Backings for Simply Brass – Canonbury Brass

P.	#	Name	C/TH		Comment
3	1	Acoustic Thing	C	TH	The very first we ever played – a favourite.
	2	Southern Shuffle	C	TH	Tricky C-D swaps in the third bar. Be ready …
	3	Charlie Delta	C	TH	Why would it be called Charlie Delta?
	4	Small Archie	C	TH	A tune shaped like an arch? Oh yes, so it is. Lots of air and focus on a nice clean sound and looooong notes please.
4	1	Up Up Yeah!	C	TH	Four Cs, four Ds and off into the stratosphere with two Es. 1st and 2nd valves – go for it.
	2	Bigger Archie	C	TH	Latin to Swing and back all in one song. That lovely cool hissy rattly percussion instrument is a vibraslap.
	3	Halfway House	C	TH	Listen for the timpani joining in the second verse and a gentle tinkly keyboard solo in the last verse.
	4	Cardiff, Durham, Edinburgh	C	TH	Nee-nee na-nee na-noo! What does happen to the poor Lost Keyboard Player at the end? Where have all the band gone? Can you make your two-oo notes really last for two beats?
	5	Q & A	C	TH	What's for tea? What's for tea? Pasta with some grated cheese … or anything else with seven syllables. Make your own up, and let's have some nice long two-oo notes with a great sound. Yes, the outro (the bit after you finish playing and the band goes on) is was much too long. I promise(d) that I ~~will~~ would shorten it. Really. ... I did!
What shape is my tune? From page 5 the tunes change to a new shape as they are longer (and more fun!) There's a four-bar intro; you play the tune (which is often, but not always, eight bars long) then you have a break during a two-bar turnaround, and play it again. Another turnaround, then one last play though the tune, and we're done. There's probably an "outro" of a few bars, just to finish off tidily. Question: what is funny about the last two bars of every tune on page 5? Hint: " fleece!"
5	1	Roll Along	C	TH	aka Mary Had a Little Lamb. Don't like the three Es at the end of the first line? Feeling brave? Play E G G instead! G is open, like C, but you have to think about all the things you know about playing higher.
	2	Castle March	C	TH	A Canonbury classic. Stand by for fanfares and drums, and be ready to march.
	3	Easy Es	C	TH	At the end of each line, go for a nice long Ta-aa-aa-aa lasting four beats. Lots of air, play right through the note to the end. Think about making a beautiful sound.
6	1	Moving Up: F	C	TH	This one is so short that we play it twice each verse, like on p. 3 and p. 4. Make those Fs really go up! Your can hear it in the backing to help you. Lots of air, blow through the notes. F is 1st valve – closest to your nose – but you knew that, right?
	2	Flying High	C	TH	This tune gives you a nice gentle approach to its highest note F – can you make it ring out clearly? We are back to the just playing it three times for this longer tune.
	3	Jumping Beans	C	TH	Remember how important the one-beat (Ta) rests are here? Listen for the funny sounds in the rests in verses 2 and 3.
	3	Jumping Beans 144	C	TH	The first Jumping Beans is at 120 beats per minute (bpm). What will happen is we play at at 144 bpm? Have a try …
	3	Jumping Beans 144+	C	TH	… and this one starts at 144 bpm but just gets faster and faster! Stay calm. We can do this. See you at the other end …
	4	Blast-Off	C	TH	Check your F skills with this great tune. Sorry that it's still a B backing – I will fix it one day! Soon …soonish?
7	1	Quaver Flavour	C	TH	We could do the maths lesson and talk about ½+½=1, quavers and crotchets, or Te-te Ta … on the other hand you could just go "Oh yes, this one starts like Jingle Bells!" Go for it.
	2	Indian Song	C	TH	Another Canonbury favourite. I used every Bollywood effect I could find. Make someone play the drum rhythm. You play the drum rhythm. Everybody play the drum rhythm! (Ta Te-te Te-te Ta) Remember, we counted – 70% of the whole tune is that rhythm! Enjoy. This has a 6-bar intro, because of all that drumming …
	3	Jazzy Song	C	TH	You are far too young to play in a sleazy night club like this, but fortunately it's only virtual … and don't play in that rest. Really really. Terrible things will happen. *Te-te Te-te Te-te Te-te REST* Ta Ta!** Thank you.
8	1	Round and Round	C	TH	OK, I admit it: I am perennially (look it up) grumpy about this tune, and its backing is still a B. Please prove me wrong, play it brilliantly, and maybe I will be inspired to rewrite it into an F? Watch for when the quavers (Te-te) get moving in the second line.
	2	Bubble Gum	C	TH	Lovely lovely! The first bar is another Jingle Bells clone, then we go rocking off in grand style.
	3	Study (120)	C	TH	Tricky but satisfying, and a fun backing. This is the first tune where we play pairs of quavers with the notes changing: stay alert! It feels quite quick at 120 bpm.
	3	Study (108)	C	TH	If 120 bpm feels too rushed, please try this more relaxed 108 version. Don't forget to sing loudly in the last two bars: the Official Words™ are "Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah-doo wah!"
9	1	Moving Up: G	C	TH	A nice chance to sort out some clear strong Gs. No valves, and think about your higher note changes. Can you also see where Alan has marked crescendo (getting louder) and diminuendo (getting quieter) in the music? It will make life easier with the higher notes and make your performance more musical and finished. A win/win! I'm sorry that this backing is still a B and that its outro is so ridiculously long: I will fix both things one day.
