What if H.L.Clarke had been overly-influenced by J.S.Bach?

If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing!

Clarke Study #2 is a staple for trumpet players, from students to professionals. But what if H.L. Clarke had been overly influenced by J.S. Bach? This trumpet exercise with a play-along video is my answer: an adaptation of the iconic theme from Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor—reimagined in the format of the Clarke study for B♭ trumpet. And instead of a boring metronome, we’re keeping things fresh with a funky backing track.

Looking to break free from your daily Clarke #2? Give this play-along a try for a little fun and variety. I made it to mix things up and give my neighbors a break from hearing the same old exercises—maybe you should too!

The written exercise is displayed on-screen as the video plays, while the PDF copy may be downloaded here.

This piece also doubles as an “Expanding Range” exercise, inspired by William Adam’s teaching approach. By starting in the middle register and gradually expanding up and down, you’ll be prepared for any range, high or low.

A quote from the book A Tribute to William Adam:

It may have been Mr. Adam who was the first to employ the concept of expanding exercises. Mr. Adam would start up in the middle register. Then we played the next exercise a ½ lower, then a ½ higher, and continue this pattern expanding outward. By doing this the player would not set themselves up for high or low register but instead be ready for either.

Resources:

• Toccata a la Clarke #2 video.
• Toccata a la Clarke #2 written exercise for Trumpet.

Adapted by me and free for you to use.

What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.