1st Place Etudes is a tool that Band Directors, students, and private lesson teachers can utilize to improve technical skills and perform with more musicality. The 35 melodic and rudimental studies will follow band students from grade 6 well into high school with a systematic introduction to common keys, time signatures, articulation and rudiment combinations, rhythms, and styles. These Etudes were developed to facilitate the use of playing assessments, provide extensions for advanced students, for sight reading, or prepared for individual or sectional performances, recitals, or auditions.
NEW in 2026 are the accompanying play-a-long tracks (can accompany practice, lessons, performances, or auditions). The 4th edition also features updated content, 1 new etude, the new stand-a-lone Bass Clarinet Book, and a Lead Sheet book for live accompaniment.
The system presented in this Etude Book offers everything a Band Director needs to assess individual progress, but also to practice them as a full ensemble. Many Etude books are unique for each instrument. This book of correlated studies makes it easy for teachers to engage the entire band, including percussion, while challenging each member individually. Band students will be able to play through the book with friends and family regardless of the band instrument they play.
Versatile, Practical, and a great Value for Any Band Program or Student
Because of its adaptability, the 1st Place Etude Books have found a variety of uses since the 1st Edition was released in 2009. The new play-a-long tracks make it even more useful. Etudes are ideal for:
🎯 Private & Group Lessons – A cost-effective resource for multi-level instruction. With books correlated, you can combine any band instruments into a lesson with common materials.
🎯 Practice & Study Material – A one-time purchase that enhances lesson plans, and provides students with practice tracks to study
🎯 School & District Evaluations – Standardized tools for consistent growth measurement.
🎯 Grading & Seating Placement – Helps teachers assess student skill level using comparable challenges across all instruments. Jazz and swing stuff included.
🎯 Portfolio Submissions – Includes rubrics and reflection sheets for documentation.
🎯 Advanced Students – Provides additional challenges for high-achieving musicians.
🎯 Sight-Reading Exercises – Strengthens reading and quick-learning skills.
🎯 Recitals & Auditions – Offers performance-ready études for all levels, with practice and performance tracks. Symphonic favorites and several swing studies are mixed throughout.
- 🥇 Covers common keys and time signatures for well-rounded learning.
- 🥇 Strengthens articulation and expressive playing with detailed notation and dynamics.
- 🥇 Correlated so all instruments can play together.
- 🥇 Introduces challenging rhythms and diverse musical styles and tempos.
- 🥇 Audio files (with/without solo) to accompany practice or performance.
- 🥇 Provides ALL students the chance to prepare melodic or rudimental material regardless of the parts they play in the ensemble.
Creating
- Refine and complete artistic work. Refine musical interpretations exploring different elements (e.g. dynamics and articulations). (N.M.Cr.03)
Performing
- Select, analyze and interpret artistic work for presentation. Identify basic strategies musicians use to practice and employ them in readying a musical work for performance. (N.M.P.04)
- Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation. Perform with accuracy and expression works from instrumental literature with a level of difficulty of 2, on a scale of 1 to 6; or a comparable scale. (N.M.P.05)
- Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. Match a musical performance with expressed intent (e.g., wanting the audience to identify with an emotion). (N.M.P.06)
Responding
- Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work. Develop criteria for a rubric for evaluating musical works (e.g., students create criteria for a performance that is juried by students). (N.M.R.09)
So how have band directors used these Etudes? Here are a few examples from teachers who have been using 1st Place products since they were first introduced on 2009.
- Many band directors combine etudes and assessment sheets for individual playing assessments throughout the school year. Since etudes align across all instruments (including snare and mallets), full-group rehearsals before assessments save time. A student rubric with guiding questions (tone, rhythm, articulation, musicianship, etc.) helps students prepare.
- Most or our sales are individual books (only $10.). Students looking for interesting challenges beyond technical exercise find these Etudes offer years of material for practice, performance, and sight reading. Now with the play-a-long tracks they have become a great learning tool for private or home-school students.
- The first 20+ Etudes are intentionally short (8-24 bars). They are written so that a teacher can hear a :30 second to minute clip of each student, and efficiently give focused feedback – technical elements you need to hear are written into those few bars (articulation, dynamics, fingering/rudiment challenges, etc.). The final 8 Etudes are a full page challenges and offer longer audition or recital pieces if needed.
- Steady sales also come from Booster Groups who purchase a full set for each Band program in their District. With the right to copy, it’s a fantastic and lasting contribution to their students (and teachers) success for the minimal investment.
- Private lesson teachers use the 35 Etudes as a core part of lessons, assigning pieces based on student development. By purchasing a section bundle, teachers have ample material without requiring students to buy expensive, misaligned books.
- 1st Place Etudes also serve as sight-reading exercises, covering a range of styles, including swing, classical, marches, ballads, and more, in varied time signatures.
- Some districts use certain etudes for standardized assessments, tracking progress across schools. A district in Massachusetts implemented grade-level benchmarks across its three middle schools and two high schools, ensuring consistent expectations. Schools made a one-time purchase of PDFs for unlimited future use.
- Finally, 1st Place Etudes help secondary band directors manage mixed-grade ensembles by assigning different etudes by grade level or skill. Honors Band students may receive advanced assignments. Since all parts align, brief run-throughs benefit all students, and a shared rubric ensures consistency.
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Single Books – downloadable pdf $10. each
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Section Bundles – WW: $45; Brass: $35; Perc. $15
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Conductor score – downloadable pdf $20 (includes Teacher Guide & Lead Sheet Book).
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Master Set – All 15 Books pdf’s $100
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Assessment Sheets (24 pages) – pdf $15.
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Right to copy for your students.
Instant Downloads are part of your receipt – be ready!
