Part 1: Bassoon Pedagogy – From Day One

I recently heard a funny joke from one my colleagues at the most recent PMEA conference.  “How do you clear out a room full of band directors?  You ask them to discuss bassoon fingerings!”  As someone who wears both of those hats, I actually thought that was pretty hysterical!  However, it does draw attention to the fact that starting a bassoonist can be a scary proposition even in the best of circumstances.  The purpose of this article is to give some tips and hints on how to start a bassoonist from the very first lesson, regardless of how much experience one has on the instrument.  It doesn’t have to be scary!  Keep a few concepts in mind along the way, and you’ll have happy bassoonists in no time – let’s begin!

Selecting students for bassoon

The bassoon is an instrument that readily accepts a wide variety of facial structures, including shape and thickness of the lips, jaw structures, tongue shape, and variations in dental designs. This is in large part due to the fact that the vibrating mechanism (the reed) produces the sound inside our bodies, and we refine this sound through guided manipulation of the performers’ lips and oral cavity. Because of this, nearly any student can begin and/or switch to the bassoon provided that they are mentored properly and that they have the proper equipment to work with. Starting bassoonists is fun, and your ensemble will benefit from having that additional bass voice!

• One of the primary criteria for selecting a bassoonist is the size of the student. The bassoon is a rather large instrument with open holes, so it is important that the student can cover the holes adequately with their fingers.
• The largest span that the fingers have to cover are between the middle finger and the ring finger of the left hand (D tone hole to the C tone hole). Many bassoons have a plateau key installed over the C tone hole to help close this distance. The pad on this key can become sticky over time, so it is important to recognize when it needs to be replaced. 
• Some of the “easiest” transitions to the bassoon that I have witnessed have been from flute and saxophone. Both of these embouchures are relatively round and flexible, which make them perfect candidates to begin the bassoon.

before the first sounds are made

Success in bassoon playing is much like a stool with three legs: a properly adjusted reed, a bassoon and bocal that are in good working order, and appropriate pedagogical materials. If one of these “legs” is taken away, bassoon playing becomes remarkably difficult. If two are taken away, it is almost impossible to build the most basic skills on the instrument. If none of these are present, the chances of having success on the bassoon are slim to none. Sadly, in my almost 25 years of teaching, the vast amount of students that I have encountered fall into those last two categories where the odds are truly stacked against them. Therefore, having quality equipment is paramount for success.

THE BASSOON REED

• Having a quality bassoon reed is fundamental to success on the bassoon. To quote a colleague of mine, “The reed controls the player’s sanity!”  
• A properly constructed bassoon reed will have the following:
  • The wires have been properly tightened in that there are no gaps between the wires.
  • The binding on the end is properly sealed so that it will not come off even when the reed is dry.
  • The opening of the soaked reed should be about 1.5mm.
  • An ideal length from the top of the wire to the top of the blade should be about 30mm. 
  • The blades are not slipped and the inside of the reed (particularly the throat) should be free from debris. 
  • When the reed is properly soaked, it should produce a sound called a “crow” when the reed is played alone.  This is described in more detail below under “Producing the First Sounds.”

THE INSTRUMENT ITSELF

• TERMINOLOGY – Bassoon students should learn the name of each part of the bassoon.
  • Wing/tenor joint
  • Long/bass joint
  • Boot joint
  • Bell
  • Bocal
• ASSEMBLY PRECAUTIONS – It is best to set the bassoon case on the floor and have the student pick up one piece at a time for assembly.
  • First, have them pick up the boot joint and tenor joint. They will notice that the tenor joint has a metal bushing at the large end, and that there is a metal insert in the boot joint. These go together. Gently push and twist. Many bassoons have a small line carved into both joints to indicate the ideal alignment.
  • Next, have them pick put the long joint and insert the narrow end into the boot joint so that all of the keys are facing them.
  • Take the bell. While holding down the Bb key (key on the bell), push and twist until the linkages line up. 
  • When inserting the bocal, it is critical to hold it close to the corked end and gently push and twist. Check that the small hole on the bocal is covered by the pad.
• BASIC MAINTENANCE
  • In addition to swabbing out the bassoon after each practice session, it is important to clean the bocal with hot, soapy water once a month. Purchasing a bocal brush is a cheap and very effective way to do this. 
  • Once a month, it is important to take a vacuum cleaner and pick up all of the dust, hair, etc., that can accumulate in a bassoon case. These items can get underneath the pads and cause leaks in the low register.
• OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
  • Most bassoon related catastrophes that require repair happen when the bassoon is not being used, but is fully assembled. Therefore, when you are not using the bassoon, be sure it is in the case.
  • When transporting a bocal, place the tip of the bocal in the bell and not in the tenor joint. Doing so can either scratch the bore of the tenor joint or damage the delicate opening of the bocal.

BODY POSITION/BALANCE/POSTURE

• It is very important to have your students use a seat strap and not a neck strap for supporting the instrument. A seat strap allows the bassoonist to relax their body and balance the instrument so that there is almost no weight on the player’s left hand. Due to the fact that the left hand has over 11 keys to play, having a seat strap will play a major role in their success. There are many different designs of seat straps (hook, cup, ring), but any of them will provide the support a bassoonist needs. 
• Place the seat strap on the front ¼ of the chair, and have the player sit in the chair with their hips as far back as possible. It should feel like the chair is supporting their entire weight. 
• Once the bassoon is attached to the seat strap, be sure that the student brings the bassoon to them, making one half of an “X” across their body. Their shoulders and their torso should not be twisted in any way – keep everything facing forward. 
• In order to find the ideal instrument height for each student, have the student look straight ahead and bring the bassoon to them with the reed attached. It should touch the space between their lower lip and their chin. The player then slightly looks down to take the reed into their mouth.

HAND POSITION

• The left hand is curved and relaxed with the first, second, and third fingers just above the tone holes. The left thumb will spend a lot of time using the whisper (pianissimo) key for the first several months of study, so I often have them use that as a “default” position. As previously mentioned, the biggest stretch will be between the middle finger and the ring finger due to the tone hole placement. 
• As long as the bassoon is properly supported by the seat strap, there should hardly be any weight on the left hand. This will allow the left hand to be relaxed. 
• As with the left hand, the right hand is curved and relaxed, looking like the right hand is “draped” over the bassoon. Some bassoons will have an assembly for a crutch/hand rest installed. Since these are primarily used with students that have larger/fully grown hands, it is safe/more effective to take this off. It brings the right hand closer to the bassoon and facilitates technique. 

The biggest challenge with the right hand is where to place the thumb. Many students will try to rest their thumb on the metal band of the boot joint. It is important to discourage this habit as they will need to have use of this thumb when playing the low register. Having them keep their thumb above the low E (pancake) key is an ideal location. 

Dr. Jason Worzbyt is Professor of Bassoon and Director of Adult and Community Bands at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.He holds a B.S. in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Music in wind conducting from the University of North Texas and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in bassoon performance from the University of North Texas.

Be sure to take a look at “Bassoon Pedagogy Part 2 – Producing the First Sounds.” In this follow-up, Dr. Jason Worzbyt continues his deep dive into getting your students started on the bassoon.

Related Reading:
Bassooner the Better: Tips for Starting Beginning Bassoonists
Demystifying Double Reeds
Best Tips for Teaching Oboe and Bassoon (Collaborative Post)

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