Come Play the

Bassoon!

presented at NYSSMA 2018 Winter Conference

by Dr. Carol Lowe

Associate Professor of Bassoon Crane School of Music

State University of New York at Potsdam lowecc@potsdam.edu

315-267-3240 http://redbassoon.com

All reeds and instruments for this session have been provided by

Miller Marketing Co.

1-800-323-3216 miller445@aol.com

Body Awareness & Posture • Relaxed but upright (puppet with string out the top of your head) • Head in natural position with chin level • Chest up, shoulders down and back (backward shoulder roll) • Arms hang relaxed from shoulders • Centered on “sitting bones” • Feet flat on floor • Bring the instrument to you

Air Support & Breathing 1. Exhale 2. Chest up, shoulders down and back (like after a backward shoulder roll) 3. Breath in - imagine the air coming in through your belly button 4. Abdominal muscles expand outward as they fill with air (like a balloon). 5. Lower abdominal muscles contract to create support 6. Air is expelled in a steady stream (hissing motion). 7. Lower abdominal muscles remain engaged (stuck in a sit-up) until next breath.

The Bassoon Reed:

Selecting a Reed:

The only reeds I recommend are those made by bassoonists I know. Bel Canto (belcantoreeds.com) and

Basso Vento (bassovento.com) reeds are of consistently high quality and play right out of the box. The

commercially machined reeds (Jones, Lesher, Rico, etc) are either terribly inconsistent (sometimes okay,

sometimes awful) or need some amount of adjusting before they will play. There are several bassoonists

who sell their reeds through online music stores so if you plan ahead you don’t have to put up with the

awful commercial reeds available from most guitar/drum type music stores.

Make friends with bassoon players everywhere you go so that you can either buy reeds from them or get

their recommendations for current brands of reeds to use and which to avoid. I strongly urge you to keep

a stock of your preferred brand bassoon reeds in your office and have your students buy them from you

rather than send them to the music store. Keep in mind that handmade reeds take time to produce so

you’ll need to order a few weeks before you run out.

If you must go to a music store and buy a reed off the shelf here are some tips. You will not be allowed to

play the reed before purchase, so a visual inspection is all you get.

Make sure there are no chips or cracks in the

blade

Make sure the tube is completely round with

no leaks or space where the sides meet.

Make sure the tip opening is symmetrical and

elliptical. (The size of the opening will change

when soaked and can be adjusted.)

Make sure the binding on the tube is secure.

A loose wrap or covering will allow the reed to

leak.

Preparing the Reed to Play:

Bassoon reeds are expensive. These days one bassoon reed can cost anywhere from $12 to $25

dollars. This means you’ll want to take very good care of every reed. If you store it, soak it,

play it, handle it, and rinse it properly you can easily get at least a month’s use out of a reed.

Here are some rules for dealing with the bassoon reed:

1. ALWAYS soak the reed adequately before each use (at least 1-2 minutes in room

temperature water). The reed needs to be completely covered/submerged in the water so

that both the blade and tube are well soaked. “Mouth soaking” a bassoon reed is not

enough to allow optimum vibration and flexibility. Room temperature is best but if cold

is all you have access to then increase the soaking time. If warm water is all you have,

decrease the soaking time. However, sometimes warm water will do wonders for an old

reed.

2. NEVER leave the reed sitting in water for more than 10 minutes. Doing so will cause

the reed to swell and warp and the reed will become waterlogged, hindering proper

response.

3. NEVER let your reed hit against your chair, your music stand, the wall, your teeth, your

neighbor’s teeth…. It will crack. Once the reed is on the bocal, always keep an eye on

it. When assembling the bassoon, add the reed last (after the bassoon is in playing

position). When disassembling the bassoon, remove the reed first and place it in a safe

location.

4. The reed will not crack from the force of your tongue!

5. ALWAYS have at least three reeds in your reed case. If you only have one it will most

likely give out or crack before the concert. If you only have two you will always play

on your favorite one, it will crack, and then you’ll have to play the concert on a brand-

new reed.

6. ALWAYS follow the Rotation Principle:

A. Have at least three or four reeds in your reed case.

B. Play a different one each time you practice or rehearse.

Rotating through a set of reeds keeps you from becoming too dependent upon the

“feel” of the reed and forces you to play correctly rather than adapting to the

tendencies of one particular reed. Rotating will also keep you from only playing

(breaking in and getting comfortable) with only one reed while the others remain

in the case, ready to make their debut at the concert. Rotating will allow you to

become familiar with the characteristics of each reed and each of the reeds in your

case will be broken in and ready to go should one of the others crack or stop

working. Rotating will also extend the life of each of the reeds by allowing each

reed time to dry and rest between uses.

