Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn the tuba or euphonium
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Brass bands often run learner groups for adults with no experience, and some lend instruments free, so the tuba or euphonium is an easy one to try before you spend anything on kit. You learn in a group and play your part in a band from the start.
ModerateUnder £100 / $130MonthsIndoorsWith othersUK and US
How brass bands bring in beginners
Learner bands are the usual way in. Denmead Brass's learner band is for children and adults, needs no previous musical experience and lists tuba and euphonium among the instruments you can learn. Downshire Brass in Belfast runs Couch to Concert, a 12-week course for adult beginner brass players that includes the loan of an instrument.
If a band cannot lend you one, you can rent. Dawkes Music rents a four-valve E flat tuba with a three-month minimum, and from the fourth month half of each payment builds credit towards buying an instrument. In the US, community music schools run adult ensembles; Eastman's Brasso Profundo plays music arranged for euphonium and tuba.
Ways in compared
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Denmead Brass learner band | Tuesdays 7pm to 8pm from 1 September 2026; children and adults, no experience needed; free instrument loan, subject to availability | £10 a month |
| Downshire Brass Couch to Concert, Belfast | 12 weeks, Thursdays 6.30pm to 7.45pm from September 2026; adults 21 and over, no brass experience; instrument loan included | Not listed |
| Dawkes Music (UK) | Rent a four-valve E flat tuba, three-month minimum, UK addresses only; rent builds credit towards buying from month 4 | £90 a month |
| Northampton Community Music Center New Horizons Band, Massachusetts | Tuesdays 10am to noon; 15 weeks of band rehearsals and 12 of sectionals; for adults with little or no formal music education | $180 |
| Eastman Community Music School, Brasso Profundo (Rochester, New York) | Adult tuba and euphonium ensemble, Tuesdays 11.15am to 12.15pm, September to May; at the director's discretion | $142 a semester (2026-27) |
| Hickey's Music (US) | Monthly rental, standard or deluxe; optional monthly damage cover | Tuba $94.99 or $169.99; euphonium $44.99 or $63.99 |
The Dawkes tuba was listed as out of stock when last checked, so check dates and availability before you plan around them.
How to start
- Search the Brass Bands England directory (UK) or the Association of Concert Bands directory (US) for a band near you, and ask whether it has a learner or community band.
- Ask whether the band can lend you a tuba or euphonium. If not, specialist shops rent tubas by the month.
- Go along to a first rehearsal; many learner groups say no musical experience is needed.
Where to go
- Brass Bands England: find a band UK
- Denmead Brass: learn to play UK
- Association of Concert Bands: who we are US
- Eastman Community Music School: New Horizons Brasso Profundo (tuba and euphonium) US
- Northampton Community Music Center: New Horizons Band (Massachusetts) US
We opened these links on 12 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
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The links you need to book it, get there, find somewhere to stay and eat, and see what else there is to do nearby. They are searches for you to run; nothing is saved.
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Plan it with dates
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Can adults with no experience join a brass band?
Yes, in a learner band. Denmead Brass says no previous musical experience is required, and Downshire Brass runs a course for adult beginners.
Do I need to buy a tuba to start?
Not necessarily. Denmead Brass offers free instrument loans subject to availability, and Downshire's Couch to Concert includes a loan. Shops also rent tubas by the month.
How do I find a brass or community band near me?
In the UK, Brass Bands England's Find a band directory searches by band name and region. In the US, the Association of Concert Bands, which supports adult concert, community and municipal bands, has a Find-A-Band directory.
Are there groups just for tuba and euphonium players?
Some community music schools run them. Eastman Community Music School's Brasso Profundo is an adult ensemble that plays music arranged for euphonium and tuba.
Where this comes from: Brass Bands England, Find a band; Denmead Brass, Learn to play; Downshire Brass, Couch to Concert - Autumn 2026; Dawkes Music, Rent a tuba; Association of Concert Bands, Who we are; Eastman Community Music School, New Horizons Brasso Profundo; Northampton Community Music Center, New Horizons Band; Hickey's Music, Rental price charts. Opened 12 November 2026.
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