	2	Snakes and Ladders	C	TH	The tonguing-and-slurring test piece. Not sure about all the slurs here? First practise some easier slurs like this: C _ D _ C _ D _ C (lots and lots!) C _ D _ E _ D _ C _ D _ C _ D _C C _ D _ E _ F _ E _ D _ C _ D _ C … make your own up!
	3	Totem Dance	C	TH	Listen out for operatic high singers, a bit of Oh Yeah and even some A-Ha! And no, it is not called "Tottenham Dance"! Really – come on people, think about your reading strategies!
10	1	Puzzler	C	TH	A great tune with a lively backing. After four long "Two-oo" notes, be ready for "This is the bit we did before!"
	2	Forward March (2 bars in)	→	→	Excitingly, this longer piece is the very first in the book to have a backing by Alan Pring himself. It's great! • To use it, please go to ❗Alan's website and click the link to your backings: • For cornet backings click the link called "Simply Brass Acc. B♭ Tracks"; • For tenor horn click "Simply Brass Acc. E♭ Tracks". • On the new page you will see Forward March at the top. • Careful! The intro is two bars long, not four. The DC at the end – remember this? – tells you to go back to the start and play it again, then you stop where it says *Fine*. The DC is the only repeat - we are not playing it three times. Pretend that the lines are numbered: we will play lines 1, 2, 3, 4, then 1 and 2. Got it? Good, let's play.
11	1	Three Beats per Bar	C	TH	Everything on page 11 is still B – sorry but watch this space! In this tune the title is right: those three beats are a big deal. Think about Happy Birthday and how you can feel those three beats and how different it is. What other tunes have three in a bar?
	2	High Jump	C	TH	So the "jump" here is when you go up to those Gs! Think about your lessons, lips, corners of your mouth, breathing. They don't need to be loud but they do need to sing.
	3	Four-Wheel Drive	C	TH	I love this one. It is one of the few B backings whose feel I really like, and when I redo it into an F I will be trying to keep that. This has all the usual intro, turnarounds and outro and we do play Alan's repeat, so it's actually like a loooong version of a p. 3 tune where we really play the tune 6 times. If you are on your own you could take a break and clap or sing a verse or two. Watch out for the sudden quavers near the end – Te-te Te-te Two-oo or "up then down then stop!"
12	1	Hold Your Breath	C	TH	It's all about the slurs!. Lovely long, smooth phrases please. Make it sound easy! Just a B backing for now ...
	2	Lightly Row	C	TH	A great favourite. When you get halfway through, remember that nice little sequence starting on D then on E? We sing "one, two, three, four, five, then up" each time. Well, I do, anyway ...
13	1	Muscle Builder	C	TH	Remember this one? Work on really smooth slurs that almost click across between the notes. It's not easy but it is great when you get it right. I'll replace this B backing with an F when I can. Remember that we do a repeat, jumping back to bar 17, where there are those Ds marked mf. We don't do any BIG repeats of the whole thing, but this little repeat just makes it balance nicely. If we call the two halves of the tune A and B, then the shape that we play is A – B – B … simples!
	2	A Little Beethoven	C	TH	At last a proper backing for this super-famous tune. The usual four-bar intro, then you play along with the huge (electronic) orchestra. No repeats – so if you'd like more, please play it again. 😀 I will add some notes about this tune when I get a moment. Yes, I am biased about classical music but this one really is a monster!
14	1	Children's Song from France (2 bars in)	→	→	A pretty and gentle tune by Franz Behr. This lovely backing is by Alan Pring, not by me, so it is on his website, not here. Please go there and have a try! Click here for a reminder of the way to find Alan's backings. • Useful tip 1: this backing has a two-bar intro! Don't count four bars here, or everyone else will have gone off for their tea before you finish. • Useful tip 2: Children's Song has a *DC Al Fine.* If you need a reminder of how this works, have a look at Forward March up there ↑ on page 10.
	2	Frere Jacques	C	TH	Enjoy this famous round. Its B backing has a four-bar intro then goes round three times, which should be enough to give everyone a try at playing as a round. But it works just fine on its own as well … if you're getting tired of playing, do a little dance or tell a funny story in the middle verse, but keep counting!
15	1	Warmup Slur	C	TH	This tune has only four bars, so we are back to our Page 3/4 shape – 4-bar intro, play the tune twice, 2-bar turnaround, rinse and repeat; through the tune the last two times and we are done. That's 6 plays in all, just like Acoustic Thing. Can you do really smooth slurs for this tune? Just a B backing but quite a nice one!
	2	Concert Fanfare	C	TH	We've never had a proper backing for this wonderful fanfare before. Well, now you do – a whole lot of virtual brass and percussion players are just waiting for you to bring their sound to life. Go on, go, go, do it! Yes, you, right now! There's a 4-bar intro then you play it once through, but watch out for the repeat: you play the first line twice.
16	1	Speed Trial	C	TH	A not-too-fast backing to start us off with this tricky tune. I know that some people like a faster backing to challenge them so please check back here and see what happens. This one is at 110 bpm. All the tunes on p. 16 have B backings at the moment
	2	Moving Up	C	TH	You and I know that this tune is really Au Clair de la Lune and it's longer than this! Let's sort out this version first, then, a bit later, I will add a backing and some sheet music for the full version.
