 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Drenkier_1
Date: 2005-07-21 05:59
You know, this is random, of course most of the posts i make are random, but for some odd reason I just have this urge to play bassoon. Ever since I joined a youth orchestra i've always loved the sound it makes. I guess this is in part because the 2 bassoonists were seniors that had made both the all state band and orchestras. If I had the money, I'd drop what I was doing and play bassoon
Kevin Collins
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-07-21 06:49
You think clarinetists have reed problems, talk to a bassoonist ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif) ...GBK
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Author: 3dogmom
Date: 2005-07-21 13:14
What is your situation? Are you a high school student, or college? If so, your band director may very well be eager to have a bassoon player, and may be able to help you out with regard to a school instrument, and maybe even some beginning lessons. Most band directors will go to great lengths to have bassoonists.
Should you quit the clarinet? If I were giving advice to a student or one of my kids, I would tell them to continue. I believe that people should play what really appeals to them. If you do start the bassoon, and continue the clarinet, at some point a preference will develop. That would be, in my opinion, the time to make that decision.
I would not, however, take up bassoon because you think you've got a better chance at All-State. Play what you have a passion for.
Sue Tansey
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2005-07-21 14:42
OK --
Good advice there from 3dogmom. BUT . . .
If you really *want* to play the bassoon (or any other instrument), DO IT!
I was given a Bb clarinet for my 12th birthday (or was it 13th? -- a long time ago, anyway). Being the good kid that I was, I learned to play it very, very well. And I kept on playing it, off and on, through my entire adult life.
But even though I was good at clarinet, I was never soul-satisfied with it. I wanted to play the oboe, but was scared to try. More so, as the years went by.
Then a couple of years ago, I kinda woke up and asked myself, "In which lifetime was it that you thought you'd be an oboist?", which is to say, you only go around once, so make the most of it.
I got my first stripped-down student oboe in October, 2003 (woof!). Second "intermediate" Yamaha in December of that year. And then late last year, I got my wonderful Covey (all via Ebay, by the way).
I did continue the clarinet until this past spring, when I got too busy on the oboe to do both. I think it was also at about that point that my ability on the oboe surpassed, or at least, equalled, my ability on the clarinet. I have become the "go to" oboist for my community, getting lots and lots of opportunity to play, and abundant positive strokes from directors, teachers, and the general public.
Playing the oboe has opened up a whole new world to me -- partly because of what the "world" perceives in me, but mostly because of how I feel about, and thus project, myself.
Use your head, but follow your heart.
Susan
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-07-21 14:52
I spent an academic year with a public school bassoon. I loved it. I went through the whole year stupidly playing out of tune and regret that the orch leader never called me on it.
I, too, love the bassoon sound. One of the best musicians in town here plays the bassoon in chamber ensembles and in the community orch. He plays lead alto in the swing band and doubles on clarinet, flute, trombone, ...
The double reed players here-bouts make their own reeds; and the "wind specialist" of the previous paragraph is also an accomplished fly tyer. They don't seem to suffer too much, but they do use precision measurements of reed length, stiffness, contour.
I was very fortunate in my bassoon year in that reeds were supplied to me by the school district!
AND just think of the huge library of baroque bassoon literature. Ah Vivaldi --the dirty old man with all of his young girl bassoon students to keep his focus on the instrument.
Of course, there's all that opinion (even supported by established bassoon pros) that the instrument is a clown.
Get a copy of "The Bassoon Brothers."
"What's the difference between a bassoon, and English horn and an oboe? It burns longer --and costs a whole lot more."
Do it
Bob Phillips
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Author: Drenkier_1
Date: 2005-07-21 16:16
I don't ever plan on "quiting clarinet". The man I take lessons with is a great clarinet player, who also happens to play Flute and Saxaphone in the Ballet and Theater Under the Stars. He is helping me take up saxaphone, and hopefully flute. But I want to play bassoon so badly, I have no idea why, but thanks for the input. I plan on majoring in clarinet perfrormance (hopefully if im good enough), but would also like to play other instruments.
Kevin Collins
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Author: BassetHorn
Date: 2005-07-21 16:31
Has any of the contrabass clarinettists on this board ever thought of becoming a doubler on the contrabassoon?
Been thinking of going down this route for some time, but 2 challenges stand in the way.
The cost of any contrabassoon available is stratospheric.
Don’t know how to play the bassoon.
Maybe I should pick up and learn on a good bassoon first and wait for the affordable contra to eventually appear? Is it possible to learn the contra without going through the bassoon route?
Any suggestions?
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Author: William Hughes ★2017
Date: 2005-07-21 16:44
In my community band "gig" I play mostly bassoon parts on the Eb contra alto clarinet. At least in the band literature, bassoon parts are fascinating...and I suspect the same is true in orchestral literature. Sometimes you're a bass reed instrument, echoing the low brass. Sometimes you're lyrically joined to the French horns. There are many melodic passages, many that fall in the clarion and altissima ranges of the contra, including many solos and exposed parts. Composers seem to appreciate the "color" of the bassoon and are not particularly bound to any fixed convention as to its use.
Given all that, I applaud your inquisitiveness. Were I but a few millenia younger, I might want to do the same. Good luck.
Post Edited (2005-07-21 16:52)
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Author: Robyn
Date: 2005-07-21 16:45
re. Contrabassoon: I don't know if it's possible, but I would think it wouldn't be very useful. Most orchestra parts that call for contrabassoon have bassoon parts written in the same part, and the player switches back and forth between the two. It seems like the number of parts you would be able to play if you just knew contrabassoon would be extremely minimal.
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Author: BassetHorn
Date: 2005-07-21 17:19
Thank you Robyn. The situation I wasn imagining is to use the contrabass clarinets and contrabassoon concert band in the following manner:
Bb contrabass clarinet: play proper Bb contrabass clarinet part, and bass clarinet part.
Eb contrabass clarinet: play proper Eb contrabass clarinet part, tuba, basssoon, and string bass parts (transposed), and alto clarinet part (if musically makes sense).
Contrabassoon: play proper contrabassoon part (if such does exist and crops up), second bassoon part, and tuba and string bass parts.
Carrying 3 horns to a gig! Incredible but definitely doable!
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Author: Wes
Date: 2005-07-22 07:47
As with other double reeds, the contrabassoon reeds are time consuming to deal with, whether you make them yourself or buy them. In addition, if you get a rare serious gig, a lot of practice is needed to play in tune and sound good. It is just as bad to have an out of tune contra as any other instrument. Contras can be gotten for $5K to $40k but the less expensive ones will need time and money in the shop before they can be played comfortably. and in tune. In my opinion, it would be better to start on a student level bassoon. One soon finds out that the fingering is a challenge. Good luck!
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