Bassoon 101: Getting Started on the Bassoon for New Students

for students for parents

Written By Amanda Pierce

Congratulations, you’re a bassoonist or, perhaps, the parent or teacher of one! Here is everything you need to know about starting off right including required supplies, how to practice, and helpful videos for you and your student.

For a comprehensive guide to learning the bassoon, check out the #BassoonGoals: Getting Started Workbook available on Amazon.

For starters, what is the bassoon? What makes it special? How does it make a sound? The bassoon is a challenging but incredibly fun and rewarding instrument. Check out the video below to hear some beautiful bassoon playing and learn all about it!

Required Supplies & Materials

Every beginning bassoonist should have the following supplies. All of these items can be found on amazon.com. You may also purchase them from a double reed small business like Bocal Majority or a local music store.

• 3 Handmade Reeds: I highly recommend ordering from Bocal Majority. I do not recommend Jones reeds, they are standard and easily found but very hard to make a good sound on.
• Silk Bassoon Swab: doesn’t get stuck as often as cotton.
• Bocal Brush: to clean the inside of the bocal where most of the grime accumulates.
• Cork Grease: any brand is fine
• Plastic Reed Case: must have holes for ventilation, pegs not recommended. The protect ribbon holder bassoon reed case is my favorite for beginners.
• Water Container: must fit the entire reed and a lid is preferred.
• Wire Folding Music Stand: for practicing at home and performing events
• Metronome/Tuner: for tracking tempos, practicing rhythms, and checking tuning. There are a lot of phone apps for this these days, but I still recommend getting a physical metronome. Phones can be very distracting during practice.
• Seat Strap: some bassoons come with a strap, but I love this one because it has a non slip bottom and rotating hook which is much more comfortable for beginners. They also get lost easily, so having your own is a great way to have a back up.

Your bassoonist will need to bring their instrument to and from school to practice. It can be heavy, so I recommend wrapping the handle with bike handle cushion tape or using a rolling luggage cart if they find it too heavy.

Rules of Reed Care

1. Always soak the reed. In clean water. Every time you play. Reeds are fragile and brittle. Soaking keeps them clean and makes them more flexible and durable.
2. Store the reeds in a case with ventilation. Reeds get moldy and chip very easily.
3. Understand the lifecycle of a reed, which is fairly short. If the reed still looks good, it can be adjusted by the teacher. If it looks old and gross, throw it out. Most students need a new reed about once a month.
4. Have three working reeds at all times. Students should have 3 good, working reeds at all times so if their favorite reed breaks, they still have 2 other choices.
5. The reed goes in your mouth or in the reed case. Never put it on the floor or anywhere else it might get smashed, dirty or lost.

How to Assemble the Bassoon

My #1 rule is the bassoon always sits on the ground during assembly. If it slips, there is less distance to the floor. Never assemble the bassoon standing up or with the case sitting on a table, counter or bed. Don’t force the parts together, if they don’t go all the way in, that’s ok as long as the bassoon isn’t loose or falling apart.

Here is a great video detailing how to assemble the bassoon. To disassemble the bassoon, just do everything in reverse making sure to be especially gentle with the reed and bocal.

How & What Practice at Home

To practice, you’ll need a flat chair with no arms, a music stand, your music book/binder, a pencil, and a metronome/tuner. Optional: small mirror. Beginners should aim to practice 10–15 minutes every day, or every other day until your band director tells them to practice more. It’s best to practice a little at a time to avoid forming bad habits and getting tired.

1. Soak the reed in clean water, then practice playing a single note on the reed. This should match F on the tuner. The note should be stable and in tune.
2. Next practice playing the bocal and reed together (also called the “bocalphone”). Try holding it as long as possible without wobbling. Keep your lips set and air steady. If you have a mirror, check to make sure your embouchure looks good.
3. After warming up, try holding a single note on the bassoon and trying to make the best sound you can make. Hold it for 4 counts. If that feels to easy try 8 or 12 counts. See if you can make the note sound steady and match the tuner every time. Then you are ready to move on to your assignments and other music.

If you’re new to the bassoon and looking for some practice guidance, I have created a Getting Started Workbook for Beginners that includes warm-ups, exercises for the left and right hands, and simple, fun songs to get you started.

Bassoon Rules & Guidelines

Here are some helpful tips I like to share with new bassoonists! These are a lot of the issues, concerns, and questions that may arise over the course of your bassoon journey.

• Only the bassoonist gets to play the bassoon. Friends and siblings should not touch the bassoon since it is a very fragile and expensive instrument!
• The bassoon always goes back in the case. Never store the bassoon out or anywhere it could get knocked over.
• The bocal and reed are the most fragile pieces, so they should only ever be on the music stand, on the bassoon, or in the case.
• Never store a bassoon in a car. Instruments are routinely stolen from cars, not to mention the damage caused by heat or cold outdoors.
• If something breaks, tell your teacher! Most issues are easily fixable. Anything that is more extensive can be repaired professionally. Never try to fix it yourself, you will do more harm than good.
• Students break and wear out reeds regularly. You can expect them to need a new reed at least monthly. And students should always have at least 3 working reeds.
• If a reed is broken or moldy, throw it out. Reeds have a relatively short lifecycle since they are made of wood. Dirty reeds are gross, spread germs, and also don’t work that well. Just ask for a replacement and get rid of the old ones!
• Practice is important. The more students practice at home, the more they have to work on in class and in lessons.
• Lessons are important. Most band directors didn’t specialize in bassoon, so private lessons a great time to ask questions, get help with difficult techniques, and learn all the tips and tricks a professional bassoonist has to offer. Students who take lessons tend to be more successful at auditions and enjoy band more. Most bassoonists need and want to take lessons every year that they play, even through 12th grade.

Amanda J. Pierce