7. ALWAYS rinse the reed and gently pat it dry after each use. This will make the reed

last MUCH longer! Simply swish the reed around in the reed water (assuming the reed

water is clean) and then lightly shake or blow through the reed and gently brush it along

your sleeve or pant leg to remove excess moisture.

8. ALWAYS store the reed in a container which provides protection AND ventilation. A

completely sealed container will grow mold/mildew – ick!

9. NEVER just toss your reed into the bassoon case, backpack, purse, etc. without it being

in a protective reed case. That’s like throwing away money because the reed will crack.

Embouchure Keep it simple: 1) Open mouth 2) Place middle of blade surface on lower lip 3) Close mouth and “hug” the reed with your lips Tips

• Lips create soft cushion for reed • Support evenly around the reed • Natural jaw alignment, close to parallel • Chin: flexible (pointed chin doesn’t hurt but not necessary) • Lip shape: “Oh” or “Em”

Correct Bassoon Embouchure:

Natural jaw alignment

Equal pressure on blades Centered pitch and full tone

Wide dynamic range Easy response in all registers

Incorrect Bassoon Embouchure:

Exaggerated overbite

Uneven pressure on blades Pitch is sharp, tone is muffled Bad response in low register

Placement of the Reed Amount of reed in the mouth affects timbre, pitch, and response

• Too much reed in mouth = wild, uncontrolled tone and sharp pitch • Too little reed in mouth = small sound that is either tight or flabby

depending on amount of lip pressure Default position is approx. ½ of blade length in the mouth Extremes of range

• Low notes (below bass staff) move closer to tip • Highest notes (above high G) move closer to wire

Air Speed Faster (Cold) Air for higher notes (top of staff and above) Slower (Warm) Air for lower notes (below the staff) Lips Teeth are naturally cushioned by lips (no Muppet Mouth) Should see some pink from both lips Adjustments

• Low notes require loose lips – space between the teeth • Higher notes require only slighter firmer lips (maintain space between the teeth)

Vowel is usually “oh” or “em”

Correct Bassoon Embouchure

Equal pressure around the reed

Both lips show a little pink Relaxed lower jaw Open Oral Cavity

Centered pitch, full tone Easy response in all registers

Incorrect Bassoon Embouchure

Lips folded in tightly around teeth Sharp, pinched, dull

Poor response Dynamic range quite limited

Tongue Position Default position is relaxed and low in the back of the mouth like when saying “ahhh”

• Low back of tongue = lowers pitch (ahh) • High back of tongue = raises pitch (eee)

Articulation

• Balance weight of tongue with volume of air • Tongue must “ride on the air” (rapid articulation requires steady air stream) • Small motion with end of tongue • Area just above tip of tongue touches reed

Staccato: 2 methods

1. “Stop-tonguing” 2. Puffs of air” (support must remain constant)

Assembling the bassoon

1. Put the case on the floor. Make sure the latches flip UP (if they flip down the case is upside down).

2. Take out the seat strap and place it diagonally across the chair with the hook or cup near the right-side front edge.

3. With left hand, pick up boot joint and hold so the smaller hole is on the right. This means tone holes will face away from your body. Rest the bottom of the boot on the chair or on the floor.

4. With right hand, pick up wing joint and hold so the tenon is at the bottom and whisper pad is at top; tone holes face away from your body. The bridge key should be at bottom right of joint and the convex curve is at the bottom left.

5. Insert the tenon of the wing joint into the smaller of the two holes at the top of the boot joint.

6. Align wing joint so that the concave edge forms a concentric circle with the hole for the long joint.

7. While supporting the boot with your left hand, lower the boot-wing assembly to the

floor. 8. Hold the boot-wing assembly with your right hand and pick up the long joint with

your left hand. Hold the long joint with the larger tenon at the top, the thumb keys facing you, and the pinky keys facing away from you on the left.

9. Place the right-side curve of the long joint against the convex curve of the wing joint and slide the long joint down into the hole in the boot joint.

10. Engage the body lock between the long and wing joints. 11. Hold the partially assembled bassoon with your right hand and pick up the bell with

your left hand so that the bell ring is at the top. 12. Hold down the low Bb key cup down with your left thumb and slide the bell onto the

tenon at the top of the long joint. 13. Hold the long joint of the bassoon with your left hand and pick up the bocal with

your right hand. Notice the small nub that protrudes just above the cork. Take care not to snag the whisper key pad with that nub when you insert the bocal. Hold the bocal as near the cork as possible and slide it into the receiving hole at the top of the wing joint. Align the bocal so that the hole in the protrusion can be closed by the whisper key pad.

14. While holding the boot joint in your right hand and the wing/long joints in your left hand lift the bassoon to rest on your right thigh. Attach the seat strap to the bottom of the boot joint cap and lower the boot joint down until the strap supports the weight of the bassoon.

