Review

Steve Thompson
The Simplest Route to the Tenor Clef:

Coventry, , United Kingdom
Publisher: Warwick Music Publishers
Date of Publication: 2006
URL: http://www.warwickmusic.com
Language: English

Primary Genre: Study Material - etude

Steve Thompson studied trombone, composition, arranging, jazz and electronic music at Trinity College of Music and the Royal College of Music in London. As a trombonist he has performed in almost every major concert venue in the UK and has toured most countries in Europe. Steve also currently teaches brass in some of the finest schools in London, including Eltham College. 

The introduction to The Simplest Route to the Tenor Clef states:
"The modern trombonist is expected to read fluently in both the bass and tenor clefs, but, for many of my students who are bass clef readers, it can be most frustrating when the time to learn the new clef arrives. …This book contains seven preparatory exercises - with which it is strongly recommended the instructions be followed - and seven studies to test your new tenor clef reading skills. There are also some short sight reading tests included."

The first part of the book consists of seven short etudes based on simple melodies. Each etude has six parts, played without pause. The first part consists of a simple statement of the melody, e.g. Frere Jacques. This is followed by the tenor clef version of the same melody. Successive statements remain in tenor clef and stray further and further from the original. These etudes are followed by seven studies in tenor clef, each one a page long. This is an excellent addition to the already existing materials for learning tenor clef. It takes a step-by-step approach, which makes good pedagogical sense.

-Karl Hinterbichler
University of New Mexico