatic breathing).

I. First Studies

Arban then begins his method with a focus on tone (Studies 1-10). The next studies (11-50) familiarize students with fingerings and develop their range. These studies intend to instill in the student precision in attacking the notes. The next section, devoted to syncopation, goes from a simple quarter-half-quarter rhythm to a sixteenth-eighth-sixteenth repeated rhythm. Arban next focuses on the dotted eighth-sixteenth and eighth-double sixteenth rhythms. He ends the First Studies with 10 studies on the meter.

  • My First Arban; For the Developing Student
  • Arban Method for Trombone and Baritone
  • Arban’s Complete Conservatory Method for Trumpet
  • Arban’s Famous Method for Trombone
  • Complete Conservatory Method for CC Tuba

References