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I fell in love with the bassoon in a Brazilian song and vowed to learn the instrument if only to be able to play that one song. Six months later, I finally got my hands on a rental bassoon (they're apparently extremely rare); seven self-taught lessons in, the thing is kicking my rear end. I was doing so well, but I can't hit the lowest notes and, new today, can't even reliably get the others out, either. I don't know if my reed is hosed up or what. I can't find the right resources on reed health or embouchure or anything. The local music shop doesn't really deal with bassoons--they had to order in my rental. I'm so frustrated and angry and sad. I played flute for many many years, so this is really different in a lot of ways. But it shouldn't be this goddamn hard. Sorry for the e/n, but if it inspires anyone to reply with advice, I'd sure appreciate it.
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Aug 10, 2021 02:16
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 09:44 |
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Thanks for the kind words of advice and commiseration. I did find and order a well-reviewed synthetic reed in Soft, which is supposed to be good for beginners (mine came with a Medium-Soft cane reed). It's not from Amazon, but a pretty local place, so with any luck it'll arrive soon even without Prime. I was feeling pretty good about getting the fingerings down pat, reading the bass staff properly (entirely new for me), grokking intervals, and all that good stuff, so hopefully taking a fussy reed (and fussing over the reed) out of the equation will help me focus on the rest of it. I mean, literal children with absolutely no backgrounds in music learn this instrument, right? (And apparently at least one well-regarded manufacturer includes plastic reeds with their student bassoons.) This was the song that hooked me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUjOfsoBhMY I've been joking that I just want to get to the point where I can play this song, and then I can give up the bassoon forever and never ever talk about it again. I do have the sheet music for it!
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Aug 10, 2021 16:38
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My new soft plastic reed has made it easier to hit the notes on my bassoon, but WOW does it sound like poo poo. I don't know if it's the plastic of it or the soft, if a soft cane reed would be better or maybe a medium-soft plastic reed. But yesterday I started with my old cane reed and swapped out for plastic when it started acting up, plonking the cane reed back into water for more soaking. (I feel like part of the problem is that my reed is not wet enough, or dries out really quickly--if that's a thing.) I switched reeds again when the plastic got to be too much (half the time I can't tell what note I'm playing, or the pitch wavers considerably over a single held note) and did much better with the cane reed then I usually do. So the plastic reed does really seem to be like training wheels that let me focus on my embouchure and fingering, and when I take the wheels off and go back to cane, all that technique (mostly) sticks. Thanks again for the suggestion! I'm not giving up just yet. 
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Aug 19, 2021 15:48
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I'm having much better luck with mine now, even going back to the original medium-soft cane reed (though it did get chipped to the point that I needed to replace it). But I don't practice nearly as much as I used to or should because I got all self-conscious about doing so with my husband and kid around, and those fuckers never leave.  I think I'm still a few notes shy of being able to even start playing the piece that turned me onto the bassoon in the first place.On the bright side, my interest in the instrument turned me onto this video about a great part of a great song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KV6KZd12i4
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Nov 26, 2021 05:48
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Hawkperson posted:Thaaaaat rocks, when my bassoon supplies get here I’m excited to start playing and complain and then you can be like “oh I had that problem, here’s how I solved it 
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Nov 26, 2021 19:19
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NC Wyeth Death Cult posted:I decided to get an EWI (electronic wind instrument) instead  That's an option?Well, poo poo!
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Dec 27, 2021 18:57
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FartingBedpost posted:As for the new Bassoon player in the thread, a lot of the things you're dealing with right now are just things that all bassoon players deal with. Making your own reeds is the standard thing bassoonists do, because they can make the reeds exactly how they want them, and playing the instrument in general is a lot of ugly weird half-sounds before you can get the good sounds out. Just keep at it, it's a process.  I still want to play, though, so I'm not giving up just yet!
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Mar 6, 2022 22:08
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I sent it to my son, who said he appreciated all the replies complaining that it was a 3.5. "My people."
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Aug 8, 2022 02:25
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The Grapist posted:In all seriousness, I’ve spent pretty much my entire adult life working for Sam Ash Music and I’m now one of the people that associates and managers call when they need guidance on buying in used and vintage brass and winds. I can find you a better deal than either of them.
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Sep 20, 2023 04:19
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The one I saw at a glance at a local woodwinds shop was north of $5K, so $2K sounds pretty sweet, lol.  We might just end up doing our own rental, which gives us the flexibility of handing the thing back in if it turns out not to be relevant enough in college.
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Sep 21, 2023 01:17
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 09:44 |
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Cabbages and Kings posted:If you have a rental option, that's what I'd do in this situation, especially given the uncertainty. I personally would not be comfortable trying to find a bari for 2k; for me that's more like the entry point to an (intermediate) tenor that I might reasonably expect to play pretty well and not need a bunch of work, pads, etc.  . If he's all about bari, we'll find the best way to support that.Cabbages and Kings posted:I am jelly of your "local woodwind shop"; I may end up driving to Boston to try horns.  local. There's a music store much closer with a few instruments in stock that can handle rentals, though. Thanks for your insight!
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Sep 21, 2023 16:54
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