Would you like to learn how to play the trumpet, tuba, french horn, trombone, or euphonium (baritone) in Columbia, MD? We would love to hear from you. Our studio welcomes musicians of all ages and abilities, and whether you want to play jazz or classical music, we can help you improve.
Any brass musician will tell you that the first thing you must learn is how to breathe correctly. Brass instruments, from the trumpet to the tuba, require a tremendous amount of wind, and the better your breathing is, the fuller your tone can be. We will help you learn diaphragmatic breathing, how to blow through the instrument without tension, and more.
You will also learn how to form the embouchure correctly. This is the position of the mouth when you bring the mouthpiece up to the playing position. This technique comes to each student differently, and our teachers will help you understand the concept, play beautifully, and create a foundation that you can build upon.
Brass players must learn more than breathing and embouchure techniques. We will teach you how to read notes, how to understand key signatures and time signatures, and how to interpret music. We will also discuss genre-specific techniques as you progress – for instance, jazz trombone playing is very different from orchestral brass playing.
We can work on jazz licks, solo repertoire, and orchestra or band excerpts. Whether you want to play in a community band or audition for the President’s Own, we are happy to help!
We welcome beginner and experienced trumpet players at Soundcheck Rock Academy. You don’t have to aspire to playing rock trumpet, a small niche – we help jazz, pop, classical, and other trumpet players learn how to play. Your teacher will be a degreed individual who plays the trumpet at a professional level, and you will learn a great deal simply from listening to your instructor play.
Learn how to play beautifully and in varied styles, how to articulate and slur, and so much more!
The trombone is an incredibly versatile instrument. It’s used in jazz, wind bands, orchestra, chamber brass, and more, and you can learn all of these styles in your lessons. You will learn how to play the various positions and in various registers, but you can also learn how to play charts, read notes on the staff, how to prepare excerpts for auditions, and more. We encourage you to share your goals with your teacher – whether they involve high school band auditions or a career as a studio musician, let us know
The tuba is the foundation of any band or orchestra. It’s also more popular in contemporary music circles than you might think! You will start out by learning the fundamentals of tuba playing, but your teacher can also help you learn how to play the C tuba, F tuba, and prepare for the varied demands of being a high level tubist. Your teacher can also help you know which instrument to purchase as you progress in your skills.
The euphonium is an increasingly popular instrument due to its beautiful sound and technical capabilities. This region in particular has a strong euphonium scene because of Columbia’s proximity to the military bands in D.C. and Alexandria. If you’d like to learn how to play the euphonium, or if you are a musician who would like to double on the trombone or tuba as well, please let us know! We can help you learn how to play at an advanced level and choose the right literature, from Rubank method books to the Vladimir Cosma concerto.
We are also happy to help you learn how to play the French horn, or work with you on taking your skills to the next level. The French horn isn’t the easiest instrument – it’s notoriously difficult to play in pitch without cracking notes, is difficult to string, and young musicians can learn bad fingering habits without the proper instruction. We can help.
We would love to speak with you, tell you about our program, and set you up with a trial lesson on your brass instrument of choice. Give us a call or fill out our form to get in touch. We also offer the following:
