Reddit reviews Arban's Famous Method for Trombone

Welcome to the instrument.

What you basically need is (obviously) a foundation. This is a warm-up set devised by Toby Oft, principal trombonist of the BSO. It has the dual purpose of fulfilling the desired foundation with long tones and flexibility, as well as being a warmup. Skip or simplify any of the exercises that are too hard for now - if you hammer away at this set day after day, eventually you can just breeze through them.

The next thing you need is a book on technique. I personally prefer the Arban method, but lots of other alternatives exist. The Arban is broken up into subjects: rhythmical, multiple tonguing, flexibility, etc. Take one exercise from several sections (say, five or six) per week.

Finally, choose a piece to work towards. At this level, if you're having trouble finding trombone pieces that are worth working towards, consider playing a cello piece (since the two instruments have similar ranges).

I doubt it was an actual solo book, but more likely Arban's Famous Method for Trombone. A number of bassists have used this successfully. As a brass/bass doubler, the etudes in this book are a little more interesting and musical than what you'd find in the Simandl or similar bass methods.

Guarantee that if you can play the entire scope of this book, you'd definitely, one hundred percent, without a doubt, be a monster on bass. It will take tons of work, though!

>Arban's artistic ideals, his sound musicianship, and invaluable instructive principles were perpetuated in his splendid "Method for the Cornet", which has maintained the very highest position among similar instructive works.

>Its practical superiority, as well as artistic plan, has never been surpassed and as proven by the present new transposed edition, its fundamental pedagogic principles are as adaptable and serviceable for other brass instruments as the one for which it was originally conceived.

Link to amazon page

I also started playing again after a ten or so year break. Couldn't find my old Arban's so I ordered a new version from Amazon.

Although it's not completely beginner and not melodic pieces if that's what you're looking for, it's amazingly pleasant to play through and will definitely get your chops back in shape.

If you're really back at beginner level, I do remember the Rubank Elementary Method series as being quite useful.