	3	Lip Slurs	C	TH	This stuff is SO good for you! It's in a pattern like pages 3 and 4 again, similar to the Warmup Slur on p. 15. Notice how you are asked to play the D – G slurs in the first bar with 1 and 3 all the way through – it is unusual, but makes for a great slurring exercise. Just try it and see!
17	1	Old MacDonald	C	TH	I borrowed this B backing years ago. I'll write a proper Canonbury one some day, but this is quite good. This is how it works: 4 bar intro, then play the tune THREE times, end to end, no turnarounds. Special features: the third line is the bit that says "With a Quack Quack here" etc. Play the third line just once in the first verse, but twice in the second verse and three times in the third verse – just as if you were singing it. Then at the very end, in the last verse, play the last Ee Aye Ee Aye Oh in half time (so everything is a Two-oo) then hold that last note till the music ends. It will sound great!
	2	There's a Hole in my Bucket	C	TH	Popular old song with three beats per bar. This version has a four-bar intro and, unusually for our backings, it has four-bar turnarounds too. Play three goes through the tune and you are home and dry (unlike your bucket.) This and the next tune are B backings as well.
	3	Slurring Study	C	TH	This quite tough workout is also in a pattern like pages 3 and 4, so it has 6 verses altogether, in 3 pairs with turnarounds between. It's complicated and will be a lot clearer when it has a proper backing … please let me know if you are struggling with how to fit this one together and I will try to help. Also, if six verses feels like too much playing, you have my Official Permission to (a) look out of the window, (b) think about yoghurt, or (c) invent a spaceship for up to three of them. OK?
18	1	Warm Up	C	TH	Two B backings for these p. 18 tunes. Can you keep a nice smooth slur going through each of these two-bar phrases? Warm Up is the usual shape, with a four-bar intro then two-bar turnarounds between the three verses.
	2	Tied Notes	C	TH	The title doesn't really do this one justice as it is more fun than it sounds! It's got two parts so you can choose which to play, or do them both. It works as a duet so maybe we can do a virtual version with two of you! Notice the ties near the ends of all the lines – they connect the one-beat note (Ta or crotchet) to the four-beat note (Ta–aa–aa–aa–aa or semibreve) to make a FIVE-beat note.This one starts with a four-bar intro then has three verses, but please note that the turnarounds are all four bars long. I have no idea why … sorry!
19	1	Jazzin' Around	C	TH	This is a fun, cool tune which you can play like a relaxed jazzer on a club gig. We're back to the usual pattern of 3 verses with a 4-bar intro and 2-bar turnarounds, and it's still a B at the moment. Enjoy this – I think it's a really good laugh and I hope that you will too.
	2	More Tied Notes	C	TH	Well if Jazzin' Around is "relaxed", this one is pretty much falling asleep in class. So, Alan called it this somewhat technical title More Tied Notes – true, and yes, you have to count and figure out how those new six-beat notes are going to work. But I think I would have been tempted to call it Lazy Days in the Sun or My Hamster Has Dozed Off Again or something. Enjoy it. Let me know if you would like me to play it for you. And careful, watch out – there are two things to be aware of here which we could do easily in a lesson but which you are going to have to manage for yourself: • There are NO turnarounds in this tune. I couldn't work out how to fit them in, so you just go straight from the end of one verse to the start of the next. • Have a careful look at the music and think how those two "extra" notes at the start fit in! They are sort-of before the tune starts and before each line starts. So really instead of four bars' intro, you really count three and a half bars, then you play that D and F. If you get stuck with this please just yell – I am here to help. (This one's also still a B but give it time!)
	3	God Save the Queen	C	TH	Well! The National Anthem! How exciting. A big timpani roll brrrrrrrrrrr and off we go … well actually, I hope the Queen won't mind but I have put in an extra bar of snare drum just before you play, to help count in: it would be harder without. So you will hear brrrrrrrrr then 1 2 3 on the drum and off you go. I have made this as lifelike and orchestral as I can, so I hope you like playing it. You can stand up if you like, but you don't have to!
20	1	Study 96 BPM	C	TH	You need lots of concentration and fast fingers on the valves to make this Study work well. Alan says. "Try to build up the speed every time you play this," and to help you to do that I've made backings at three different speeds. This first one is the slowest at 96 beats per minute (BPM) and the next two get faster. Have a try, and surprise yourself with your speed. Four-bar intro then three times through the tune, with two-bar turnarounds. This backing is a B.
	1	Study 112 BPM	C	TH	Here's the medium-speed version.
	1	Study 120 BPM	C	TH	Hold on to your hat! This one really moves along.
	2	Jingle Bells 136 BPM	C	TH	Yes, it really is here, on page 20. I've recycled the Union Chapel 2019 backing, which has an eight-bar intro, then you play the tune through once. There are slightly slower and slightly faster versions of this at 136 and 148 BPM.
	2	Jingle Bells 148 BPM	C	TH	This is a pretty quick version of Jingle Bells – have fun!
	3	While Shepherds Watched	C	TH	Alan obviously had Christmas in mind on p. 20, but you can play this tune whenever you like. I have written a nice brass group, with timpani, to back you up. Four-bar intro, two verses, no turnaround. The other musicians are trying to help you hear where the verses start, so please listen out for them and you will do a fantastic job!
