Literature Review: Rhythm Kopprasch Volume 1 by Jeffrey Agrell
One of the challenges in practicing through etudes and method books is finding fresh insight in the exercises. Oftentimes, we could perform a Bordogni or Clarke study and learn it for a while only then to find boredom in an etude we have played for years and years. Sometimes, the solution is to play a piece in a different octave or transpose to a different key and then deliberately practice it before we eventually move on to the next etude.
Jeffrey Agrell, Professor of Horn at the University of Iowa, has taken this creative concept of change to another level by starting a Millennium Kopprasch Series. These anticipated ten two-volume sets of Kopprasch’s 60 Etudes for Low Horn focus on various variations of playing these standard etudes with the first set focusing on Rhythm. Agrell writes in the opening section that “the musician of the new millennium can expect to face technical and musical challenges that far exceed the basics covered by Kopprasch.”1
Agrell then lays out clear guidance on how to utilize these new exercises to their full potential. By taking the standard Kopprasch exercises and adding his own rhythmic flair, Agrell is allowing the practice session to be more focused and productive which, in return, becomes more beneficial. With a plethora of resources in the “Metronomology” section of the book, the student has no excuse for practicing these exercises for maximum impact. With only about 30 etudes in the first volume, not every Kopprasch etude is covered in the book. However, each etude is clearly readable in this spine-bound, 50-page book.
On a personal note, I have used the Kopprasch etudes (trombone version) in my own practice sessions for a long time. While the trombone arrangements alone can be challenging, the Agrell/Kopprasch series really pushes me toward a stronger focus on counting and rhythm – you really need a metronome for these at first! For me, the best way to experience this new adaptation is to play an original etude in its original key and then immediately proceed to Agrell arrangements. It will cause you to notice right away a new variant in playing “old” music.
While this resource is geared toward horn players, any brass musician can glean from what is written in the series. For non-horn players especially, this book will push you with both rhythmic and transposing challenges, and ultimately make you a better musician for the demands needed in today’s compositions.
1 Agrell, Jeffrey, Rhythmic Kopprasch: Volume 1, Wildwind Editions, pg. v
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Jeffrey Agrell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
