A Pedagogical Guide to and Analysis of Sixty Trombone Quartets

Abstract

The staple of trombone chamber music is the trombone quartet; some authors have even described it as the trombone ensemble. However, no resources are solely dedicated to the ensemble’s repertoire, whether it be demographic information, piece descriptions, a standardized grading system, or a combination of these items. Many standard pedagogical texts merely list recommended quartets by title, composer, and publisher without providing any other details; authors also rarely assign a difficulty level to any of the works within their lists. Since instructors often claim the importance and value of chamber music, the works they select serve as both the textbook and curriculum in applied studio instruction. Given the limited information published on trombone quartet music, there remains a clear gap within low brass instructional resources available to teachers. The purpose of this study was to analyze and assign a difficulty (grade) level to sixty trombone quartets selected from a variety of sources written by trombone pedagogues (Denis Wick, Edward Kleinhammer, Buddy Baker, Marta Jean Hofacre, and Robin Gregory, etc.) and compile them into an annotated database. Each entry consists of three parts: (1) the work’s demographic information (composer, arranger, title, movements, duration, publisher, availability, range, clefs, mutes, etc.); (2) a piece description (i.e., a written commentary and analysis); and (3) an assigned difficulty level. As instructors continue looking for new repertoire, this pedagogical resource will assist instructors with making informed decisions, so that their selections can align with their curriculum and simultaneously challenge students while remaining accessible. The document also is accessible to students, so that they can be active in their own repertoire selection (via an online database).