Welcome to The Concert Band

This web site is dedicated to college and secondary school concert and wind bands. It contains information about the various instruments employed, as well as hints about band training (including technique and intonation), conducting, the physical laws the govern sound production, and anything else I think the young musicians who play in these bands might find helpful. Some sections (such as the one on interpretation) are more for band directors than players, of course, but overall I have tried to include something of interest to just about everyone.  

Some of the information on this website has been extracted from my book entitled The Band Director's Handbook: A guide for College and Secondary School Band Directors in Southeast Asia. The book also includes additional chapters on pedagogy and the varying characteristics of different wind band instruments that are not included in this website. It also has a chapter devoted to writing arrangements and transcriptions for wind band. To order a copy of my book, see the publication details below.   

Free Score - Hallelujah Chorus

This website includes several free scores for both wind and brass band that you can download and use with your band. One of my favourites is an arrangement of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus that I wrote for brass band. To take a look as the music, click here. To take a look at the other scores currently available on this website, click here.

Focus Section

This is the section where I intend to post a variety of articles expanding on subjects not discussed in detail on other parts of this website. Check back regularly to read the latest one! Take a look at this one:

The Veteran's Band does it again!
Read my review of this latest CD from an Australian brass band full of grandfathers!

Interested in musical form and analysis?

Read my detailed analysis of Adam Gorb's Awayday before rehearsing it with your band.  

Concerned about playing Swing music properly?

Check out my guidelines for Swing.

Having trouble getting your band to play in tune?

Try out some of my suggestions for ear training before moving on the section on intonation.

The Band Director's Handbook

(Click on the thumbnail to display a larger image.)

Author: Bruce Gale
Published by
ASEAN ACADEMIC PRESS LTD
P.O. Box 13945, London E5 OXY
England, United Kingdom
ISBN: 1-901919-35-8
Fax: (0208)533-5856
Email: pelpub@tm.net.my
(Note the change of email address. The previous one given here has been experiencing technical difficulties)

 

Concert Band Forum

I live in Singapore, which has an active and growing band scene. The latest online forum is BandZone. Check it out at this place:

bullet http://s8.invisionfree.com/BandZone/

 
   

This site was last updated 01-Jul-2008