Thomas Harper Jr. studied with his father at the Royal Academy of Music and eventually went on to contribute improvements to the English slide trumpet as well as this method for training on the instrument. The original title for this book was:

“Harper’s School for the Trumpet: Containing (in addition to the usual instructions) a full description of the instrument, observations on the use of the slide and on the mode of writing music for the trumpet, several remarks connected with the art of playing the instrument and 100 progressive exercises.” – Original Title

While it might seem strange to republish a method for the English slide trumpet on a modern trumpet site, but its pedagogical value is still extremely high. The explanations on turns and grace notes are indicative of how to interpret music from the time period, and all of the 100 exercises (which make up the bulk of the book) are playable on the trumpet (there is just an occasional low F to contend with).

Have a look at samples from this ancient relic, and then grab a digital PDF download above.