I'm a woodwind teacher, primarily a clarinetist (of all sizes!) and I began studying bassoon seriously this past fall. I took a few months of self study and then had a three hour lesson with the nearest bassoon teacher! He gave me the Weissenborn, the Wells fingering chart, made and adjusted some reeds for me, helped my posture, fixed some embouchure issues, gave me some homework, and sent me on my way! I'm extremely motivated to reach the goals he set for me so I can have my second lesson. (Four octave Bb scale and the Telemann Sonata in F minor....... 🙃)
After not playing since high school, I started playing bassoon again when I retired at age 55. First, I learned that most of the discouragement I remember was due to the fact that my ancient wood Linton had been through some poorly done repairs, including some saxophone pads and poor adjustments that made it difficult to play. If you buy a used bassoon, have a good repair shop that knows bassoons, give it a good look over and adjust or overhaul if needed. I purchased a new Fox/Renard 220 and it was so much easier to play. It came with two “Fox” reeds from the factory and I could not believe how easy they were to play compared to the ones I purchased at the music store. My new bassoon played great for about ten years but I started to notice that my notes around Bb on top of the staff were getting fuzzy and difficult to sustain. After looking at all the key linkages in that area I decided to see if anything was going on in my bocal. I had always rinsed my bocal after every practice and performance, letting it dry after blowing out the excess water. I looked inside as much as I could and saw a coating on the inner surface, Using some Dawn power wash spray down the large end of the bocal and a bocal brush, I was grossed out at the gunk that started to come out. I now r still rinse my bocals but I have added using a bocal swab to throughly dry it out and about once a month, I use a bocal brush too. All the notes are now as easy to play as they were when the instrument was new. One final tip, never lay your bassoon flat on your lap after you have played it awhile. The water that has accumulated in the boot will have a good chance of running into the non-lined part of the boot joint and long joint. That will cause rot and kill your bassoon. Always have a good stand ready to hold your bassoon upright when you are not playing it.
I have so many regrets about how I first practiced the bassoon. I was already a well trained musician at the time so everything came easily to me and I didn't practice enough. I didn't take learning all of my fingerings seriously, I was intimidated by playing outside of the basic band fingering chart because it took work and so I just didn't do it. Now, I'm relearning as an adult and I am on a journey! It's a wonderful feeling to come back to something I really loved but struggled with and feel able to commit and learn everything to the best of my ability.
Frustration and discouragement-my biggest mistake up to now. I’ve often been hard on myself when I couldn’t play a phrase properly. Or I’d immediately feel discouraged when I looked at phrases with sixteenth or thirty-second notes. But I received good guidance from colleagues and my bassoon teacher. On the ensemble front, colleagues have encouraged me to simply **relax**. Up to now, most of my bassoon playing has been limited to amateur ensembles. I’ve come to accept that amateur ensembles aren’t professional ensembles; the standards are different in both groups, as are the expectations. In an amateur context, therefore, I should have more fun playing. And if I wasn’t good at a phrase during rehearsal, I’d simply have to practise that phrase at home. With respect to my bassoon teacher, I was given this advice when attacking difficult phrases: take a step back from the music and analyse it. Chances are, phrases I find difficult are simply patterns made of scales or arpeggios. When you’re capable of identifying patterns, learning and practising music becomes a lot easier. Since receiving that advice, I’ve been feeling more confident in my playing. I’ve definitely felt more relaxed. Confidence and relaxation are part of the playing process. Be sure to respect it. (-:
I started bassoon at age 50! Yes, I wish I had started much earlier, but it's certainly possible for an older person to pick it up. I was smart enough to take lessons from a pro who studied with Garfield and she started me with Weissenborn from the start. My biggest regret though is not learning vibrato and double tonguing sooner and really work on it. But playing bassoon can and has opened a lot of doors to the musical world that I otherwise would have missed.
With respect to books for bands, I agree with the idea that they can be overly simplistic and generic. I remember learning my first band pieces out of a book prepared by The Canadian Brass, one of many professional ensembles in Canada. I don’t recall seeing fingering charts in these Canadian Brass band books, but if they were included, they likely would have been overly simplistic for each instrumentalist (I was a flute player back then). I completely agree that each instrumentalist should have specific fingering charts that lay out standard and alternative finger patterns. Extra kudos if these charts were/are put together by instrumentalists in each instrument family. Since becoming a bassoon player, I have fallen in love with the Weissenborn bassoon method book (edited by Frank Morelli). There’s a healthy dose of exercises ranging from the easiest to the most difficult. What’s more, each lesson provides players with standard AND alternative finger patterns from Bb (A#)1 to E5. Comprehensive trill charts are included, too. Thanks go to my bassoon teacher for recommending this method book to me. The teacher also recommended the David Wells fingering charts. They’ve helped me immensely. By way of a suggestion, it would be useful for band and orchestra teachers to conduct research on specific instrument method books so they can suggest them to each player. That could save players a lot of frustration when it comes to learning fingerings. My two cents. (-:
Liked the video. The first time I tried to practice my bassoon with my ensemble, I couldn’t make a sound on my instrument because one of my keys somehow got stuck open. I thought it was my reed and I felt bad because it was my first time and I felt like everyone was like, he can’t actually play the bassoon. 😢 I ended up fixing it though halfway through. But it was kind of stressful.
