 The Bassoon BBoard
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2008-10-06 13:19
I think your instinct is correct: bassoon is worlds easier than oboe in terms of embouchure and breath support. Both are much more forgiving on the big horn.
Reeds still tend to be a problem, but much less so than on oboe.
You do need to learn bass and tenor clefs for bassoon. But the fingerings in the mid-range aren't that complex; it's not until you get down low or up there that they need some rote practice. But it's like anything--the more you do it, the less difficult it becomes.
Oboe has a whole range of issues that only a teacher can tell you about--how to breathe, how to exhale, how to think about your fingers... it's amazing how much thought goes into playing a single note.
I've never thought of bassoon as the class clown--I do recall a musicologist calling it "the clown of the orchestra." But just as it can sound playful and frisky, it can sound beautiful and sonorous or melancholic and tragic.
As far as which instrument to learn, it depends on what your goals are. If you want to play in a group, everybody is going to need you, whether you play oboe or bassoon. If you're not going to take lessons and just want to mess around, bassoon is your better bet, because no one wants to play with an amatuerish-sounding oboe player--and I would say that it's not possible to play oboe properly without lessons from a real oboist. If you do plan to take lessons, then either horn will do you well.
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woodwindfreak |
2008-10-04 03:24 |
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Jaysne |
2008-10-06 13:19 |
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cairngorm |
2008-10-07 01:06 |
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Jaysne |
2008-10-09 12:50 |
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The Clarinet Pages
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