The "one book" question

[Roger]

All of us have collected multiples of books over our long/short careers of playing -- techniques, daily routines, exercises for specific purposes, flows, songs, etc. If you could recommend only one book for the average amateur player to use all the time, which would it be?

[John Morgan]

Probably Arbans.

[Sara Hood]

Probably Arbans.

I just had to laugh when I read this response. Arbans has more content than modern method books, easily 5X. There is much more to chose from when practicing. Jean-Baptiste Arbans included a wide range of techniques and exercises for specific purposes. You don't have to work your way up to book three (or whichever it happens to be in the series you are working through) before you get to the advanced material. It's all there, beginner through pro.

Much of the material was based on tunes that were popular during his day. As a modern musician, I just wish I recognized more of them. As a beginner or average amateur player, it is easier to tell whether you are "doing it right" if you already have some idea what is should sound like.

- Sara

[davewerden]

I have said for years that my desert island book is the Arban Complete Conservatory Method. No book has everything, but this one has a great variety. And you can extend it with a little imagination. I did a video a while back about simple ways to expand the book, which might help especially for euphonium players with our extra range:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CPdoZDezdE

[Roger]

I don't know why I expected anything other than Arbans. I first saw it in the 7th grade, used through high school, and was the first book I bought when starting playing again at 70'ish.

[aroberts781]

I will also vote for Arban. As a member of the target demographic, average amateur, it is the book I use the most. I do use Rochut a lot to work on musicality, and I prefer the melodies in there more than the songs in Arban. But, as Sara and Dave said so well, there is so much in Arban from very easy to very challenging, lots of different things to work on, lots of ways to vary it and change it up, etc etc etc.

[hyperbolica]

Arbans is great for technical stuff, but I would choose Rochut 1 because melodies teach you more than exercises.

[davewerden]

Not to be overlooked: the Complete Conservatory Method of Arban has 150 songs in the middle and several full solos at the end, most of which have a verse and a theme. Certainly the Rochut is more advanced musically, and includes some technical challenges, especially when you get to volume 3.

[aroberts781]

To hyperbolica's point, I agree that Rochut 1 would be a good choice as well. When it comes to books, I use it and Arban. As I said above, I prefer the tunes in Rochut more than the songs/solos in Arban, so I do prefer Rochut to Arban in that regard.

An interesting question might be this - if an average amateur devoted their practice time all to Arban or all to Rochut (probably not advisable ha), which average player would be more prepared to make music in a solo or group setting. My uneducated hunch is it would be the Arban player. Just seems to me like that person would have more tools with which to craft the art.

[davewerden]

I would say the Arban student would be better prepared, if the choice were ONLY THE Arban OR ONLY THE Rochut. Many of the Arban's songs are familiar, which can aid one in developing musicianship, especially less-experienced players. To me, Rochut would be introduced after a foundation is learned from Arban, ALONG WITH other music material (cello suites, etc.). But that goes against the whole "one book" focus of this thread.

[hyperbolica]

Exercises prepare you for specific situations. Melodies prepare you more generally to be musical. You need both. I think anyone who works one side to the exclusion of the other is going to be lacking in some way. Most of us older folks have played a lot of both. My wife hates to hear exercises, so I tend to play songs and melodies, trying to keep in mind exercises that I should be working on.

[davewerden]

Exercises prepare you for specific situations. Melodies prepare you more generally to be musical. You need both. I think anyone who works one side to the exclusion of the other is going to be lacking in some way. Most of us older folks have played a lot of both. My wife hates to hear exercises, so I tend to play songs and melodies, trying to keep in mind exercises that I should be working on.

I think about that as well, since when I practice my bell points directly at my wife (through my ceiling/her floor). But some mix & match can work for some things. For example, in the Art of Phrasing (Arban), song #2 (Loving I Think of Thee), play 4 16ths to every beat. That's a great work to work on clean, even tonguing, and you can do it with single or double tonguing. Or song #9 (Blue Bells of Scotland) you can play 2 triplet 16ths per beat and practice triple tongue.

That won't replace all your exercises, but you can perhaps win a point or two with your wife this way.

[massmanute]

I'm not an expert by any means, but I would probably agree with most opinion expressed here that Arban would be the first choice.

My euphonium teacher likes Arban, though he assigns more exercises for me to practice from the Fink: Studies in Legato and Clarke-Gordon: Technical exercises books than from Arban. However, he would likely also agree that for a single book Arban would be the first choice. He has commented, however, that Arban does not do much to develop the high range.

By the way, my euphonium teacher also recommends Vining: Daily Routines, and also recently recommended that I am ready to start some pieces from Bordogni/Rochut/Raph: Melodius Etudes.

[davewerden]

...He has commented, however, that Arban does not do much to develop the high range.

My thought on that is...
If a student is advanced enough to need range outside the Arban, then it is high time to get comfortable with transposition. Up and octave and down an octave should come first and the two offer nearly unlimited range development potential. Also, LOTS of the exercises are so well patterned that you can extend them up/down beyond the written limits.

Once you have the high/low notes (which I do), you can play some of the 150 songs up or down an octave to develop more control over the notes you think you "have in your pocket" (trust me on that!!).

I have offered a few tips on my "how to" playlist on YouTube for extending the Arban book. Here is the latest. Note that it is SO simple that almost anyone can do it on the fly (i.e. without writing it out). Of course, this tip and the ones above could apply to most method books.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=334zfjsuR78

[massmanute]

My thought on that is...
If a student is advanced enough to need range outside the Arban, then it is high time to get comfortable with transposition. Up and octave and down an octave should come first and the two offer nearly unlimited range development potential. Also, LOTS of the exercises are so well patterned that you can extend them up/down beyond the written limits.

Once you have the high/low notes (which I do), you can play some of the 150 songs up or down an octave to develop more control over the notes you think you "have in your pocket" (trust me on that!!).

I have offered a few tips on my "how to" playlist on YouTube for extending the Arban book. Here is the latest. Note that it is SO simple that almost anyone can do it on the fly (i.e. without writing it out). Of course, this tip and the ones above could apply to most method books.

Excellent advice. Thanks.