In 1847, Paulus Pajo Kolarić founds the first tambura club in Osijek, consisting of six tambura players, and not long after that he begins teaching tambura musicians.
In the second half of the 19th century, Ivan Sladaček from Osijek, who taught music in Osijek and Vukovar, was the first to start teaching to play by sheet music.
In Zagreb in 1882 Sladaček's student Mijo Majer founds the University Tambura Choir “Hrvatska lira”, thus starting a new direction in tambura music - the concert direction.
In 1890, Slaviša Katkić founds a tambura school attended by about 60 students; the tambura choir of the Croatian Singing Association “Kolo” originated from the school. This school is the first practical course of tambura playing.
In the initial phase of the development of tambura music, tambura is taught in secondary vocational schools and grammar schools, and the city of Osijek takes the lead in this regard. The first education of tambura musicians takes place with students of high school age.
By the beginning of the First World War, tambura choirs and small tambura ensembles are founded in many schools.
In the interwar period, education increasingly becomes popular amongst amateurs, thus strengthening further development of musical life in Croatia. Tambura orchestras are founded in schools, and tambura teaching is no longer spontaneous. Teachers become the main initiators of musical events and musical life in schools.
On 7 November 1937, Croatian Tambura Union is founded in Osijek, which leads to further development of tambura music in all areas, including the field of education.
In 1938 Josip Andrić points out the need to establish a tambura music school. He stated, "We need trained tambura players and tambura choir leaders. Without that, it is impossible to imagine that we could move forward with the tambura and tambura music as we wish. Without the musical education of our tambura players, we will be left with the tambura at low level of musical dilettantism, where it is, even today... Thoughts and wishes have already been raised to introduce the tambura as a special subject in Croatian music schools. Today's officials don't even think about that." (Croatian tambura no. 2-3)
On 29 April 1940, the first course of the Tambura Music School is launched in Zagreb, taught by the professors of the Zagreb Academy of Music: Dr. Božidar Širola - "History of tambura and tambura music", Mladen Pozajić - "Science of the basics of music and harmony and conducting" and Zlatko Grgošević - "Science of musical forms", and they are joined by excellent connoisseurs of tambura music Dr. Milan Stahuljak and Dr. Josip Andrić.
• In October 1940, the Croatian Tambura Association in Osijek initiates a course for choirmasters. The course is held at the Music School, and the lecturers are eminent musicians of the time.
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