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I have taken some form of music lesson and taught music for decades. I’m always learning new things, and that means finding new resources. Since I don’t always live in an area with reputable music teachers and covid forced many people to pivot to the online marketplace exclusively, I’ve had to learn how to find the best online trumpet lessons to try.
Finding online lessons can be a huge pain. I have always found it overwhelming to vet the right teachers for virtual lessons, reliable pre-recorded videos that contain good information, and not just a lot of repetitive marketing. Thankfully, I’ve done all that legwork for you.
Bottomline Upfront
I recommend Etrumpetlessons.com as the best one-stop shop for the best online trumpet lessons to try. His website offers a progressive collection of online lessons and pre-recorded videos that start with free beginner content, transition into full lessons, and have the option of private online (live) music lessons.
That said if you want a single type of online lesson like virtual lessons with a real music teacher or free pre-recorded videos, any of the items on this list will suffice.
Selection Criteria
I always struggle between frugality and procrastination. I love the idea of free music lessons, especially if it’s a brand new instrument that I don’t know I’m going to commit to long-term, but I also know myself well enough to appreciate the psychology of having to be financially invested in hobbies or extracurricular activities in order to remain fully committed to them.
For that reason, I have included free websites that offer paid online trumpet lessons, including pre-recorded videos and lessons you can watch at your leisure or music teachers with whom you can connect online.
Free
Youtube.com
If you want something very basic with videos you can follow, youtube.com is a great option. Music teachers and professionals craft many channels on YouTube for children and beginners. Jody Marvin has one such channel. It contains a handful of the best techniques for beginners.
Learntoplaymusic.com has a free Youtube channel of perfect (short) online lessons for something more comprehensive. E-how has a channel as well taught by John King, a professional trumpet player, and music teacher.
How It Works…
Go on YouTube, search for free trumpet lessons (I would stick to the recommended channels), and watch them whenever you have time.
Who Should Consider This…
Anyone who wants beginner information, short videos, and no financial commitment should consider this resource first.
Pros
- It is very easy to find free content.
Cons
- There are a lot of ads, options, and repetitive material.
Sort of Free
Etrumpetlessons.com
If you aren’t sure about playing the trumpet or you are purchasing lessons for someone who might not stay committed, the “sort of free” category is a great place to find yourself because you can start with the free content and upgrade to the paid content if necessary. Etrumpetlessons.com is one such site.
It is managed by Brett Manges, an accomplished trumpet player.
How It Works…
The site offers a range of classes like free lessons:
- How to make a tone
- How to use the valve combinations for the first five notes
- The correct posture when playing
- Daily warm-ups
Tip: You can find some of his free lessons on Youtube, too:
It also has full online lessons such as:
- The right embouchure
- Breathing techniques
- Developing fingering, tone, and strength
And if you progress through these, you can book live online lessons. These online lessons are available in a five-pack package. You schedule them with Brett. Each session is a half hour, and after you complete the five lessons, you can purchase additional five packs and continue your online lessons or walk away.
Who Should Consider This…
Anyone who wants the whole package (free content, paid lessons, and a chance for private online lessons) can get everything in one place from a reliable source.
Pros
- There are lots of free and paid progressive options
- You can watch the free content on Youtube and save it to your device
Cons
- You have to commit to five lessons if you do the private package
Definitely Not Free
Udemy.com
Not everyone likes the pressure of paying for a specific length of time, in which case Udemy.com is a viable alternative. They have user ratings, so you can look at the instructor, read the reviews, and pick the one you want to pay for. If you type in the words ‘trumpet’, ‘trumpet lessons,’ or ‘how to play the trumpet,’ it will give you the six available lessons.
I advise you to pick carefully if you are using this option. I have been frustrated in the past when I pay for what looks like a comprehensive set of the best online trumpet lessons to try, only to find that even though it has 71 lectures (which seems like a lot), they amount to only one and a half hours total (which is definitely not a lot).
They have a bestseller with six hours of content for beginners, offering 146 lectures. It has over 1,300 positive reviews.
Tip: Pay attention to the number of lectures included, what you learn, and how long the series is.
How It Works…
You get to choose from the six available trumpet lessons online. You read a description for the class in question; you can look at the total number of lectures, hours of content, and level. It will tell you what things you’ll learn, and then you add it to your cart, check out, and have indefinite access to it. You can come back time and time again.
Who Should Consider This…
If you want to get a wider variety of smaller lectures specifically for a beginner, this will give you the best bang (or horn) for your buck.
Pros
- It is a much cheaper and a way to buy individual lesson sets.
- You can pick the teacher you like best.
- It is an easy way to get an introduction to the trumpet.
Cons
- The lectures and videos aren’t as comprehensive as you would get with a dedicated instructor.
- You won’t get more than 6 hours of total lessons from this site unless you buy all the beginner lessons together.
