Chromazure for Beginner Trumpet Trio

Chromazure

for Beginning Trumpet Trio
by Eddie Lewis

Here is another composition from my absolute beginner series. The restrictions of these compositions include having no notes higher than C in the staff, no rhythms smaller than quarter-notes and key signatures of one flat, or one sharp, or in the key of C.

These beginner trumpet compositions are also typically very short. This one is only sixteen measures long.

Chromazure is specifically intended to teach younger students that dissonance can sound "good" when used in the right context. I have been teaching my students how to play dissonant songs for decades now. Sometimes we use duets for this. Other times, when it's possible, we use different ensemble settings.

In this case, the dissonance is crated by the use of dominant seventh chords with sharp nines. I believe it's important to get the students to hear those sounds early in their development. On those sharp nine chords, he interval between the first trumpet part and the third part is a major seventh.