Directional Warm-Ups for Band

A Brief Introduction to . . .

DIRECTIONAL WARM-UPS FOR BAND

Cover of Directional Warm-Ups

Published by Warner Brothers/Belwin-Mills Publications

July 2008 update: I have had a number of people write about getting the series. THANK YOU. I am working with a major music publisher at this time to get it re-issued. If you want to know the latest development, please email me. It always helps for me to show the publisher your requests for the book!

November 2007 update: Copyright of this work has been re-assigned from Warner Bros (recently purchased by Alfred Music) back to me. I am working on distribution plans now. Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing copies - bharris@bandroom.com. Thanks.

December 2005: I have learned that my book is no longer in publication! I will be contacting the publisher to learn if they might re-issue the book. If you need copies to supplement your set, my only advice is to check with as many music retailers as possible as they may have stock available. Thank you for using my book! I am sorry it has "gone out of print" but it is beyond my control. If you will send me an email (bharris@bandroom.com), I will send you an update when/if I get any information from the publisher regarding re-releasing the set.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE ERRATA SHEET HERE (pdf)

DIRECTIONAL WARM-UPS FOR BAND contains 16 Learning Units and 20 Chorales.

Each Learning Unit contains a unison scale, melodic etudes, and references a Chorale in the same key.

For teaching purposes, the scales are first presented in whole notes (with accidentals as needed). This line is then followed by a rhythmic pattern scale, up and down, including the arpeggio.

Each of the eight Learning Units in keys have a unison scale and two unison etudes, one simple and the other more difficult.
Each of the eight Learning Units in keys have a unison scale in natural, melodic, and harmonic forms, and a single advanced etude.

The unison melodic etudes are designed to focus on horizontal playing skills (articulations, ensemble, dynamics, phrasing, etc.) by over-emphasizing a wide variety of:

and

and .

The 20 traditional, four-part chorales are arranged with simple rhythms to focus attention on vertical playing skills (ensemble).

Part books indicate whether the player has the Soprano, Alto, Tenor, or Bass line - this allows you to rehearse similar parts for intonation and balance purposes, as well as finding those wrong notes (from the 3rd Clarinet section?).
The omission of dynamic indication encourages students to follow the conductor's gestures.
The conductor book has both a 4-line score and a full score of each chorale.

Also included are 32 Rhythm Patterns and a Glossary of musical terms.

SAMPLES of pages from Conductor's and Part books

[click title for a full-size view of the sample page]

Learning

Unit

for

Eb Major


Trumpet 1	Percussion

Conductor - LEFT page, RIGHT page

Chorale

in

Eb Major

DIRECTIONAL WARMUPS FOR BAND was written for use by mid-level/developing high school bands or an advanced middle school group. Higher-level ensembles could use the material for review or at the first of the concert season to reinforce concepts of ensemble playing, tone, intonation, etc. Of course the chorales are useful for groups of any level, at any time.

Much attention was given to keeping the percussion and timpani parts as interesting and active as possible, to cut down on boredom for that section of the band. There are numerous other features in the method which would be too cumbersome to present here.

This is the type of warm-up book I always wanted when I was teaching public school. Today I routinely use it with my college and community bands. I hope you, too, will find it useful!

If you have questions about DIRECTIONAL WARM-UPS FOR BAND, I would be glad to correspond with you via my personal email.

Brian Harris