For Beginners

“Producing the First note”

Part I Posture & Holding Position

Part II Embouchure

Part III Breathing

Part IV Articulation

correct posture — Part I Posture & Holding Position

Correct posture and holding positions are crucial for bassoon players especially beginners. For bassoon players, they can seat or stand. When you are sitting, you need a seat strap and it is placed under your thighs. The bassoon will be supported by the seat strap. What is the proper posture for the bassoon player? The most important thing is you should have be relaxed. When you put your reed on your bocal, you can check the proper height of the bassoon.

Sun’s CHECKLIST!

1 .The reed should be right on your lips. (Not lower or higher!)

2. Relax your shoulder and back.

3. Please check your shoulders!
(Please try drop your shoulders when you play.)

4. Check your hand position. When you hold the bassoon, imagine you are holding something gently. Think about you are holding the water bottle. Do not squeeze! Your fingers should be closer to the keys and holes.

Please **do not raise your shoulders** when you play the bassoon! This is a very common problem you may not recognize.

Here are some examples of poor postures for the bassoon player.

** John Kempsell was a bassoon student at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Thank you for demonstrating! :)

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Part II Embouchure

EMBOUCHURE

An “embouchure” is the position of our lips and mouth that allow us to form sound on any given instruments.

Each person has different oral cavity, but there is a proper embouchure.

The proper embouchure should be relaxed and open. Bassoonists need a building embouchure before blowing on the reed.

1. Yawning

Think about yawning.

Do you feel between your molar there is a space almost pinky?

This space allows air to circulate through the mouth, which helps to produce the first note with an open sound.

2. Whisling & “O” Shape

Think about whistling as a proper embouchure!

When we whistling our oral cavity is “O” shape.

Sun’s Step-by-Step Instructions!

**Do not bite or pinch the reed! You are not going to bite or pinch, right?**

2. Remember “O” shape and imagine when you whistle!

Here are some exercises!
Crow the reed! When you crow, you can crow with other pitches.

Also, you can build a muscle by moving the reed slightly in and out.

Moreover, it helps to have a flexible embouchure.

“Producing the First Note”

Part III Breathing

Breathing is one of the most important fundamental techniques for woodwind players and it is very important to make a sound. Bassoon instructors often use the terms “support” or “use or push more air.” It is important to understand the concept of breathing correctly especially beginners. Also, they should think how to support the air. The breathing is related to dynamic changes, vibrato, and shaping the phrase. The wind players should think how to control the speed of air and to use the amount of air when they exhale, and it is important to create constant and efficient air stream when they make a sound. For example, we can make our own long tone practice to improve our breathing techniques with all different dynamics. It will be helpful for bassoon students when they play the first note with piano or forte. Students need to experiment with breathing exercises on the bassoon.

Sun’s idea is ....

A pinwheel, this is a good example based on breathing technique. It can be a good teaching method to explain the concept of breathing and support for bassoon students. Beginners can demonstrate or imagine with a pinwheel. Move the pinwheel closer to your mouth and observe how to use the air.

We notice that we constantly breath and the air can make a pinwheel move. A pinwheel exercise shows that the effect of breathing. You can also change the amount of air when you blow. This is related with changing dynamic and shaping the phrases. If you blow the air fast, the pinwheel will spin faster because you push the air more.

Candles, imagine blowing a candle verses one hundred of candles!

Think about in front of you, there is a candle then, you have to blow out the candle. Let’s blow!

Then this time, there are one-hundred candles in front of you also, you have to blow at a one time. Let’s blow again!

When you blow one hundreds of candles, imagine that there is a rock in your abdomen which means you need to support to play the first note. Abdominal muscles assists breathing when you make a sound. You will find out there are the difference of the mount of the air and also and you need steady air stream when you blow many candles.When you blow one hundreds of candles, you need more air to support to play the first note.

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Part IV Articulation

ARTICULATION

Articulation is the action of beginning of any note we play on our instruments. While there are many ways to articulate, the most common and preferable way is with the tongue. If bassoon players want to produce the first note at a comfortable piano, or pianissimo, they must prepare the air and proper embouchure. Also, bassoon students should attack the reed with less pressure by using their tongue to play smoothly. Take a big breath and put your reed on your mouth and you form your embouchure put your tip of your tongue on the reed. Release your tongue and you will have the first note!

Sun’s Suggestions!

I can call the ‘da’ exercise, which is an articulation exercise. This daily exercise is useful for bassoonist to improve tonguing technique such as clear tonguing and speed of the tonguing. You can use the syllable “da” to produce the first note softly. Your tongue is ready to release like the syllable “DA”? If you practice this, you will find out how you need to release your tongue regular.

1. Practice couple of times “da-da-da-da-da.” (You can practice slowly and remember the importance of practicing slowly.)

2. Change the length of the “da” (longer or shorter!)

3. Play the note with six or eight counts.

(At this time you can feel you need to have more air and to practice how to control the air. )

4. Practice “da” with different rhythm patterns such as quarter note, duplet, triplet and sixteenth notes.

We can make our own long tone practice with all different dynamics and it will be helpful to play the first note play with piano or forte. You need to experiment with breathing exercises and practical embouchure on the bassoon.