AMETHYST (HA Vandercook) for Trombone- Performance, Practice version, and Tutorial

AMETHYST, by HA Vandercook (pub. Rubank, 1938) is one of his gem-stoned titled pieces and is a great trombone solo. In New York State, this piece is rated as a level three, which means it should be accessible to most 2nd and 3rd year players. That said, there is no reason a young trombonist can’t learn to play it musically!!! In this video, we begin with a performance of the piece with the CD that’s included if you have the gem-stone collection. This is followed by practice videos of each of the sections. These are played with a metronome set at Quarter Note = 60 and there are no retardandos or accelerandos. Next up is the tutorial section, where you’ll see and hear explanations of individual sections and will also see demonstrations of how they are played both at a basic, notes-only level and at a strong performance level. (IMPORTANT- The demos are short and may require repeated viewing. I think the information they contain will be worth the effort.) The last part of the tutorial features a closer look and more in-depth explanation of two separate measures. This may be too detailed for most students, and will be enlightening to those who are working hard and want a deeper understanding of my approach. The video ends with a short discussion of the Extendabone. This is a wonderful and inexpensive tool that helps trombonists play all positions when their arms may not be able to reach the farther ones on their own. To learn more about it, please visit Extendabone.com. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].