Holding Position 3 places of support:

1. Strap 2. Right thigh near knee 3. Base of left index finger • Diagonal tilt brings left thumb on whisper key to center of body • Adjust placement of boot on right leg so that reed enters mouth parallel to the floor

(affected by bend of bocal) • Read music to the right of the bassoon (over the bocal)

Hand Position

• Fingers are softly curved • Pads of fingers cover the holes • Use pad near tip of left thumb (avoid hitchhiker’s thumb) • Pinkies and thumbs should be curved and have relaxed mobility

**short reach model (covered c-hole for left ring finger) available for small hands

Correct Hand Position (Left)

Fingers curved and relaxed Pads of fingers cover holes

Thumb stays soft and flexible

Incorrect Hand Position (Left)

Index finger overreaches first tone hole Joint collapsed on middle finger

Ring finger not covering hole

Correct Hand Position (Right)

Fingers are curved and relaxed Pads of fingers cover holes/keys

Avoid collapsing joints Avoid squeezing

Thumb stays soft and flexible

Incorrect Hand Position (Right)

Fingers are stiff Joint on ring is collapsed

Excessive pressure on holes/keys

OR

OR

OR

OR

OR

OR OR

OR

Fingering Tips

Whisper Key (the “reverse octave key”) The whisper key is operated by the left thumb. It closes the hole on the bocal when pressed. This allows the notes in and below the staff to speak in their proper octave.

Adding Bb

Low E key (also operates whisper key) The Low E key is operated by the right thumb. It closes the low E tone hole on the boot joint. There is also a bridge key mechanism between the boot and wing joints which allows this key to also close the hole on the bocal when pressed. *Be sure to check for proper alignment of this bridge mechanism when assembling the bassoon.

Low Note Tips

Relax everything (SOFT lips, OPEN jaws, LIGHT touch, SLOW air, COVER all holes

completely)

Low E key: The Low E (pancake) key covers a hole when depressed to create the E just

below the bass staff. It also closes the Whisper Key pad against the bocal. Therefore, it is

not necessary to press the Whisper Key with your left thumb for notes below F.

It doesn’t hurt to keep the left thumb on the whisper key for Low E, Eb, or D. However,

your left thumb must leave the Whisper Key to play Low C#, C, B, and Bb. Remember to

keep your left-hand soft and slightly curved when moving the thumb between keys.

INSTRUMENT CHECK:

Depress the Low E key. Now look at the Whisper Key pad. It should fully cover the vent on

the bocal.

Try the following if it doesn’t quite touch bocal vent: Adjust the alignment of the Wing Joint

in the Boot. There is a bridge mechanism between the boot and wing which must be properly

aligned for the low E key to work. Notice there is a “finger” which extends across from the

bottom of the wing onto the boot. There is a “foot” on the boot upon which the finger rests.

The foot has a “hill and a valley” and the finger must rest high enough on the hill of the foot

to allow complete coverage of the bocal vent. Try turning the Wing Joint slightly

counterclockwise and check alignment of the two scratches on the boot and wing.

If this adjustment is not sufficient you will need to have the key adjusted by a bassoon

repairman. Low notes will not work if the low E key does not cover the bocal vent.

Adding Low E, Low D, and Low C

Half-hole Technique Important points:

• Pivot or roll LEFT index finger downward for greatest accuracy • Avoid sliding or lifting index finger

Half-hole involves the index finger of the left hand. The left index finger pivots downward to expose/uncover the top portion of the ‘e’ tone-hole. Venting this tone-hole allows the following notes to speak clearly:

Notes:

1. If the note “growls” or is producing the lower octave, OPEN more of the hole. 2. If the note “squeaks” or produces a partial that is too high, CLOSE more of the

hole. 3. Half-hole is not an exact specification of the amount to be uncovered. The

amount of exposed hole may be very slightly different for each of these pitches. For instance, the f-sharp may require slightly more of the hole to be uncovered to speak clearly in the proper octave.

Speaker Keys Purpose:

• Clarity of response/articulation (eliminates “bark” or hesitation) • Facilitates slurring to speaker notes from above and below

The speaker keys are operated by the left thumb. The notes at the top of the bass staff share fingerings with the notes at the bottom of the bass staff except that the whisper key is not pressed. While it is possible to get the notes to respond without the speaker keys by using fast air speed and optimal breath support, most young students tend to tighten the lips to get the upper notes. This creates inconsistent response, poor tone quality, sharp intonation, fatigue, a very small dynamic range, and leads to using the lips too much and not using enough air. The “Speaker Keys” are so named because they allow notes to speak/respond easily, without additional lip pressure. The speaker keys allow the player to maintain a full tone in the middle and upper octaves, improves intonation and flexibility, centers the tone, and decreases muscle fatigue.