ArtistWorks.com
Joining ArtistWorks.com gives you access to hundreds of videos and instructors. The one I recommend for trumpet is David Bilger. He attended Juilliard and the University of Illinois.
He is a professional musician with decades of experience and professional accomplishments. You can view his biography to learn more about what he has done. In addition to the videos you get as part of your basic membership, you can also pay for a special feature called Video Exchange learning. With Video Exchange learning, you record yourself playing, send it to David, and he sends you feedback.
How It Works…
With David Bilger, you have to sign up and become a member of ArtistWorks.com. He has hundreds of trumpet lessons that are pre-recorded videos, including things like trumpet attitudes and techniques, solo repertoire, and orchestral excerpts.
With the website, you choose the level of membership you want. Membership is based on a length of time, so you can pay for three months at a time, six months at a time, or 12 months at a time. Obviously, the more time you pay, the more money you save on your membership.
Who Should Consider This…
I like the idea of paying for time because it forces me to utilize things like daily practice videos; when I buy individual lessons online or I have access to free material, there’s really no urgency to my practice, but if I have a set number of months then I know I have to get through as much as possible during that time frame. I also like that you can change your membership.
If you are someone who needs to be financially invested, wants that sense of urgency and wants the flexibility to be able to pay a small fee for a few months and see how you like the service before you commit to something long-term, I strongly recommend these best online trumpet lessons to try.
Pros
- You can pre-recorded videos on music theory and trumpet technique.
- In addition to these videos, you can find daily exercises and sheet music.
Cons
- There is a membership fee, and you have to commit to a timeframe rather than buy lessons a la carte.
Lessonface.com
So what if you have already tried the free versions and some of the pre-recorded videos? Now it might be time to find live online lessons from a music teacher. Lessonface.com lets you find teachers, review their qualifications, see how much they charge per lesson (a lesson is usually 30 minutes, and some teachers will let you book two back-to-back to make up a full hour), book a free trial or book a lesson with them. You can read reviews and ratings from different teachers.
How It Works…
You look over the different teachers, check their background, listen to lesson recordings, review their teaching style, check over their student reviews, and contact them for a free trial or a lesson. Some of the top-rated instructors give you a free 15-minute trial lesson and discounts if you buy five lessons at once, offering a free bonus lesson.
Who Should Consider It…
Anyone who wants online live lessons without needing a specific third-party program like Skype can review different teachers and find online trumpet lessons that really work.
Pros
- There are dozens of teachers from whom to choose.
- Teachers go through a background check to teach.
- You can listen to recorded lessons to hear how they teach.
- You can read reviews from other students,
Cons
- You might have to go through a few teachers before you find the one you like. This is the same for people who try to find live lessons in person.
FAQ
Answer: If you are dedicated enough, you can learn anything online. The key is to remain committed and find a reputable resource that provides progressive content to meet your skill-set as you get better and practice with your instrument. Simply watching videos without playing along won’t cut it.
Answer: The best way to learn the trumpet is to find a resource with which you’re comfortable. Every individual learns slightly differently. One of my children cannot process auditory information, so when I provide verbal instructions, they don’t know what I’m teaching them. This makes at-home music lessons a bit of a pain.
However, if I simply grab the instrument and show them (or grab anything and show them) or let them read the instructions, they understand perfectly. One of my other children is the exact opposite; they can’t process instructions if they are reading an article about the topic but can understand if they watch videos.
So, figure out how you best learn and find a resource that incorporates that teaching style. The best way to learn the trumpet will be a way that works for you but also involves physically practicing with your instrument as you learn.
Answer: For some people, it only takes a few months to get really good at playing the trumpet, but for other people, it takes years. Getting good at the trumpet comes down to how regularly and diligently you practice.
If you practice a minimum of 30 minutes per day using the warm-ups and other instructional videos from these online resources, and you do that five days per week, within a few months, you should be able to play short, full songs on the trumpet.
However, not everyone has that amount of time, especially adults who are learning a new instrument, so cut yourself some slack and recognize that your progress is directly related to how often and how long you practice.
Answer: I recommend my students practice an average of 5 days per week, a minimum of 30 minutes. I absolutely recommend you stick to that 30 minutes minimum, however, because it takes that long to get over the warm-ups and to really dig into the cognitive progress that comes with learning a new skill. I don’t recommend practicing for more than an hour per day, especially as a beginner, or you will get exhausted, start making mistakes, and walk away frustrated.
Bottomline
I recommend Etrumpetlessons.com as the ultimate one-stop shop for the best online trumpet lessons to try. I think it’s better to have one reliable teacher you really like to whom you can turn for all of your online trumpet lessons rather than using one source for free content, another source for full lessons, and a third source for private music lessons. Of course, if you are looking specifically for just one of those items, any of the options on this list will prove fruitful.
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