Dr. Law, thank you for your attention to pedagogy for the bassoon. I also started the bassoon in a rural area hundreds of miles from a teacher. A quibble about your use of "whistle face" as a way of getting to an optimal bassoon embouchure. You say, "make the whistle face, then bring the reed in without changing anything." But watching the video (and this is why video is such a boon in instrument instruction) you clearly move your lips from in front of your teeth to resting on your teeth--maybe more like a whistle turned inward. I don't know how to say it, but you clearly change something. Watch the video. A very difficult thing to find words to describe, as I find out trying to write this. Maybe ask the student to whistle while drawing air inward. I just discovered I can actually do it. Well, this is for you to figure out. Keep up the great work.
Thank you a thousand times for your excellent videos and thank you for your superb Bassoon tablature. One important thing that you haven't talked about is why when you start playing bassoon the notes aren't right, I've been starting for 15 days and this problem is bothering me, because I play a half tone in below the correct notes. Could you make a video on this subject and give us suggestions to get the grades right? Thanks a lot for your help. Christy translation : Merciii mille fois pour vos excellentes vidéos et merci pour votre superbe tablature du Basson. Une chose importante que vous n'avez pas parler, c'est pour quelles raisons quand on débute le basson les notes ne sont pas juste, je débute depuis 15 jours et ce problème me prend la tête, car je joue un-demi ton en dessous des notes juste. Pourriez-vous faire une vidéo sur ce sujet et nous donner des pistes pour que les notes soient juste ? Merci beaucoup pour votre aide.
Very useful, thanks! For many years I fought with a very poor bassoon. The tricks that I developed to make it play gave me tons of bad habits that I'm still grappling with. But my biggest problem with fatigue is that I don't have the time to practice regularly. So it goes.
I had the same situation - the instrument was not serviced in years, and the pads leaked badly. Having your instrument serviced before any serious playing is a MUST.
Thank you for all of these new videos you’ve been making, Dr. Law! As a someone returning to the instrument after a 20 year break, you’ve provided me with a lot of helpful information.
Thank you, I'm definitely still struggling with this! Supporting my sound with my face rather than my air support is my bad habit. To fix this my prof has me sustain a pitch, then relax my embouchure to flatten it, and then bring it back up to pitch with only my air support. Then I try to bring that level of support and that more relaxed embouchure into my normal playing. It's a good little reminder that I do many, many times throughout a practice session!
I usually buy Bocal Majority Medium reeds and they don't always work for me. It's like 1 out of 5 works for me (which is wasting a ton of money!) And even with the "good reeds" I still get mouth fatigue. I've been playing for 3 years now, and I think I'm going to try your reeds + others just because I've stuck with the same brand for so long and they don't work very well for me. Thank you, this video is a life saver!!
This was a great video, as always. Thanks for sharing useful tips to avoid embouchure fatigue! I have sometimes experienced this kind of fatigue, but often not because of unsuitable reeds or an incorrect embouchure. Some pieces or études - or parts of these works - I play seem more demanding than others, so I’d feel fatigue in the middle or at the end of one piece. However, the embouchure would be just fine in another. I have found this phenomenon rather strange. But perhaps my embouchure wasn’t correct in the first place, so I’ll remember to form a whistle-like embouchure the next time I practise the bassoon. I’ll also remember to breathe in “who” before playing. Perhaps the lack of air could explain embouchure fatigue (but I didn’t know that until now). Thanks again for a great video! (-:
It’s always harder to maintain good embouchure for longer pieces, especially when you don’t get a lot of breaks. The key is starting with good air support from the very beginning to proactively avoid getting embouchure fatigue when it’s too late. Once you feel that fatigue, there’s not much you can do it about it.
The only time I started to struggle with fatigue was when I started to play above open F - those A, B, C and D (which require a flick) are suddenly significantly more resistant and I find I need to use way more lip pressure just to guide air through the reed and not let it leak around. When I was practicing from G and below I have never had this issue. Am I doing something wrong in that register?
@@BuildingaBassoonist Still to me it seems there is no way around of building up mouth strength. Those notes require faster air (or they go flat) through faster vibrating reed (more resistance). Simple physics of that demand higher pressure which in turn demand better seal around the reed. I don't see another solution unless that extra reed resistance is somehow my doing something wrong. :) More practice!
@@russkuksin8782 yes it's true that there is slightly (and I mean very slightly) more mouth pressure the higher you go in the register, but it's not significantly different from the notes just below it. It could be a reed issue as well, unless this is something that happens on all different reeds you play.
@@BuildingaBassoonistYes, I do experience quite significant increase of a reed resistance specifically on those notes and it happens on all my reeds. :(
@@russkuksin8782 hmm, this would be something you’d want to work out with a teacher if you can! Hard to diagnose what’s going on without seeing/hearing you play. Could be multiple factors!
Dr. Law, thank you for your attention to pedagogy for the bassoon. I also started the bassoon in a rural area hundreds of miles from a teacher.
A quibble about your use of "whistle face" as a way of getting to an optimal bassoon embouchure. You say, "make the whistle face, then bring the reed in without changing anything." But watching the video (and this is why video is such a boon in instrument instruction) you clearly move your lips from in front of your teeth to resting on your teeth--maybe more like a whistle turned inward.
I don't know how to say it, but you clearly change something. Watch the video.
A very difficult thing to find words to describe, as I find out trying to write this. Maybe ask the student to whistle while drawing air inward. I just discovered I can actually do it.
Well, this is for you to figure out.
Keep up the great work.
Thank you a thousand times for your excellent videos and thank you for your superb Bassoon tablature.
