Review

David Vining
Trombone Intonation Mastery:

Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
Publisher: Mountain Peak Music
Date of Publication: 2017
URL: http://www.mountainpeakmusic.com

Spiral bound, method book. 132 pages.

Primary Genre: Study Material - method
Secondary Genre:

David Vining has been the trombone professor at the University of Kansas, the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and currently teaches at Northern Arizona University. He was previously a member of the acclaimed Chestnut Brass Company and has appeared as a soloist and clinician nationwide. Through his own experiences in overcoming physical challenges, he has researched, written about and given lectures on how musicians move when making music. He has authored a number of pedagogical tomes including Daily Routines, Flow Studies, Long Tone Duets, Sight Reading Duets, Range Songs, The Breathing Book and What Every Trombonist Needs to Know About the Body.

 

The chapter headings of Trombone Intonation Mastery, with some of the material covered, are as follows:
I. Fundamentals of Intonation
Includes measuring devices, harmonic series, tuning systems, use of drones.
II. Trombone Intonation
Addresses slide motion, body/hand position and other factors affecting pitch.
III. Tuning Basics
Focuses on centering pitches, partials, chords, slide positions, ear training.
IV. Etudes
with a tuner covering all positions and keys; with a drone covering all positions and keys.
V. Duets
presented in three parts: 1. students and teachers, 2. equal parts, 3. solos and excerpts. These cover various intervals, keys and registers.
VI. Daily Routines
Works on second and fourth position, third and fifth position, sixth and seventh position.

 

Trombone Intonation Mastery is an extensive compendium of the various issues covering intonation problems unique to the trombone and recommendations for corrective solutions. It is an excellent resource that contains valuable information for both experienced professionals and intermediate level students. Discussed and analyzed are a myriad of topics concerning this important subject, many of which are not dealt with in detail anywhere else. Included are numerous useful exercises and duets, all focused on improving intonation. There are also video samples from the book available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLhU3A0lu_s; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ic4uCyXXwY

 

Trombone Intonation Mastery is presented in spiral bound, notebook format, making for ease of reading on the music stand. Printing, artwork, illustrations, paper quality and layout are all first class.