21	1	Flying Fingers	C	TH	This is a tricky little number with lots of quavers (Tee–tee) rushing up and down. It's a bit of an odd shape and I am going to properly redo it some day, using some brilliant advice from a music teacher I just happen to know! For the moment, you have a 4-bar intro with 3 goes through the tune, and 2-bar turnarounds between them. Please let me know if you need some help with this one, or if you would like a slower or faster backing! This backing is a B.
	2	Study in C (4 bars in)	→	→	Another great tune by Alan Pring. The backing is also by Alan, not me, so you need to go and find it on his website: just click here for a reminder of where Alan's backings hang out. There's a four-bar intro. Then just once through the tune but there's six lines of it - keep going! Watch the quavers (Tee–tees) – where you have four of them in a group, the first pair is slurred and the second pair is tongued. It will sound great if you pay attention to these subtle little points of articulation.
22	1	Stately Dance (4 bars in)	→	→	This is a really nice duet, but if there's only one of you, just choose the part you would rather play. Or, if you like, I will record one part for you and you can play a virtual duet! Just ask. This excellent tune by Hooke has a backing by Alan Pring and here's a reminder of how to find your backings on Alan's site. The intro here is four bars long.
23	1	Michael Row	C	TH	Everyone used to sing this when I was little – it was actually a UK #1 hit in, er, 1960! I've made a cheerful Gospel backing, and it starts after you count in nearly four bars … that is, you start playing on the last two beats of a 4-bar intro, so you are going to have to count it very carefully. Nag me (politely) and I will make you a little video of it! This backing is better than a B but not yet an F. It's a long story …
	2	F Sharp Jam Blues (2 bars in)	→	→	As the title suggests this tune is quite a lot about the note F♯. Remember it's played with the 2nd valve, unlike the more familiar F-natural which is played with the 1st valve. Another brilliant backing by Alan Pring, and this tells you how to find it on his site. Just a two-bar intro this time.
24	1	Flat Note Blues (2 bars in)	→	→	This is a great tune in which you need to be really careful with the fingerings to get the right sharps and flats for the bluesy sounds that Alan has written. It's mostly marked up to help you with these notes. A hint on how to find the backing is here.
	2	Midnight Cowboy (4 bars in)	→	→	This always feels a bit like the grown-up version of our Campfire warmup. Clip-clop and off you go! Woah! Steady, horsey, steady. Here is your navigation reminder for Alan's backings.
25	1	Fire Dance (4 bars in)	→	→	I know some of you love playing trills, and Fire Dance is your moment! The A–to–B♭ trill in bar 10 is nice and easy to play and is very effective and dramatic. I feel that this tune should be the theme music for an exciting but fun children's TV series – what do you think? (Both of these p. 25 backings are by Alan Pring and this is your note on where to find them.)
	2	Flapjack (2 bars in)	→	→	This is a properly bouncy swing tune which I hope you will enjoy. If you listen to the backing it will remind you how to swing the quavers (They are written as Tee–tees but I guess they need a new name if we swing them!) Please ask me if you are not sure what all this means. A two-bar intro for this one.
26	0	Now up to B and C	C	TH	If you are on p. 26 there's a good chance that you already know about B (2nd valve) and C (open or 0). Here is your chance to do what everyone seems to love, which is playing up the scale from our starting note C though the First Five Notes and right on on up to A B and – woo woo! – to C! If you visualize the music room, that's all the way up the yellow note cards right in the middle of the wall. Big breath; as you go up, think about getting plenty of warm, fast air through the instrument. I don't mean "blow hard" – we need a relaxed but very focused airstream. And you also need to think about the corners of your mouth. We don't want to press hard, blow our cheeks out or screw our faces up – just say firm corners to yourself as you go. And the great thing about a major scale is that everyone knows the tune! Go for it, and enjoy this slightly outrageous, rocky, a-bit-better-than-B backing. It has a 4-bar intro, then you play the scale 3 times with 2-bar turnarounds between each go. If you've got someone helping you on piano or something, they need to remember that this C Major scale for you is not C Major on the piano! A little article here explains why and how they can help.
	1	Fanfare Opener (2 bars in)	→	→	A splendid fanfare from Alan Pring, and this is how to find its backing on his website. If you've got a good C going you are going to love this tune. Just two bars in. The beginning and end are as martial and formal as you might expect but there is a much softer Middle 8 which gives you a chance to make a big contrast and amaze the audience with your sensitive artistry.
	2	High Point	C	TH	High Point is subtitled Warm-up with "high C" and it does just what it says on the tin. It's the usual intro, repeats and turnarounds and you need to take a gentle, soaring approach to complement the backing here. Alan suggests varying it with 2nd and 1st valves but I don't have the backings for these yet … Watch This Space. This backing is also a-bit-better-than-B but not yet a Finished Product.
27	1	Le Couppey (2 bars in)	→	→	A very grand, stately tune – was it maybe written for a royal court or an important dance? Two-bar intro, play it all once through but make sure you do the repeats: check where they are before you play. Watch out for a huge rallentando (slowing-down) at the very end. Please go here for notes on finding Le Couppey's backing on Alan Pring's website.
