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Comparison of Three
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Beginning Band Methods
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Jump
Right In
Publisher
GIa Publications, Inc.
www.giamusic.com
Standard of
Excellence
(Enhanced)
Essential
Elements 2000
Neil A. Kjos Music
Company
www.kjos.com
$9.95
Hal Leonard
Corporation
www.halleonard.com
$8.99
Price
$16.50
CD/DVD included?
CD
CD
Both
First Note
Bb concert
D concert
F concert
Location of first key
other than Bb
Introduction of Triple
Meter
First Note
“over the break”
Pg. 19 of 48
Pg. 16 of 48 (#65)
Pg. 16 of 48 (#76)
Pg. 13
Not done in Book 1
Not done in Book 1
Pg. 12
Concert A
Pg. 27 (#118)
Concert Eb
Pg. 24 (#119
Concert D
Software on CD
None
iPas
Finale Notepad,
SmartMusic
Biggest Advantages
Use of several keys ,
Introduction of
accompaniment roles,
Use of several meters
Price,
Difficult for students to
teach themselves,
Only 9 tunes
Easy to understand,
Software,
Many instrumentspecific pages
No use of triple meter,
Heavy emphasis on
Bb major
Price,
Software,
Easy to understand
Biggest Disadvantages
No use of triple meter,
Heavy emphasis on
Bb major
Objective and Purpose
With so many method book options for band directors to choose from, what should the
essential beginning band method look like? The answer to this question can spark some heated
debate, as it gets down to educational philosophy. Consequently, this review is meant to mix
objective fact with subjective opinions gained from my experience teaching in all three method
books.
For this comparison, only the student book is evaluated. This study is, by no means,
meant to serve as an in depth philosophical inquiry into different ideologies, but rather as a
quick reference for a young band director trying to see the trees through the forest, or
potentially the music from the noise, in this case. In addition, the primary instrument used for
comparison is the clarinet, as this is one of the most common beginning instruments and also
possesses one of the largest hurdles during the beginning stages of learning, namely that of
playing over and through “the break”.
Comparison
Philosophical differences
While this might seem to contradict what was stated earlier, the differing philosophies
in these books dictate one of the largest differences between them; the way in which the
beginning student learns and differing priorities held by the different authors.
The “odd man out” in the trio is Jump Right In. The authors, Richard Grunow, Ed
Gordon, and Chris Azzara, are proponents of a methodology known as Music Learning Theory.
Without going into too much detail, this ideology places priority on training the ear before the
eye. Consequently, the Jump Right In series utilizes solfege syllables in place of standard note
names. For example, when the band learns their first note, Bb concert, they do not learn in as
Bb, they learn it as “Do” in the key of Bb. The note “C”, would then be taught as “Re” and so on.
In contrast, both of the other methods use standard note names. In addition to the use of
solfege, the Jump Right In books place value on the “audiation” (being able to hear the music
before you play it) of melody, counter-melody, harmony, and bass line. Consequently, all of the
music taught in the Jump Right In series is displayed in several forms. For example, when the
students learn “Pierrot” on page 21, they not only learn the melody, but also the harmony, bass
line, and even have a line open for improvisation.
Ease of Use
Having attended a university which taught Music Learning Theory (Michigan State
University), I graduated with a knowledge of how to teach the basics of audiation. However,
Jump Right In is still a learning method that is hard to successfully execute in the beginning
band setting. Due to the fact that the method is primarily teacher-taught, the book does not
contain student-friendly terminology. The writing contained within the method is written at a
higher level, using terms like “macrobeat”, “tonality”, “tonal syllables”, and “enrhythmic
reading”. In contrast, the other two methods contain text sections meant to allow advanced or
enthusiastic students to move ahead in the book ahead of the rest of the class. There are also
text boxes which highlight important composers throughout history, such as the brief
paragraph on Mozart immediately preceding “A Mozart Melody” on page 8.
While some might view Jump Right In’s methods as more difficult and less beneficial,
others will say that it helps build concepts such as balance, listening across the ensemble, and
independence as the students are challenged in different ways.
Pros and Cons
The Jump Right In books present students with so many ways to develop advanced
musicianship skills. Ideas like intonation and tone are fostered earlier than normal with heavy
emphasis placed on singing and listening before playing. The inclusion of harmonies, countermelodies, and bass lines with every tune allows for students to form their own chamber
ensembles or play along with the CD on whichever part they wish. There is much missing from
Jump Right In, though. Due to the fact that there are so many parts to each tune, only 9 tunes
are taught in the entire first book. This does not count the “Major and Minor Duples and
Triples”, meant only to establish tonality. In addition, any tune that is taught in both major and
minor, or duple and triple is only counted once. Added to this is the fact that the first tune is
not taught until page 21 (once again, not counting “Major and Minor Duples and Triples”). In
the wrong hands, this can lead to a very boring and monotonous beginning band class.
The Essential Elements 2000 is boasts many sections that have been common in
beginning band through the years. It utilizes traditional note naming as well as text boxes
meant both to supplement the music as well as teach about historical musicians or other nonperforming musical elements. The tunes are fun for beginning instrumentalists and include
many songs that the students are familiar with, such as “London Bridge”, “Jingle Bells”, and
“William Tell”, all which are taught within the first 10 pages. In addition, the inclusion of basic
Finale software on the CD is a fantastic way to incorporate basic composition at the earliest
levels. In contrast to the Jump Right In books, the Essential Elements 2000 series does not
include harmonies or bass lines as standard learning tools. There are duets and arrangements,
but they are not included in the standard learning process as they are in the Gordon book. In
addition, the entire book is spent in duple meter. This may be a large reason why many of our
young bands struggle when trying to play in 6/8, as it was not taught to them as a standard
time signature.
The Standard of Excellence series shares many common characteristics with the
Essential Elements books. Like the Essential Elements series, there are many tunes that the
students will recognize and enjoy. In addition, there is a nice few pages at the beginning both
explaining and showing how to put the instrument together properly as well as form the
embouchure correctly. In addition, there is a thorough glossary at the back of the book for
quick review when needed. The Standard of Excellence series share the same weak points with
their Essential Elements competitors. The book is exclusively in duple meter and spends are
large amount of time in the key signature of Bb major or g minor.
Conclusion
Once again, this comparison is not meant to be taken as complete fact, but rather as a
mixture of objective information and subjective experiences. The only way to find out which
method truly works in any given class is through years of experience and endless hours of
toying and tinkering with different ideas and methodologies. I hope this review can serve as a
quick reference guide and I wish you the best in your aspirations of creating engaged and
musical young adults.