It's great to see you back online, and this video is helpful, as always. I have been enjoying playing with my local community band, thanks to your coaching & helpful lessons. You especially have boosted my confidence in the area of reeds..... how to recognize what the problem might be, and possible fixes for troublesome reeds. Your reed videos are my number one go-to ! I have some questions I might submit for your next "what questions do you have" video. Thanks for your expertise! Keep posting!
Great video! Every new student should view this video first! And if they are middle or high school students, have their parents view it too. Every lesson with you always seemed to produce "ah-ha" moments for me! You got me off the whisper key and venting/flicking as I should have been. This is all good advice! Thanks for putting this together.
Excellent video. I am an amateur bassoonist, playing in a community orchestra for the first time in many years, and I am approximately adequate some of the time, which is okay for now. "Good enough" is my goal at this time. My wife of eight years, with whom I played bassoon fifty-some years ago, is bravely re-learning the bassoon so she can play in the orchestra with me this coming season. I am her teacher, and I am realizing my shortcomings. I deeply appreciate the time you took to make these videos, and we will be viewing them one at a time for a while. Thank you for doing this, and for doing it well. Your crutch is way cool. Is that custom made?
I’m in middle school band right now (going into freshmen year next) and I’m just wondering, would you say one could still get good at bassoon without buying professionally made reeds or getting private lessons? I don’t really have the resources to do things like that.😅
I'm a woodwind teacher, primarily a clarinetist (of all sizes!) and I began studying bassoon seriously this past fall. I took a few months of self study and then had a three hour lesson with the nearest bassoon teacher! He gave me the Weissenborn, the Wells fingering chart, made and adjusted some reeds for me, helped my posture, fixed some embouchure issues, gave me some homework, and sent me on my way! I'm extremely motivated to reach the goals he set for me so I can have my second lesson. (Four octave Bb scale and the Telemann Sonata in F minor....... 🙃)
The Telemann sonata is no joke, especially when you get past the 1st Mvmt. You must be totally serious. Good luck!
After not playing since high school, I started playing bassoon again when I retired at age 55. First, I learned that most of the discouragement I remember was due to the fact that my ancient wood Linton had been through some poorly done repairs, including some saxophone pads and poor adjustments that made it difficult to play. If you buy a used bassoon, have a good repair shop that knows bassoons, give it a good look over and adjust or overhaul if needed. I purchased a new Fox/Renard 220 and it was so much easier to play. It came with two “Fox” reeds from the factory and I could not believe how easy they were to play compared to the ones I purchased at the music store. My new bassoon played great for about ten years but I started to notice that my notes around Bb on top of the staff were getting fuzzy and difficult to sustain. After looking at all the key linkages in that area I decided to see if anything was going on in my bocal. I had always rinsed my bocal after every practice and performance, letting it dry after blowing out the excess water. I looked inside as much as I could and saw a coating on the inner surface, Using some Dawn power wash spray down the large end of the bocal and a bocal brush, I was grossed out at the gunk that started to come out. I now r still rinse my bocals but I have added using a bocal swab to throughly dry it out and about once a month, I use a bocal brush too. All the notes are now as easy to play as they were when the instrument was new. One final tip, never lay your bassoon flat on your lap after you have played it awhile. The water that has accumulated in the boot will have a good chance of running into the non-lined part of the boot joint and long joint. That will cause rot and kill your bassoon. Always have a good stand ready to hold your bassoon upright when you are not playing it.
I have so many regrets about how I first practiced the bassoon. I was already a well trained musician at the time so everything came easily to me and I didn't practice enough. I didn't take learning all of my fingerings seriously, I was intimidated by playing outside of the basic band fingering chart because it took work and so I just didn't do it. Now, I'm relearning as an adult and I am on a journey! It's a wonderful feeling to come back to something I really loved but struggled with and feel able to commit and learn everything to the best of my ability.
Thank you so much for your honesty in your mistakes. I think I can put my hands up to most of these too!
Frustration and discouragement-my biggest mistake up to now. I’ve often been hard on myself when I couldn’t play a phrase properly. Or I’d immediately feel discouraged when I looked at phrases with sixteenth or thirty-second notes.
But I received good guidance from colleagues and my bassoon teacher.