The Speaker Keys:

high A key high A or high C high C high C high D

• Pressing one of the speaker keys may alter the pitch/timbre of the note slightly so

choose the speaker key which creates the least pitch/timbre disruption. • Some basic models of bassoons will not include a high D key. If there is no high D

key the player must rely on a very fast air stream, raised back of the tongue, and slight increase in lip pressure to produce this note in the proper octave.

• Maintain fast air speed and optimal breath support even when using the speaker keys.

Flicking Flicking is a special technique for using the Speaker Keys (same notes/same keys). Instead of holding the appropriate speaker key down for the duration of the note, you simply tap it as the note begins. This creates a clear response for the note without the timbre/pitch disruption as the note is held. Flicking requires a relaxed and flexible left hand and thumb. The flicking motion is quick, light, and must be coordinated to occur precisely as the note begins.

When the Low B key is depressed, the Low C key automatically goes down with it. However,

keeping part of the thumb on the Low C key is recommended when playing low B and low Bb.

Help with the third octave • Fast air!

• Support with lips but maintain space in the oral cavity (avoid clamping the jaws)

• Raise back of tongue to form an “eee” vowel sound to raise pitch of flat notes (c3 through

f3)

• Correct fingerings! Fingerings in the top octave are NOT based on their lower

counterparts so make sure your fingers are in the right place.

• Check your reed opening. A smaller opening will facilitate high notes but if the reed is

too closed your airstream will blow the tip closed and stop the sound.

• Move your lips closer to the first wire for the highest notes (3rd octave A and above).

Upper E-flat, E, and F

These notes tend to be flat so be sure to:

• Use your very best breath support

• Very fast, cold air

• Raise back of tongue to form “eee”

• Use your natural speaking space for oral cavity (do NOT drop your jaw for these notes)

• Firm lips but soft jaws

Tuning Aids

Problem: Top space G is notoriously sharp and wild sounding. Solution: “Hot mashed potatoes” and Add top key in left hand pinky.

Problem: 3rd space E-flat is unstable and unclear. Solution A: Add RH middle finger and thumb Bb; and possibly LH pinky on low E-flat key. Solution B: (lower) Add RH index finger and thumb Bb; and possibly LH pinky on low E-flat key.

A. B.

Problem: Lowest E is sharp. Solution: “Hot mashed potatoes” and add LH pinky on low C-sharp key.

Problem: High notes are sharp and thin. Solution: Fast air; Lower back of tongue; Add LH pinky on low e-flat key for all notes E and higher above the staff.

Problem: Top line A growls or won’t stay in upper octave. Solution: Clean vent-hole in bocal. Add high A speaker key with left thumb.

Problem: C-sharp above the staff is very sharp. Solution: Add RH index finger and thumb Bb key.

Suggested Resources: Pedagogical Information (videos, audio samples, exercises, fingerings) Wolfe Jensen, Kristin. “Music and the Bassoon.” 2009. http://www.musicandthebassoon.org/ (accessed November 20, 2017). Bassoon Supplies (reeds, swabs, seat straps, stands, bocals, instruments, tuners, etc.) Basso Vento Reeds https://bassovento.com/ Bel Canto Reeds http://belcantoreeds.com/ Miller Marketing Co. http://millermarketingco.com/ Charles Double Reed http://charlesmusic.com/ Forrest’s Music https://www.forrestsmusic.com/ Music (method books, etudes, sheet music) Trevco Varner Music https://www.trevcomusic.com/ Suggested Books (Beginner) *list is progressive, not alphabetic Polonchak, Richard M. Primary Handbook for Bassoon. Meredith Music Publications, 1982. Sheen, Graham. The Really Easy Bassoon Book. Faber, 1988 Emerson, June. 90 Easy Bassoon Studies. Emerson Edition Ltd. Conconne, Giuseppe. The Singing Bassoon, forty legato studies. Emerson Edition, 1999. Weissenborn, Julius. Bassoon Studies for Beginners, Op. 8, volume 1. Kalmus, 1985. Suggested books (Intermediate) Spaniol, Douglas E. The New Weissenborn Method for Bassoon. Hal Leonard Corp., 2010. Weait, Christopher. Bassoon Warmups, Second Edition. Emerson Edition Ltd, 1990. Weissenborn, Julius. Bassoon Studies for Beginners, Op. 8, volume 2. Carl Fischer, 1970. Beginner/Intermediate Bassoons:

• Nobel Mistral ABS

• Nobel Mistral Wood Composite

• Fox Renard Model 41 or Model 51

Advanced Student Model Bassoons:

• Fox 220 or Fox 240

• Moosman 98A, 100A, or M24

Bassoon Reeds:

• Bel Canto Reeds

• Basso Vento Reeds

• JBR Standard Bassoon Reed from Miller Marketing Co.