Will bassoon ruin my sax/clarinet emboucher?

[IBSmiester]

I borrowed a bassoon from my school today (not like anyone in the last 5 years have used it) and I found it pretty easy to pick up and get a sound. The fingurings are weird for me, but it seems resonably easy so far. However, after playing bassoon for a few minutes, I go back to clarinet or sax and it feels so weird, and I can't get my sound back for a few more minutes. So, is bassoon going to be harmful to my sound on sax/clarinet, which are my main instruments? Or do I just have to get use to switching embouchers?

[LazySaxman]

Normally you won't be changing directly from bassoon to sax or clarinet, if you wait a while before playing a different instrument, it shouldn't feel too weird.

[Brendan Muse]

Runyon sells a bassoon mouthpiece that takes clarinet reeds. If you use this, you won't have as huge a transition.

[Tim Price]

I've played bassoon sinse 1967, in high school as well as saxes,flutes then.

It ONLY enhances your abiltys sound wise and gives a wider idea of the sounds and things that should/can be done.

Get a few basic books, a good teacher and some student reeds from 1800-reed-tip aka Brian Charles Music.

Realize that the instrument takes _WORK_but the rewards are plentyful and you'll be glad your doing it 5 years later.

HTH.

[awholley]

Bassoon will only help. If it give you a chance to play in orchestra, you'll find that it opens a wealth of learning experiences to you in terms of harmony, technique, vibrato, articulation and ensemble playing.

[IBSmiester]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like it'll be fun, and at the very least, it gives me an excuse to finally learn bass clef! (lets not talk about tenor clef...)

[Gordon (NZ)]

"Doublers" in Broadway show type music will often be alternating on 5 or 6 instruments. There will often be 50, 60, or even more instrument changes during a performance. Changes often take place in only a few seconds.

Such players just practise the changes until the instruments do not interfere with each other. It is all to do with becoming more versatile in one's mind-set. Its a lot of fun. Go for it. The biggest interference, in my experience, is to flute and piccolo playing, but this too can be overcome, simply with practice.

[Tim Price]

MUCH AGREE WITH ALL HERE- excellent advise.

BUT- maybe take some time to " think past the instrument" ok? I know, this is easy because the bassoon has an open sky to deal with, WHEN YOU FIND IT.

I sure did and I'm glad I divorced myself from the " Peter & The Wolf" bassoon imagery. Not that that's bad either...just something I'm not interested in. < never was even at 16 :D , playing it 2x was enough >

Search & you'll find it. There's only 12 notes.

Listen to Stockhausen. Or Boulez. Then Zappa & Monk.
Get a _VISION_and try it.

We need more Marty Krystalls & Charles Lloyds in this world and more guys that step across the dotted lines. The colleges & instutions are creating some excellent missionary position musicians. Cool. But what about the actual CREATION??? :shock: What made MONK, MONK?? :) Or Duke, Duke!!

I SAY- go for it.Check it ALL out.Learn the repitore but LOOK for some forks in the musical road too. HTH.

[IBSmiester]

I do listen to Stockhausen, Zappa and Monk. (along with Cage, Coltrane, Dolphy, Stravinsky, Braxton, Coleman, Reich, and I could go on) Actually the prime interest for me with bassoon is to expand my tonal options for my school's newly formed "Contemporary Music Ensemble" which I am spearheading.