On the ensemble front, colleagues have encouraged me to simply **relax**. Up to now, most of my bassoon playing has been limited to amateur ensembles. I’ve come to accept that amateur ensembles aren’t professional ensembles; the standards are different in both groups, as are the expectations. In an amateur context, therefore, I should have more fun playing. And if I wasn’t good at a phrase during rehearsal, I’d simply have to practise that phrase at home.
With respect to my bassoon teacher, I was given this advice when attacking difficult phrases: take a step back from the music and analyse it. Chances are, phrases I find difficult are simply patterns made of scales or arpeggios. When you’re capable of identifying patterns, learning and practising music becomes a lot easier. Since receiving that advice, I’ve been feeling more confident in my playing. I’ve definitely felt more relaxed.
Confidence and relaxation are part of the playing process. Be sure to respect it. (-:
I started bassoon at age 50! Yes, I wish I had started much earlier, but it's certainly possible for an older person to pick it up. I was smart enough to take lessons from a pro who studied with Garfield and she started me with Weissenborn from the start. My biggest regret though is not learning vibrato and double tonguing sooner and really work on it. But playing bassoon can and has opened a lot of doors to the musical world that I otherwise would have missed.
Same here I got a bassoon for my 50th birthday - love it
With respect to books for bands, I agree with the idea that they can be overly simplistic and generic. I remember learning my first band pieces out of a book prepared by The Canadian Brass, one of many professional ensembles in Canada. I don’t recall seeing fingering charts in these Canadian Brass band books, but if they were included, they likely would have been overly simplistic for each instrumentalist (I was a flute player back then). I completely agree that each instrumentalist should have specific fingering charts that lay out standard and alternative finger patterns. Extra kudos if these charts were/are put together by instrumentalists in each instrument family.
Since becoming a bassoon player, I have fallen in love with the Weissenborn bassoon method book (edited by Frank Morelli). There’s a healthy dose of exercises ranging from the easiest to the most difficult. What’s more, each lesson provides players with standard AND alternative finger patterns from Bb (A#)1 to E5. Comprehensive trill charts are included, too. Thanks go to my bassoon teacher for recommending this method book to me.
The teacher also recommended the David Wells fingering charts. They’ve helped me immensely.
By way of a suggestion, it would be useful for band and orchestra teachers to conduct research on specific instrument method books so they can suggest them to each player. That could save players a lot of frustration when it comes to learning fingerings. My two cents. (-:
Liked the video. The first time I tried to practice my bassoon with my ensemble, I couldn’t make a sound on my instrument because one of my keys somehow got stuck open. I thought it was my reed and I felt bad because it was my first time and I felt like everyone was like, he can’t actually play the bassoon. 😢 I ended up fixing it though halfway through. But it was kind of stressful.
It's great to see you back online, and this video is helpful, as always. I have been enjoying playing with my local community band, thanks to your coaching & helpful lessons. You especially have boosted my confidence in the area of reeds..... how to recognize what the problem might be, and possible fixes for troublesome reeds. Your reed videos are my number one go-to ! I have some questions I might submit for your next "what questions do you have" video. Thanks for your expertise! Keep posting!
Thanks so much for your kind words as always, Diane!
Thank you so much!! I’m a beginner who is just starting bassoon but I know bass clef and the book recommendation really helped!!
omg shes back
Great video! Every new student should view this video first! And if they are middle or high school students, have their parents view it too.
Every lesson with you always seemed to produce "ah-ha" moments for me! You got me off the whisper key and venting/flicking as I should have been.
This is all good advice! Thanks for putting this together.
I love your new background, Natalie!😊
Excellent video. I am an amateur bassoonist, playing in a community orchestra for the first time in many years, and I am approximately adequate some of the time, which is okay for now. "Good enough" is my goal at this time. My wife of eight years, with whom I played bassoon fifty-some years ago, is bravely re-learning the bassoon so she can play in the orchestra with me this coming season. I am her teacher, and I am realizing my shortcomings. I deeply appreciate the time you took to make these videos, and we will be viewing them one at a time for a while. Thank you for doing this, and for doing it well.
Your crutch is way cool. Is that custom made?
Yes my crutch is custom made! Love it.
I’m in middle school band right now (going into freshmen year next) and I’m just wondering, would you say one could still get good at bassoon without buying professionally made reeds or getting private lessons? I don’t really have the resources to do things like that.😅
Where would you recommend on getting a cheap bassoon I would like to get and learn this instrument with out braking the bank.
I notice that you have an extra key on your bassoon. What's that key for that's right under the big low E key? (shown at 12:46)
It’s an Ab-Bb trill key!
Hiii
Hi!
I❤Bassoon, but I can't learn ist, because it is so expensive.💵💴💶💷💵💴💶💷💸💵💴💶💷💸💵💴💶💷💸💴💷💶💶💷