A standout member of the brass family, the trumpet is a unique and powerful instrument that attracts a wide range of players, teachers, and enthusiasts. Not surprisingly, the trumpet is used in many different types of music, making it an extremely versatile instrument. In this article, I’ll describe what kinds of things you can expect to learn from three types of trumpet teachers — classical, jazz, and modern/pop.
Classical Trumpet
Some of the most focused and educated trumpet teachers come from a classical background. Classical trumpet is typically the first style of music a young trumpet player is exposed to through middle school or high school.
Students can participate in orchestras from middle-school age all through adulthood. At college, classical trumpet players get to experience a much wider variety of ensembles for their instrument, including orchestra, wind ensemble, and a smaller brass choir. The trumpet is an essential part of all of these ensembles, giving the player many great choices.
Accordingly, trumpet teachers experienced in ensemble playing will tend to focus on the importance of sounding great with a larger ensemble.
In addition, if your private trumpet teacher is proficient in classical music and comes from a strong classical background, you can expect a lot of great structure in your lessons. Trumpet teachers coming from this background also tend to be great sight readers, which means you can bet you’ll be on track to be a great sight reader, too!
Jazz Trumpet
The trumpet plays a major role in the jazz world. Trumpet players like Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie have all made huge impacts in the jazz world and are widely regarded as legends. Those jazz greats and others have passed down a legacy which is alive and well to this day.
Trumpet teachers who specialize in jazz tend to focus lessons on creative ways of improvising. Jazz trumpet teachers will have you play through different varieties of chord changes and will teach you high level ear training. Your jazz trumpet teacher will have you experiment with different dynamics and timbres, to improve general artistry and feel. Jazz is an especially great genre for student who wish to freely express themselves and gain a deep understanding of the way music flows together.
Modern/Pop Trumpet
There is also a large place in modern and pop music for trumpet players. Artists from Beyonce to Bruno Mars will often enlist the help of trumpet players in their performances. Musicians from both jazz and classical backgrounds who wish to branch out into the commercial world may do so in pop music.
If you’re a student seeking modern/pop lessons for the trumpet, you can expect to learn to use a metronome to improve timing in a recording session. Jazz trumpet teachers stress the importance of playing on time — while still playing skillfully and artfully. You can also expect some advice on stage presence, insofar as pop trumpet players will often be expected to perform on large stages.
Find the trumpet teacher who is right for you!
Whatever background your trumpet teacher may have, you can expect to learn all of the basics and then some. There is a whole vast world of music to contribute to out there. Find the teacher who is right for you!