	2	Speed Trial	C	TH	Four bars in, then off we go. This one is quite a blow, so we will just play it once through … but watch out for that repeat from the middle to the end, with its first- and second-time bars. For now this is just at the one speed (76 bpm) but if you ask me nicely I will make you some faster versions … possibly even some really fast versions. Go on, I dare you: you know how to contact me ... This backing is a B.
	3	If You're Happy	C	TH	This popular tune has a four-bar intro and only two verses with a two-bar turnaround between them. I thought three verses would be too many, but if you disagree, just shout. This tune is usually played swung, so let's swing it! This backing is a B.
28	1	C Major Scale (76 BPM)	C	TH	If you enjoyed Now Up … on p. 26, you'll love this: it's the same scale but this time it goes all the way up and down! Nicer than bunny-wunnies, with a two-bar intro, three goes through the scale and a two-bar turnaround between the goes. Too much playing? Take a break for one verse and do a little dance or think Beautiful Thoughts. This is a B-ish backing and it's at a steady 76 Beats Per Minute (BPM). For a greater challenge, once you've sorted this one out, try the next at 100 BPM!
	1	C Major Scale (100 BPM)	C	TH	Same thing, faster speed! Go go go!
	1	C Major Scale (120 BPM)	C	TH	If 100 BPM gets too easy for you, try this very fast one at 120. You can always ask for a even faster speed than this if you need it …
	2	C Major Arpeggio	C	TH	Let's play C Major's home chord: it will sound great. But because brass instruments (mostly) don't play chords, we'll spread it out into an arpeggio and play separate notes. Have a go, and enjoy this slightly OTT 1980s nearly-B backing. We're back to three verses, with a 4-bar intro and 2-bar turnarounds – like the good old days!
	3	Minuet	→	→	This nice little dance, probably written by J S Bach for his wife or son, has been played by every piano student ever. Now you can join in with a fabulous Alan Pring backing (or Baching, geddit?) – and here is how to find it on AP's website.
29	1	The Can-Can	C	TH	I bet you know this tune, even if you think you don't! A full orchestra backing awaits you in this busy classic. Weirdly, the count-in is six bars of two so please count and concentrate really hard. Then just through the tune once – but please play it all again if you would like to. Click here for a short counting practice – please listen and join in the counting with me. It will really help you to start in the right place.
	2	Lord of the Dance (4 bars in)	→	→	A very dancy backing from Alan Pring for this popular tune. This note reminds you where to find his backings. It has a 4-bar intro, but you need to pick up the tune on the very last beat of those four bars. Maybe you can see what I mean when you look at the music, but please ask me if you are not sure.
30	1	Bouncing Quavers	C	TH	This is a tricky and interesting tune. The big deal about it, which I have tried to help with in the backing, is that you need to play very clearly the difference between: • just ordinary quavers where each note gets half a beat, and • the dotted quaver / semiquaver rhythm where the first note is longer, because it is three-quarters of the beat, and the second note is shorter because it is just a quarter of a beat. In Kodaly language (the yellow poster): • Tee-te Tee-tee Tee-tee is equal 50/50 shares and • Tim-ka Tim-ka Tim-ka is a bouncy 75/25 divide. To get the Tim-ka right you have to fit it in as if you were saying Tekka-tekka behind it. I will try to do you a video to explain this more but for now please listen carefully to the backing track. This version has a 4-bar intro, then you play the tune twice with a 2-bar turnaround in the middle. The second verse has a piccolo trumpet solo, because … it just does.
	2	Bridal March	C	TH	Borrrowed from a Wagner opera and now one of the most often-played wedding marches. You too can join in the fun with a two-bar intro then once through this classic tune. Don't forget the wedding rings!
	3	Wagon Train (2 bars in)	→	→	Big tune! Alan Pring seems to have written an entire film score here: I am sure you will enjoy playing it. This tells you how to find it on Alan's site.
31	1	Clementine	C	TH	This ancient favourite is quite fun to play, with its slow, old-school backing. Four bars in – well, strictly speaking it's more like 3.67 bars in, so please ask me if you aren't sure what's going on here. Three verses with two-bar turnarounds between them.
	2	More Slurs Basic Version	C	TH	This exercise is quite hard work, but very very good for you. We start with a 4-bar intro then we play the verse 3 times, with 2-bar turnarounds between verses. Use the special fingerings marked in – that is, valves 1/3 for every note – and keep a really good smooth-clicky lip slur going through all the marked phrases. Take a little break if three verses is too many!
	2	More Slurs Mega-Workout	C	TH	Fancy a Mega-Workout? This is the one. First your 4-bar intro then play through as written with valves 1/3 down all the way through. After a 2-bar turnaround change to valves 2/3 and play it again. Working hard yet? Another 2-bar turnaround and change to 1/2 … then do it all again on 1 … then again on 2 … and finish with the last go through on 0. This version is serious hard work for seriously hardworking musicians. If you can play this lot brilliantly, we need to talk! Seriously.
	3	Staccato	C	TH	Remember those Tim-ka rhythms in Bouncing Quavers? Well, here we go again. Keep it brief, bouncy and spiky: the word Staccato, like the dots above the notes, tells you to play short and make the whole thing crisp and lively. We've got a 4-bar intro then we play the tune once through – a sparkly saxophone quartet and triangle player are ready to accompany you. Let's go!
32	1	C Scale Study	C	TH	Up the C Major scale in clever steps, with a 4-bar intro and 2-bar turnarounds between the 3 verses. This one is a B backing.
