TMEA All-State tenor trombone etude: Dieppo

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/172661607" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /] What a beautiful little piece! This is one of those etudes that I'm always so happy to see among the selections, as it just lends itself so well to the trombone. I feel like a tempo close to the bottom of the suggested range works best, as I don't want this piece to sound hurried when I perform it. It should sound relaxed, beautiful, and make your listener say, "ahhhhhhh...".  A tempo of 120 to the eighth note will work well to accomplish this.

Strive for a comfortable, beautiful sound. I often find it necessary to somewhat ignore the piano marking at the beginning, it shouldn't be loud, but it should sound comfortable, confident, and really sing! Play it like you are the world's greatest soloist!  Also, imagine you are playing in a large auditorium and filling up the space with beautiful sound (or better yet, find a large room to practice in!)

I prefer to play the turns, or grupettos in a very unhurried way. Using the rhythm of an eighth and four sixteenth notes will accomplish this. Listen to the recording to hear what I mean...

Likewise, the cadenza sounds best to me when played in a relaxed way. This isn't a piece to show off blazing technique. It IS a place to show off smoothness and elegance! Again, listen to the recording!

Have fun with this beautiful little piece. It is truly a joy to work on, and a nice break from marching band parts you may be working on this time of year.