• Home
  • Articles
    • Instrument Pedagogy
    • Concert Band
    • Beginning Band
    • Theory & More
    • Motivation
    • Recruiting & Retention
    • Band Director Jobs
    • Collaborative Posts
    • Seasonal
  • Resources
    • Beginning Theory
      • Aural Skills
      • Musical Symbols & Terms
      • Note Names
      • Rhythm
    • Books for Band Directors
    • Brass
    • Cut Time
    • The Garner Ensemble Project – Rhythmic Ensembles
      • The Garner Ensemble Project – Set 2 (2021)
    • Instrument Overhauls
    • KHS America/Jupiter
    • Method Books
    • Music Stores
    • Percussion
    • Travel – Green Light
    • Woodwind Resources
  • Newsletter
  • Distance Learning
  • Freebies
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Band Directors Talk Shop

Middle School Solos – Tried & True Favorites

29 Jan
class 3 solos

These recommendations are the top responses from a survey of 30+ very experienced band directors.  Be aware: some of the listed songs may have multiple movements and only certain movements are the correct level of difficulty.  Books are notated.

middle school solos

These results are from the late 1990s that took place at the WTAMU band camp and Band Directors’ Workshop.  BandDirectorsTalkShop.com is hoping to run a new survey in the future to update these, but most of these are tried and true solos and will probably remain on the list. We hope these give you a good starting point for building a Solo/Ensemble library.

FLUTE
Rubank Book of Flute Solos (BOOK)
Wye – Flute Solos Volume II (BOOK)
Handel/Dishinger – Allegro from Concerto Grosso
Kuhlau/Voxman – Menuett

OBOE
Oboe solos – Level 2 (BOOK)
Bach/Dishinger – Menuet in G or Musette
Lully/Post – Gavotte in Rondeau
Handel/Dishinger – Allegro – Concerto Grosso, Op.3 No.4
Schumann/Best – Humming Song
Walters – Sakura, Sakura

BASSOON
Wiessenborn – Arioso and Humoresque
Bach/Dishinger – Menuet in G
Paine – The happy Hunter
Lawton – The Young Bassoonist Volume 1 (BOOK)
Petrie/Walters – Asleep in the Dark

CLARINET
Langenus – Chrysalis
Bach/Dishinger – Menuet in G
Hovey/Leonard – Gypsy Moods
Vaughn Williams – Six Studies in English Folk Songs
Hovey/Leonard – Clouds in Summer

SAXOPHONE
Ployhar – The Hunt (not on PML)
Teal – Program Solos (BOOK)
Corelli – Gigue
Vaughn Williams/Dishinger – A Winter’s Willow
von Wever/Rascher – Hunters Chorus from Freischutz

TRUMPET/CORNET
VanderCook (BOOK) – specifically Altair, Centaurus, Lyra, Vega
Fitzgerald – English Suite
Thomas – El Torerro
Lamb – Solo Sounds for Trumpet Levels 1-3, Vol. 1 – Valiant, Trumpet Voluntary
Shelukov/Gower – The Cavalier

FRENCH HORN
Ployhar – The Hunt
Rameau/Dishinger – Rigaudon from Pieces de Clavecin
Beethoven/Dishinger – May Song
Bach/Dishinger – Musette from Anna Madalena Bach Notebook

TROMBONE/BARITONE
VanderCook – Trombone Gems (BOOK)
Rameau/Dishinger – Rigaudon
Handel/Buchtel – Cantelena
Pinard – The Crusader

TUBA
Grieg/Homes – In the Hall of the Mountain King
Bell – The Spartan
Isaac – The Jolly Dutchman
Purcell/Dishinger – Gavotte & Hornpipe

SNARE DRUM
Freytag – The Rudamental Cookbook (BOOK)
Harr – Aquamarine
Pratt – Solo Snare Drummer Vol 1 (BOOK)

KEYBOARD PERCUSSION
Schinstine – Southern Special Marimba Solos (BOOK)
Peters – Chant for Marimba
Montecalvo – Petite Mallet Suite (piano accompaniment)

Another keyboard solo collection that we have to mention that was not on the original list and does not appear on the PML yet (just released)…
One of our core contributors, Eric Rath, along with a co-author Ralph Hicks, has a new set of 5 authentic ragtime xylophone solos available. The Golden Age of Ragtime can be played with piano or 4 person ensemble accompaniment and come with  a CD with ensemble parts, assignment charts & audio practice tracks as well as historical background and tips & tricks. They range from Class 3 solos to Class 1 in difficulty. You can see video recordings here.  

Hope these favorite Class 3 solos help you build a great solo library.

Related Reading:
3 Quick Ways to Check Your Percussionist’s Grip from the Podium
Free Metronome & Sheet Music (including solos)
Note Starts “Try This Quick Tip…”

Learn. Share. Inspire.
BandDirectorsTalkShop.com

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Filed Under: Brass (High Brass), Brass (Low Brass), Literature, Solo & Ensemble, Woodwind

Previous Post: « Three Quick Ways to Check Your Percussionist’s Grip From the Podium
Next Post: Bassoon Eb (Quick Tip) »

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. So I Teach at a Low SES School…Language and Delivery. - Band Directors Talk Shop says:
    February 15, 2016 at 9:24 pm

    […] Related Reading: Music Mentors Can Make a Difference Motivate Your Band – The Band Puzzle Tried and True Middle School Solos – Favorite Class 3 Solos […]

Primary Sidebar

Sign up here for our newsletter




SEARCH ANY TOPIC HERE

Categories

About Band Directors Talk Shop

Band Directors Talk Shop is all about helping you be a better band director so your students can be better musicians.  It is a collaborative effort of band directors, former band directors, private lesson teachers and fine arts administrators. Learn.  Posts will strive to teach you something you can use in your classroom today. ... Read More about About Us

let’s connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Featured Articles

To Perform or Not to Perform?

band video game

Beyond “Gamification”

COPYRIGHT © 2023 BAND DIRECTORS TALK SHOP, LLC · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs