Description
- Each lesson is a well rounded practice routine
- Progressive lessons for easy development
- Build a solid foundation and technique
- Unlock the mystery of Saint-Jacome
- Available in print and pdf
How To Use This Book
It is recommended that you stay on each lesson for at least one week. Many of the lessons are difficult and time consuming, so two weeks on each lesson is often needed. Saint-Jacome was originally intended as a complete method starting with the beginner. With the advances in trumpet pedagogy, Saint-Jacome really falls short as a book for the absolute beginner. With that in mind, you should have some degree of proficiency on the instrument before embarking on this method. Knowing all your fingerings, having a range to G above the staff, and knowledge of 16thnote rhythms is recommended before starting this method.
Warming Up
Trumpet pedagogy has grown by leaps and bounds since the Saint-Jacome was written in 1870. There are now entire books devoted to the art of warming up. If you have a particular warm up that you do, or are not getting enough of a warm up from Part 1 in a lesson, feel free to embellish as needed. Then continue with Part 1 of the lesson.
Models
Models are different articulations, keys, rhythms or other embellishments that are applied to an exercise or study. All models are assigned in the lessons and should be practiced thoroughly. Claude Gordon loved the Saint-Jacome and said that if the entire book were written out it would five times its present size. After writing this manual, I think that estimate is on the low side.
The instructions for the models are not always clear, so I have tried to clarify this when needed.
Here is an excerpt from the introduction:
Saint-Jacome’s Grand Method for Trumpet or Cornet has, along with Arban’s Complete Conservatory Method, been a staple of trumpet practice and pedagogy since it’s inception in 1870. Most serious trumpet players are familiar with the duets of Saint-Jacome, which are considered to be some of the finest ever written and many have played the etudes. But when it comes to the remaining 300-plus pages of the Saint-Jacome, most trumpet players have not scratched the surface. While most trumpet players have spent a considerable amount of time working from the Arban, the Saint-Jacome collects dust sitting on the shelf.
Why has the Saint-Jacome taken a back seat to the Arban for over a century? The reason is quite simple: organization. The Arban is fairly well organized by type of exercise and study, while the Saint-Jacome is seemingly put together randomly. The fact that the book has never been edited properly doesn’t help either.
That brings us to the purpose of the Saint-Jacome Manual: To bring order to the chaos. To give the trumpet player a day-to-day plan for practicing from this great book. Each lesson is a balanced, complete practice routine that will take you progressively through the entire Saint-Jacome Grand Method. Good luck!
Dave Bendigkeit (Bay Area Jazz Trumpeter) –
It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Eric Bolvin’s Saint-Jacome Manual to all students of the trumpet. It is progressive in the way that it is organized, presenting a clear method of negotiating one’s way through a complicated series of exercises and etudes. Great work, Eric. Congratulations, and thank you for taking the time to write this method down. I wish you success in all of your endeavors!
David Bailey –
With his Saint-Jacome Manual, Eric has brought order to the chaotic layout of the book and has turned an excellent but all-too-little-used work into something that every trumpet player can use in a logical and well thought out manner.
Many of us have played the duets or worked on the technical etudes with only a glance at the rest of the book to show us that it is laid out in a seemingly haphazard manner. Not only has Eric made sense of it all, he has also provided an excellent 63-lesson course of study to follow. All serious trumpet players should have the original Saint Jacome book (or books — I have an older 2-volume edition with the same page numbers as the 1-volume edition) in their libraries and right beside the original should be Eric’s Saint-Jacome Manual!
Jeanne Gabriel Pocius Dorismond –
Let me offer a resounding endorsement to Eric’s work! His Arban manual and Arban’s Scales book are just two (of many) contributions he has made to making trumpet etude books more valuable. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of his Saint-Jacome Manual!!!!
Jeanne Gabriel Pocius Dorismond
Director, Instrumental Change Inc.
Classe Tilly –
Thank you for what you are doing for the trumpet players and teachers in the world!! The Saint-Jacome Manual is splendid. Tell me…..where do you find the time to do all this considering that you as myself work as a trumpet player and a teacher. Do you sleep at all….?
Rick Rangno –
I ordered my copy of the Saint-Jacome Manual a few days ago and I’m very impressed with the work Eric has put into his new book. This, along with his Arban manual, should be on every trumpeter’s shelf. As Eric states, organization is the key. In both Arban and St. Jacome the sheer volume of studies in both books can be overwhelming. Now you can finally cover both books in a well laid out progressive plan. It’s a godsend to teachers who want to set up progressive lessons for their students. Each section gives just enough difficulty to challenge the student but not so much that they get discouraged. I highly recommend this volume and the Arban Manual to teachers and to advanced players who need to cover the things they left out when the did these books as young students (We ALL fall into this category!!) Thanks for another fantastic job, Eric!! Oh…and by the way don’t overlook Eric’s Jazz Trumpet Method!! Another great one!
Ron Foster (verified owner) –
And on to Lesson #20, for the St. Jacome Method as developed by Eric Bolvin in his book “The Saint Jacome Manual.” I can’t recommend his guide for this method book enough. It’s well written and takes you through the book in a well thought out and logical progression.
Ron Foster