Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How "complete" are these books?
A: Both the Trombone book and the Tuba book contain all 120 of
Bordogni's vocalises.
Q: What happened to etude number one?
A: These books contain Bordogni's etude number one. The first etude in
the old Rochuet edition was not written by Bordogni.
Q: How many etudes in the trombone book are in either tenor or alto clef?
A: Etudes 60-120 appear in either tenor or alto clef.
Q: Is there a recording of the accompaniments available from Encore?
A: No. We believe it is better to practice these vocalises without a recording. Learning to interpret the music is one of the most important reasons to use Bordogni's vocalises. Playing along with a recording does not allow the freedom needed to properly interpret the music.
Q: Can the etudes in the tuba book be played on an F tuba?
A: Yes. They can, and should, be practiced on both the high (F or Eb) and low (CC or BBb) tubas.
Q: I play the tuba. Should I just transpose the etudes from the trombone book down one octave?
A: No. It is much better to play the notes you see on the page "at pitch". This correctly develops the "eye-ear-finger-embouchure" response. This is especially important when learning a new instrument such as the high (F or Eb) tuba. Transposing music while trying to learn a new instrument (i.e. new fingerings) will delay the learning process.
Q: Are there reasons for trombonists to use the tuba book or tubists to use the trombone book?
A: Bass Trombonists will want to use the tuba book for obvious reasons. Tubists may find limited use for the trombone book to develop high register. There are, however, better ways to develop high register control.
Q: Are the key signatures the same as the Rochuet/Bordogni books?
A: Yes. Both the tuba book and the trombone book use the same keys as the old Rochuet edition. The Mulcahy trombone book also notes all differences from Bordogni's original keys.