	2	A Minor Scale	C	TH	Up and down the A Minor scale using the same pattern of a 4-bar intro and 2-bar turnarounds between the 3 verses. Watch out for the G#s, which need your 2nd and 3rd valves. Another B backing.
	3	Study	C	TH	A jolly little tune which you must keep sounding bouncy and full of energy! Make sure you are clear about the difference between the Tim-ka and Tee-tee rhythms here, as this will really make it come to life. It's a 4-bar intro then you play the tune through once. A slightly silly B backing.
33	1	Hootchy Cootchy (4 bars in but they only have 2 beats each!)	→	→	A fun tune with a great Alan Pring backing: this note reminds you how to find it on Alan's site. It's a sort of quirky tune, maybe with magical ideas or like a haunted-house comedy thing. What do you think? What I think is that you will enjoy playing it. Ask nicely and I will record it for you! Please note that the intro is just four bars of two beats each so you need to count: 1 – 2; 2 – 2; 3 – 2; 4 – 2 and off you go.
	2	Run Around	C	TH	OK, I admit it, this backing is completely over the top for a little scale exercise. But I had fun making it so I hope that you will have fun playing it. It's the usual pattern of a 4-bar intro and 2-bar turnarounds between the 3 verses. Can you slur smoothly through those phrase marks? Go for it.
34	1	La Morisque (4 bars in)	→	→	Oh, this is a GREAT tune! Alan has set it up as a duet, and here's how to find the backing on Alan's site. You can play either part on its own, or, if you ask, I will make you a version where I will play one part and you can play the other. Just tell me whether you want to play the top or bottom line. You can see me playing it as a duet with myself in my Class Dojo video for Thursday 14 May.
35	1	Warm-Ups	C	TH	A lot of warm-ups are about lip slurs, and this one is no exception. Watch the triplet rhythm – it's the one where we say Tri-cy-cle to help us get it in time. 4-bar intro and 2-bar turnarounds between the three verses. Just yell if you would like me to video this for you. Like lots of exercise/preparation stuff it is that weird mix between hard work and fun!
	2	Triplet Tune	C	TH	More triplets, as you might guess from the name. The backing goes Tri-cy-cle quite a lot to help you with this. Here we have a 4-bar intro then you just play it through once. A highly-qualifed brass quartet is all ready to support you – give them a try!
36	1	Red Alert (4 bars in)	→	→	A definite science-fiction feel to this impressive march. Star Something? Something Trek? Galactic Whatever? Your call. Use these nav notes to set your interstellar co-ordinates and find Alan Pring's terrific backing at his site. Phasers on stun please. Energize. (And watch for the DC please. Stuck? Ask me for help!)
	2	Slippin' and Slidin' (100 BPM)	C	TH	A fabulous fantasy for the flying fingers of frontline tenor horn and cornet players. It's marked *Presto* which means we need to play it seriously fast. To build up to this I have made versions at 100, 120, 140 and 160 BPM. Four bars in then once through, but watch out for that *DS al Fine* and please ask for help if you are not sure what that means. This first one is at 100 BPM.
	2	Slippin' and Slidin' (120 BPM)	C	TH	If you are happy at 100, why not try it at 120 BPM? (Note: these backings are all slightly better than B.)
	2	Slippin' and Slidin' (140 BPM)	C	TH	This one is at 140 BPM. Woo! (If you ask me nicely I will record some of these for you. I might need to go into training for a month or two first …)
	2	Slippin' and Slidin' (160 BPM)	C	TH	This is the last one for now at 160 BPM. She can't take much more, Captain … a warp core breach is imminent …
37	1	Can You Play D?	C	TH	Plenty of air and think about the corners of your mouth as you soar up to a first-valve D. This has a 4-bar intro and three goes through, with 2-bar turnarounds between – but if three verses is too much, give yourself a break for the middle one.
	2	Royal Appointment (2 bars in)	→	→	A very splendid march and fanfare. Here are notes on finding Alan's backing for this great tune. Watch out for the DC. This is a duet but you can play either part, or ask me to play the other one for you in a recording.
38	0.1	D Major Scale	C	TH	Here's another scale to learn. In D major you have to look out for F# (2nd valve) and C# (1 and 2). This one has a 2-bar intro, then the three goes through the scale have 2-bar turnarounds between them. This is another chance to play your D, just like on p. 37.
	0.2	B♭ Major Scale	C	TH	Lower but quite tricky. For B♭ major watch out for B♭ (1st valve) and E♭ (2 and 3). This has the same shape: a 2-bar intro, then three goes through the scale with 2-bar turnarounds between them.
	1	Can Can in D major	C	TH	Similar to where we played the Can Can before, on p. 29, but a tone higher. Watch the count-in of six bars of two – please scroll up this page a bit to re-read the p. 29 help with this.
	2	Warmup in B♭ major	C	TH	A nice little warmup using your new skills from the last couple of pages. The backing is a sort of country waltz, and has a 4-bar intro and three runs through the warmup, with 2-bar turnarounds between them.
39	1	Road Runner (2 + 4 bars in)	→	→	This one lovely solo piece takes up all of p. 39! Please be careful counting the intro: it has 2 bars of drums followed by 4 bars of the rest of the band, so you have to count 6 bars altogether. Here is help finding the backing at Alan Pring's site. Once you are playing Road Runner, please watch out for the two repeats: that 8-bar tune is repeated at the start, then it is repeated again when it comes back close to the end. That's sixteen extra bars of fun music for a few dots – not a bad deal!
40	1	Study	C	TH	This study was originally by Jean-Baptiste Arban, who wrote the most famous brass tutor book ever. For this version you get a 4-bar intro then you play it right through, watching out for the *D.C.* which means that the last two lines are really the Middle 8 – if you see what I mean! (If not, please ask.)
	2	Push 'n' Pull	C	TH	Alan Pring's note says that Push 'n' Pull is "for slides only". Well, yes and no. You could just: (a) ignore the slide bit in bars 2 and 6, and play a D and a G as written; or (b) ask me about the Secret Sauce which will let you do a pretty convincing perfomance of this piece without having to go out and buy a trombone. Not even a cheap one. The shape is just the same as No. 1 above – 4-bar intro, play right through once but watch for the *D.C.*!
41	1	Six-Eight Time – with voiceover	C	TH	The top of Page 41, Six Eight Time, is quite complicated. On these audio tracks I talk you through how the rhythms work in this new time signature. What would be best is a lesson in school! So this is just to get us started: please have a listen right through and it will help you to see and hear how it all fits together.
	1	Six-Eight Time – just the backing	C	TH	If you understand what the voiceover above is telling you, have a go at this. No pressure, no stress – the backing just goes round and round for ages so you can try out all the different rhythms plenty of times. Treat it as an experimental music playground, not an official piece or exercise. Do your own thing with it and see how you can play around and make these new rhythms fit, because …
	2	For He's a Jolly Good Fellow	C	TH	… because here's a piece in 6/8 for you to use your new skills! And the great thing is that everyone already knows it because we've all sung it in school and elsewhere approximately 963 times. There's a nearly-4-bar intro then you play through once. You probably won't need to count the intro as you already know how it goes but, just in case, you would count: 1 – 2; 2 – 2; 3 – 2; 4 – PLAY! and you're off. That word PLAY! is where your very first note, the C, goes. OK? Go for it! You will be very popular for celebrations.
42	1	Row, Row, Row your Boat	C	TH	This favourite tune – another one in 6/8 time – is nicest when it is played as a round, so the backing has all the other brass players in there to help out. There's a 4-bar intro (percussion only) then you start playing. Play the whole tune twice, with no gap between: all the players are doing this, so the rest of the group will probably finish after you do. The good news is that if you get a bit lost or muddled or anything it's fine – you can just fit in fine pretty much wherever you start from, because it's just going round and round: yes, it's a round!
	2	Skips (4 bars in)	→	→	Here's one of Alan Pring's tunes where you can find the backing on his site with the help of these notes. It's another one in 6/8 time, with a funny backing which I am sure you'll enjoy. There are 4 bars in but remember that there are only 2 beats per bar in the 6/8 time here, so you will need to count: 1 – 2; 2 – 2; 3 – 2; 4 – 2 and then you are good to go.
43	1	Castle Keep March (4 bars in)	→	→	This is a huge duet which takes up all of p. 43 and most of p. 44. If there is only one of you, it will sound best if you play the top line, which is the tune. But it will sound fine, and still be interesting and fun for you, if you also try the second line. And of course if you can get two players together – well, you know what to do! Just like Skips on p. 42, this has a 4-bar intro in 6/8 time so you count in exactly the same. This reminder is about finding the excellent backing on Alan Pring's site.
44	1	Lip Slurs	C	TH	This takes up the last two lines of page 44. It is quite a challenging lip slur exercise which I think you will enjoy. Sorry to repeat myself, but this one also has the same intro and count-in setup as the previous two: please just use Skips for help, or ask me if you're stuck. Watch out for an error in the book: what I think Alan means is "Start with the first* finger, then second, then none."* The backing is written like that – so it goes three times through the exercise, using the fingerings 1 then 2 then 0 with a 2-bar turnaround after each "verse". OK? If not OK, please yell – I am here to help!
45	1	Time Trial (44 BPM)	C	TH	A quiet and sinuous start then a bouncy brash middle section. It's fun. Alan Pring says "build up the speed each time you play this" – so, great, let's do that. This first one is at a very comfortable 44 Beats per Minute (BPM). Just like Skips on p. 42, this has a 4-bar intro in 6/8 time so you count in exactly the same.
	1	Time Trial (52 BPM)	C	TH	Let's increase the speed to 52 BPM for our next try.
	1	Time Trial (60 BPM)	C	TH	60 BPM and it's getting a bit quick.
	1	Time Trial (72 BPM)	C	TH	Play this at 72 BPM and you will really be moving. If you want an even faster backing, or you would like a video of me playing this piece, just let me know.
	2	Gavotte in B♭ Major (2 bars in)	→	→	Rather a good piece, a stately dance by the English 18th/19th-century composer James Hook. Just a 2-bar intro in this grand backing by Alan, but the pulse is quite slow so you do have plenty of time to get ready to play. We are back to 4 beats in a bar here, remember. As Alan points out, a good preparation for playing this piece is the B♭ Major scale on p. 38. It'll help fingers, ears and brain. Here's a note about finding the backing on Alan Pring's site.
