Practical Guide to Pedagogy and Performance on Multiple Low Brass Instruments

In the Applied area at most small and medium-sized higher education institutions, there frequently is one or two faculty members teaching multiple instruments. While there are some notable exceptions, fundamentally these are the low brass faculty. In these roles, one is often expected to teach the four traditional low brass instruments: trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, and tuba.

It became apparent that the skills acquired through doubling on an auxiliary low brass instrument not only improves one’s musicianship and knowledge of said instrument, but when applied to students of that instrument it yields faster progress and a higher level of performance. Through research that included significant study given to the euphonium, teaching observations by industry professionals, and interviews with established performers and teachers, this document serves to outline a pedagogical and performing framework for those in positions where they are obliged to teach multiple low brass instruments, or those looking to perform on multiple low brass instruments more faithfully.