Band Trainer guides
Learn how the music works
Short, practical explanations of the ideas behind each trainer. Every guide ends with a drill to practice it.
Rhythm
RhythmHow time signatures work: reading the top and bottom numbersWhat the two numbers mean, which beats are strong, and how to read simple, compound and odd meters.RhythmCounting 6/8 vs 3/4: a beginner's guideBoth have six eighth notes per measure, but they feel completely different. How to hear the difference and count each one.Rhythm1 e & a and other ways to count rhythmNumber counting, Takadimi, Kodály, and Gordon syllables compared, and why it helps when your whole band counts the same way.RhythmSyncopation without the panicWhat syncopation is, why it trips players up, and a step-by-step way to lock in off-beat rhythms.RhythmWhy cut time feels fast (and how to count it)Cut time puts the beat on the half note. How to read 2/2 without translating everything back to 4/4.RhythmHow to write down a rhythm you hearA repeatable method for rhythmic dictation: find the beat, find where the notes start, then fill in the durations.
Reading notes
Reading notesReading bass clef ledger lines for trombone, euphonium, and tubaLandmark notes and counting tricks for the ledger lines low brass players read every day.Reading notesTreble clef lines and spaces, and faster ways to read themGo beyond "Every Good Boy" with landmark notes and interval reading so you stop counting lines.Reading notesReading the grand staff: treble and bass clef togetherHow the treble and bass staves connect at middle C, which notes go on which staff, and how to read both at once.
Ear training
Ear trainingRecognizing intervals by earHow to learn intervals with reference songs, then move past them to hearing each interval directly.Ear trainingHearing the difference between major, minor, and diminished chordsWhat gives each triad its sound, and how to tell them apart in the band's own chords.Ear trainingSeventh chords: dominant, major, minor, and diminishedHow seventh chords are built, what each type sounds like, and how to tell them apart by ear.Ear trainingFully diminished 7th chords: how they are built and where they goThe symmetrical chord made of stacked minor 3rds: how to spell it, why there are only three, and how it resolves.
Instruments
InstrumentsConcert pitch and transposing instruments, explainedWhy a clarinet C is a concert B♭, how transposition works, and how to talk pitch with the rest of the band.InstrumentsThe clarinet register key and crossing the breakWhy the clarinet overblows a twelfth, and exercises that make crossing the break smooth.InstrumentsThe harmonic series and brass valve combinationsHow partials and valves work together, and why some fingerings play more than one note.InstrumentsTrombone slide positions and alternate positionsAll seven positions, where the alternates are, and when using one makes a passage easier.InstrumentsEnharmonic notes and the chromatic scaleWhy F♯ and G♭ share a fingering, how half steps work, and how to learn the chromatic scale on your instrument.
Band skills
Band skillsKey signatures: which notes are sharp or flat, and remembering themHow to read a key signature, name the key, and stop missing sharps and flats in the middle of a piece.Band skillsPlaying in tune: hearing "beats" and matching pitchWhat out of tune sounds like, how to tell if you are sharp or flat, and how to match pitch with your section.Band skillsA sight-reading checklist to run before playingWhat to check in the minute before you sight-read, and how to keep going once you start.Band skillsHow to practice at home in 15 minutesA daily 15-minute plan, and a step-by-step way to fix the hard spots instead of playing through from the top.Band skillsPreparing for a chair test or auditionWhat to expect, a week-by-week plan, and how to play your best on the day.