46	1	Semiquavers	C	TH	A nice little exercise in Te-te and Tekka Tekka now has quite a fun backing. 4-bar intro, 3 verses, a 2-bar turnaround between the verses. The ending is a bit long – sorry: I will sort it out better sometime. You can see me playing this one in my Class Dojo video for Tuesday 2 June.
	2	A Little Mozart (4 bars in)	→	→	A Little Mozart is actually the super-famous tune from Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. There's plenty to work on here, including semiquavers (see above) – please ask me if you need any help. Here's a note about finding the backing on Alan Pring's site.
47	1	Bugles on the Bandstand (2 bars in)	→	→	All of p.47 is this one piece, a quick march with a bouncy backing by the Great Man himself. Two bars of drums and you're off. There are no repeats or DCs or anything so you just play through. But you will need the higher E, fingering 0. Remember all you know about playing higher notes and give it plenty of air support as you go up: think "EASY!" This reminder tells you how to find the backing at Alan's site.
48	1	March from Carmen (4 bars of 2 in)	→	→	If you say March from Carmen to family or friends you may well get a blank. But it you play them this fantastic busy tune by Bizet (busy, Bizet, see what I did there?) then someone is probably going to say: "Oh, THAT!" Yes, it's one of those don't-know-it-yes-you-do pieces. If they then mention Toreadors, you should probably give them three Dojos or extra playtime or something! Now, it's a 4-bar intro but there are only 2 beats per bar so you will need, as in some of the songs above, to count: 1 – 2; 2 – 2; 3 – 2; 4 – 2 and away you go. For extra value this repeats: as soon as you have played the last bar, go straight back to the beginning and play it all again. Woo woo! The usual reminder about how to find Alan's backing for this is here.
	2	Rooty Tooty (4 bars in)	→	→	A great swing piece with a great Alan Pring backing. Check out the growl at bar 4 – can you do it by rolling your tongue as you play? *rrrrrrrrrrr* … like that. There's the usual 4-bar intro then a huge repeat from the end of bar 12 right back to the start. Go back and do that repeat but watch out – look at those first and second time bars! After you have played bar 10 on the repeat, don't play bars 11 and 12 again – you jump right over them and go straight to the "2." marking, bar 13, and play from there to the end. Simples? Well, it's OK for me to say that but I have been doing this for … mumble mumble … a number of years … so, actually, if you are not sure how to do this then *please* yell at me and I will try to explain it better for you. Really! I play Rooty Tooty in my Class Dojo video for Thursday 4 June. And, guess what? The usual reminder about how to find Alan's backing for this tune is still here.
49	1	March Duet	→	→	Another one with an amazing Alan Pring backing: to find it check my note here. This is the last actual piece in our Simply Brass book: the next – and last – two pages are scales and warmups, including on p. 50 the E Major scale which, as Alan points out, will help you with March Duet. Please note that there is a repeat – play all of the first eight bars twice. You can practise either part or both, and you can ask me to record a version with the other part for you, but actually it will sound fine however you tackle it. It's a nice piece to nearly-end the book with!
50	1	E major scale	C	TH	Page 50 is all scales. Alan has helpfully marked in some fingerings that you might need and you or I can add more if you need them. Every scale on page 50 has a backing at a nice steady speed. A 4-bar intro is followed by three runs through the scale, with a 2-bar turnaround between the "verses". For this one, E Major, watch out for the four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯.
	2	D minor scale	C	TH	In this D minor scale watch out for the B♭ in the key signature and the extra C♯ which gives you that surprising and rather lovely wide gap. All three minors on p. 50 are harmonic minors and that big jump is their special feature. Sounds good, yes?
	3	F major scale	C	TH	B♭ in the key signature.
	4	E minor scale	C	TH	F♯ in the key signature and D♯ for that "wide gap trick".
	5	E♭ major scale	C	TH	Three flats in the key signature: B♭, E♭ and A♭.
	6	C minor scale	C	TH	Three flats in the key signature again: B♭, E♭ and A♭ … but wait – that B♭ in the key signature is overriden by the B♮ (B natural) accidental, so you need to use 2nd, not 1st, valve here. We need to talk about these scales in a lesson sometime!
	7	C chromatic scale	C	TH	A chromatic scale isn't major or minor – it uses all the possible notes (in our Western music system) so you have to play all the flats and sharps. Imagine it on a piano – you are playing up all the white and black notes without leaving any gaps. You will hear the slidy, closed-in effect that this gives. If this is confusing, you or I can write in some more fingerings to help until you have them memorized.
51	1	Warmup 1	C	TH	The last page of Simply Brass is Some more useful warmups, and here is your first one. Four bars in then just play it through once, watching out for the changes of fingering that Alan Pring has written in every two bars. Keep it nice and steady and think about those lips slurs and making them sound great!
	2	Warmup 2	C	TH	Warmup number 2 has the same 4-bar intro and the same fingering pattern as No. 1. You could actually swap the backings and either would fit, or two players could play these two backings together as a (slightly odd) duet.
	3	Warmup 3	C	TH	Warmup 3 is quite different: it goes sailing up to a high G which, as Alan says, you need to play without straining. It's not the Olympics – if it doesn't work, skip it and try again another week. Four bars in, three times through the wamup and a two-bar turnaround between the verses. Enjoy this last item in our Simply Brass book.

Canonbury Brass – backings for "Simply Brass"

Canonbury Brass