W'GODIMIIYI'NOTES

well.) Thetonguepositionis quitedifierent {high positionfor clarinet,low fcr oboe) which can also lead to problern* on withvoicings the oboefor the farmerare Fingerings similartoclariclarinetist. net abovethe break. Bassoonto oboe. Not a comrnon BURNS By MICHAEL switch(who has too many bassoonsin their band?)can werk okay,fingerings is embouchure similarbut are different, I As a bassoonist, haveoften been smaller. suitable askedhow to choosesludents to Saxophone bassoon. This is cfthe or for switching-to starting-on double ten one of lhe betterswitches' Embolcreed instrurnents.Below I will outline chure size is similar,but bassoon is somEof the criteriaI feel can help make "double-lip"and jaw position changes that choice: with dilferentregisters. Theretends to 1. A good earfor Pitch be' withthe low register be lessproblem fingerdexteritY 2. Aboveavsrage embouMICFIAEL morerelaxed causeof thelarger, (individualis' 3. Happytobe different BURNS churefrom the sax. Sizeand weightistic) EDffON sueshavealreadybeendealtwith to an to 4. Forthe bassoon'big enough extenton the saxand areoften lessprobof the the handle sizeArueight instruare lematic. Fingerings differentbut re' the tone-holes. mentand to reach latedat the Sth,i.e.G=C. need to have a They will definitelY ta Saxophone oboe. This is sftEn of good earfor pitch,and goodfingerdex- Belowis a briefsurnmary someof the bas- prcs and ccns of eachotherwoodwind oneof the betterswitches.Embouchure the terity.RemembEr, oboe andthe in of instruments termoi the easeof switch- size is similar,but oboe is "double-lip" for soon are notorious theirvariability changeswith different and jaw Position pitch (on some notesYou can vary the ing: Flute ta bassoon. The resistance registers.Theretends to be less prob' pitch by as much as a minorthird withof the the out altering fingering!)and for the levelis higheron the bassoon,embou- .lemwith the low registerbecause from relaxedembouchure feels funny to iarger,more (including such chure is totallydifferent, fingerings complicated and rangeare very are the sax. Fingerings fingerings in theirmouth, half-holes, havea reed as techniques fork-fingerings, haveto learnbassclef' similar,in lact many saxophoneteachkeyson theoboe not verysimilar, two andflicking, octave level ers use oboe rnethodbooks with their Flute oboe. The resistance to keYson the basand multiplethumb wl'lois a good is MUCHhigheron the oboe, embou' students. someone soon). Ghoose As you can see there are sorne feels funny to decidethat chure is totallydifferent, musician.Some directors are trendsto notice: Goingfrom a singleto fingerings playerin their havea reedintheirmouth, they needa doublereed the player needs to be similar.lf you havea flutestu' a double-reed placeto lookseems somewhat bandandthe natural plays and breatheswell but awarethat insteadof keepingthe lower to be at the back of one of their larger dent who of (i,e. clarinets, runsout of air too easilybecause thE jaw positionconstantas on the singlesections flutes, woodwind of lf the studentis strug- lowresistance theilutethenit rnayhelp reeds,they must raise and lower it for andsaxophones). on then to switchthem to the higherresistance differentregisters the double-reeds. glingwithoneof theseinstruments Also, thE highertongue Positionof tho only of an oboe. that thingswill probably I suggest Oboeto bassoon. Not a common single reeds will not work well on the get worseon the bassoonor oboe! A differTherearefingering possibility to try someonewho is per- switch(whohastoo manyoboesin their double-reeds. is but allof thewoodwinds, dif' encesbetween are hapssecondor thirdchairbut probably band?)canworkokay,lingerings to similar theflute' is embouchure similarbut bigger' the oboeis somewhat will not becomefirstchairin one of these ferent, is and Cbrtnetto bassoon. Resistance so<ophone, clarinetabore the break, who largersections.Choosesomeone is embouchure difier- whilethe bassoonis similarto the clarisimilar, prefers be a 'loner'ratherthan partof somewhat to and is a crowd. In mostbandsyou areunlikely ent- bassoon "double-lip" jaw po- netbelowthebreakandthe otherinstru' is atthe Sth. Physicalsize or sition changeswith differentregisters mentsrElated to havernorethan a singlebassoonist to who clarinetists switch bassoon an iEsuewith the bassoon. lt is a big peoplethriveon being (Many oboist. Some awido spread the 'alone'in the band,whileothersprefer havea hardtime relo<ing loweriaw andheavyinstrumentwith fingers. The playeralsoneeds to get the low registerto work between of the seeurity a largersection. Notonly enough position quitediffer- to be able to learn bass clef, and later is this, but when a Youngdouble-reed well).Thetongue low lor unusual ent(highposition clarinet, for bas- tenorclef for the bassoon. player starting somerather out is I havealsohad someverysuccesssounds soon) whichcan also leadto problerns embarrassing and sometimes from from brassinstrurnents, voicing on the bassoonfor the ful switches has and canhappen the player to be able with FingeringsarE very recorder,from string instruments,and col' former-clarinetist, possible fromtheir ridicule to handle the the evenfrom piano. Generally, successbeneath broak. to similartoclarinet leagues. Oftenthe personattracted chosetoplaythe oboe. Resistanceis ful doublereedplayers Clarinetto indithe oboe or bassoonis somewhat is and vidualistic naturean) Atay likesthe higheron the oboe, embouchurE dif- bassoonor oboe becauseof its characin with these ferent- oboe is "dotlble-lip'andjaw po' ter and werenot dauntedby its idioeynassociated distinctcharaster thy sition changeswith differentregisters' crasiesand the difficulties. Rather, instruments. (Manyclarinetists who switch to oboe ofien se6mto want the challeng6ttsae switch Most double reed PlaYers irdipresent and enioytteoir the than havea hardtinnerelaxing lowerjaw instruments rather wind instrument fromanother startingout on the bassoonor oboe. enoughto get the low registerto work viduall$.

A HINTSON SELECTING PLAYER REED DOUBLE

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1999 EDUCATOR/FAII MUSIG GAROLINA NORTH