Zsolt Argyelan

My name is Zsolt, jazz trumpet player, teacher, composer, and producer from Serbia.I offer music lessons for all ages.

I started to play the trumpet when I was 10.  My teacher was a brass multi-instrumentalist, who had a theory that if you think with every brass instrument from a trumpeter view, you can play all the brass instruments. That is why I played beside the trumpet, the trombone, flugelhorn, baritone horn, tenor horn. Since I was 18, I’m teaching trumpet technique, jazz improvisation, music theory workshops and also gave courses to pop and jazz ensembles. Over the last 16 years I was studying in 4 different countries (Serbia, Hungary, Netherlands, and USA). I had the privilege to acquire knowledge from great musicians, teachers and mentors from all around the world, especially in NYC, where I had a chance to learn from the biggest icons of jazz music.In Serbia, I studied classical music, in Budapest and Netherlands I finished my jazz bachelors and in the Netherlands and NYC, I finished my jazz masters studies.

You are choosing what topic you want to work on. My idea is to focus always on the basics and once we master them, there are no limits for creating magical music vibes. As an active participant of the jazz, pop, rock, ska, hip-hop/neo-soul, Balkan and electronic scene in Budapest and the Netherlands, I am capable to basically work with you on any music style you want. For the courses which is related with trumpet, you should have the instrument in order to be available to practice at home.

– Basic trumpet technique 

For this course, you bring your trumpet to every lesson and we play together. We will start from the very beginning, which means: air control, breathing, lip buzzing, mouthpiece technique and eventually the trumpet playing. It is very important to learn the basics on the trumpet, because  you will not have a barrier later when we start to play songs, compositions etc. At the end of every lesson I will give you some homework to study, which means material to practice at home. If you have sensitive neighbours, I will advice you what kind of trumpet mute you should buy in order to get softer sound for practicing.

– Jazz trumpet technique / improvisation

Since I studied jazz in 3 countries for 10 years, I met with many different views on this topic. Unison with the trumpet playing I would explain you in theory as well, how it looks like. For example what kind of scales you could use in the improvisation in a particular jazz standard (jazz tune). I have a lot of material of jazz( or funk, pop) backing tracks, where the rhythm section is playing and you can play a song and improvise over that. I will talk about different approaches to improvisation, building up a solo, creativity, and many other factors what will help you to bring your improvisation skills to a higher level.

– Music theory (basic, jazz)

On this course we will learn all the basics in the classical or jazz theory. I will show you the scales, modes, chords, intervals etc.. on the electric keyboard, to have a better sight how these things also look in practice. Learning theory will help you to understand the compositions you play, or the material what you are using in the improvisation. It will help you also to write songs, or to prepare yourself for entrance exam for a jazz conservatorium.

– Solfege

This topic is basically ear training. I would play you on the electric piano tings like interval or a scale, and you will listen it and guess it. When you master these things, it will be much easier for you to recognize various elements in a song. Also when you train your ears, it will open your inner music language much more.

– Playing in various music styles (jazz, neo-soul/hip-hop, Balkan, ska, latin)

If you are able to play the trumpet already, for sure you have your favorite style of music you prefer to play. Every music genre has it’s own characteristics, which means rhythm patterns, or phrasing, and just the way how you play a particular style. In these years I played in different formations and orchestras, so I have a lot of experience in these styles. You will tell me what kind of music you want to study, and we will work on it.

– Self-recording/sound design (in Ableton) 

The studio where I’m teaching is also a studio for recording. Here I’m recording my own music and also for other musicians. If you are interested in self recordings, I can teach you how to do that, and how to mix it later order to sound good. You can take this course with any kind of wind instrument or vocals. I will also show you how to work on other recorded vocal and instrument tracks. I am working in the software called Ableton.

– DJ-ing

I am also a DJ and a producer so if you are interested how to mix electronic music, this course is definitely for you.