The Saint-Jacome Manual

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!