Review

Henry Wolking
Jazz Exercises and Etudes for Bass Clef Instruments:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 1990 / 2026
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

ebook. 33 pages.

Primary Genre: Jazz Material - etude
Secondary Genre: Jazz Material - method

Composer, trombonist, conductor, teacher, and author Henry Wolking’s career includes writing for orchestras, wind ensembles, brass groups, individual instruments, and more, plus performing and recording as a trombonist. This series was originally published in 1990 by Touch of Brass Music and is now reprinted by Cherry Classics Music in three editions: for Bb, C, and Bass Clef instruments, purchasable as PDF download or in physical format.

The author suggests use of the book for self-study, warm-up, technical studies, and/or for jazz theory and improvisation studies, with the goal of developing the “Ear, Intellect, Motor Coordination (technique), and the Musical Sensitivity of musicians of any age.” The first chapter provides an explanation of jazz chord nomenclature; and chapter 2 offers the first notated exercise, devoted to Major Seventh Chord Studies. Chapter 3 follows with Minor Seventh Chord Studies, chapter 4 Dominant, chapter 5 ii-V Chord Studies, and chapter 6 Augmented Chord Studies. Chapter 7 concludes with “Three Tunes.” In total there are more than 15 original tunes (etudes) in “lead sheet” format spanning Latin, swing, and jazz ballad styles, spanning Grade III-V in difficulty, all with chord symbols notated above each staff, thus allowing not only theoretical analysis but also potential combo use. Though the etudes were written on and for the tenor trombone, most are also playable on the bass trombone; and many would be suitable for bass trombone down an octave. Occasionally alternate positions for the tenor trombone are notated.

I view these etudes as paralleling the Bach Cello Suites in application. For example, there are no breath marks; you could read several pages without even seeing a rest. The musician must interpret the phrases so as to craft the best places to pause the line. There are no dynamics; so the musician must plan to shape the lines. The melodies clearly delineate the cause and effect, the tension and release of the music’s direction, and the musician must heed that internal guidance.

The book is a great asset for classical or jazz musicians intending to grow in their command of melodic lines and the chord progressions underlying them. Now someone should record a performance of these exercises and etudes so as to offer a sampling of aural guidance to the book-owner.