One important thing that you haven't talked about is why when you start playing bassoon the notes aren't right, I've been starting for 15 days and this problem is bothering me, because I play a half tone in below the correct notes.
Could you make a video on this subject and give us suggestions to get the grades right?
Thanks a lot for your help.
Christy
translation :
Merciii mille fois pour vos excellentes vidéos et merci pour votre superbe tablature du Basson.
Une chose importante que vous n'avez pas parler, c'est pour quelles raisons quand on débute le basson les notes ne sont pas juste, je débute depuis 15 jours et ce problème me prend la tête, car je joue un-demi ton en dessous des notes juste.
Pourriez-vous faire une vidéo sur ce sujet et nous donner des pistes pour que les notes soient juste ?
Merci beaucoup pour votre aide.
Very useful, thanks! For many years I fought with a very poor bassoon. The tricks that I developed to make it play gave me tons of bad habits that I'm still grappling with. But my biggest problem with fatigue is that I don't have the time to practice regularly. So it goes.
I had the same situation - the instrument was not serviced in years, and the pads leaked badly. Having your instrument serviced before any serious playing is a MUST.
Thank you for all of these new videos you’ve been making, Dr. Law! As a someone returning to the instrument after a 20 year break, you’ve provided me with a lot of helpful information.
You're very welcome! Congrats on returning to the bassoon!
Thank you, I'm definitely still struggling with this! Supporting my sound with my face rather than my air support is my bad habit. To fix this my prof has me sustain a pitch, then relax my embouchure to flatten it, and then bring it back up to pitch with only my air support. Then I try to bring that level of support and that more relaxed embouchure into my normal playing. It's a good little reminder that I do many, many times throughout a practice session!
That’s a great suggestion that everyone should try! I’m glad it’s helping!
Thank you for your helpful advice. 🎉
Thank you! Ive been ordering reeds from amazon so next time I'll order from you!
Thank you so so much! This has been so helpful for me :)
I am so glad I found this I have such a huge issue with this
I usually buy Bocal Majority Medium reeds and they don't always work for me. It's like 1 out of 5 works for me (which is wasting a ton of money!) And even with the "good reeds" I still get mouth fatigue. I've been playing for 3 years now, and I think I'm going to try your reeds + others just because I've stuck with the same brand for so long and they don't work very well for me. Thank you, this video is a life saver!!
Thank you, Dr. Law!! This rekindled my confidence on bassoon and I cannot wait to put these into practice!
Wonderful!!
Thank you very much! This video will help me a lot with my embouchure issues.
Great to hear!
Thank you I really needed this video ❤
You are so welcome!
Another fantastic video. Thank you so much!
My pleasure, thanks!
the muscles in my embouchure are really wonky apart from playing bassoon in concert band i play brass in my schools marching band
This was a great video, as always. Thanks for sharing useful tips to avoid embouchure fatigue!
I have sometimes experienced this kind of fatigue, but often not because of unsuitable reeds or an incorrect embouchure. Some pieces or études - or parts of these works - I play seem more demanding than others, so I’d feel fatigue in the middle or at the end of one piece. However, the embouchure would be just fine in another. I have found this phenomenon rather strange. But perhaps my embouchure wasn’t correct in the first place, so I’ll remember to form a whistle-like embouchure the next time I practise the bassoon.
I’ll also remember to breathe in “who” before playing. Perhaps the lack of air could explain embouchure fatigue (but I didn’t know that until now).
Thanks again for a great video! (-:
It’s always harder to maintain good embouchure for longer pieces, especially when you don’t get a lot of breaks. The key is starting with good air support from the very beginning to proactively avoid getting embouchure fatigue when it’s too late. Once you feel that fatigue, there’s not much you can do it about it.
I get tired soon and sometimes I feel dizzy how do I go about it? I love the instrument to too much.
Take deeper breaths from the bottom of your belly - you might be inhaling/exhaling too often and too shallow
I want to learn how to play continuously for more than 1 minute. This is when you need to inflate your cheeks and at this time inhale through the nose
This is called circular breathing! I believe Terry Ewell has a video on this on CZcams
@@BuildingaBassoonist I want to watch an instructions performed by Natalie! 💖
The only time I started to struggle with fatigue was when I started to play above open F - those A, B, C and D (which require a flick) are suddenly significantly more resistant and I find I need to use way more lip pressure just to guide air through the reed and not let it leak around.
When I was practicing from G and below I have never had this issue.
Am I doing something wrong in that register?
Those upper notes require faster, more focused air and more air support (using your abs). It’s likely about your air usage.
@@BuildingaBassoonist Still to me it seems there is no way around of building up mouth strength. Those notes require faster air (or they go flat) through faster vibrating reed (more resistance). Simple physics of that demand higher pressure which in turn demand better seal around the reed. I don't see another solution unless that extra reed resistance is somehow my doing something wrong. :)
More practice!
@@russkuksin8782 yes it's true that there is slightly (and I mean very slightly) more mouth pressure the higher you go in the register, but it's not significantly different from the notes just below it. It could be a reed issue as well, unless this is something that happens on all different reeds you play.
@@BuildingaBassoonistYes, I do experience quite significant increase of a reed resistance specifically on those notes and it happens on all my reeds. :(
@@russkuksin8782 hmm, this would be something you’d want to work out with a teacher if you can! Hard to diagnose what’s going on without seeing/hearing you play. Could be multiple factors!
Your lips are changing when you put the reed into your mouth. It looks like they curl inwards around your teeth.
Possibly ever so slightly to create a tight enough seal so that air doesn’t escape out the lips.