Hello All,
I have reached a crossroads in my musical future. I love bassoon, and I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it! However, my silly little fingers cannot reach the holes very well, and my little itsy bitsy fingers don't cover them properly as a result. I have attempted to use a crutch, but to no avail. Help?

Most makers produce 'short reach' models intended for young beginners with small hands. These are full sized instruments & have a plateau key for LH3 & various other keys extended or moved closer together. Usually the Bb trill key (RH3) is omitted & sometimes others.

It is also possible for a technician to modify instruments to a certain extent but without spending more than most student bassoons are worth these options are limited.

A crutch is not for people with small hands. You will never be able to reach some of the little finger keys if you use a crutch. Learn to do without one. As for the left hand, well, I'm not too sure what you can do about that if you already own your bassoon.

I had the same problem when I started. Having grown about a foot since I started helped, but that didn't do me any good at first. Really work at stretching your fingers out. I don't know if you have marched, but it is similar to toe lift. If you continuely strech as much as possible, at least feel the tension, it will come with time, similar to the large reach of a piano or basketball player. Eventually you should have the spread to reach most of the keys. I hope that helps.

try getting a student bassoon. these will have a pad over the 3 hole in the left hand, so you don't have to reach all the way to the hole. (i use one of these.) Do you use a neck strap? If so, a seat strap might make it easier to not use a crutch. I actually use where i am supposed to attach my crutch to support it with my right hand.

I switched to a seat strap all the way back in seventh grade. I've grown alot since I started, but my fingers stay the same! Am I cursed? =)

Another option is the Polisi which has covered holes on l/h 1 & 3. l/h 1 has a central hole similar to the oboe.

I believe Polisi bassoons have not been made for quite a few years so the condition might not be very good.

Also I feel that this mechanism is an unsatisfactory compromise as the hole opening needs to vary for different notes, dynamic & reed. I should say that I have never been able to try a Polisi.

Yes Polisi's must be at least 25 years old by now, but the last one I had made by Schreiber was really nice.
"the hole opening needs to vary for different notes"
If you mean the hole in l/h 1st then there is some leeway in varying the size to suit different notes but not as much as an open hole,that's why quite a few Polisi's I've seen have had this key removed.

Sadly, I already own a nice old schreiber...can't replace my bassoon, it cost a pretty penny.
They need to manufacture an attachment or something for people with short fingers and small hands.

'They' - Schreiber & many makers - are only interested in selling bassoons!

As I said in my first post on this topic a competent repair technician will be able to make some relatively cheap modifications to help you. It is easy to convert the wing joint ring key to be a covered hole with an extension to reduce the spread between fingers 3 & 4. Also by removing the Bb trill key - between fingers 3&4 right hand - (Do not let him keep the key! You might decide later on to revert to a standard set up) the 'G' key can be re-aligned as can the F, F# & G# ones a bit to reduce the stretch for 4 & 5. If done in a sensible way this is easily reversible quicker than to do it in the first place.

Extending the wing joint touchpieces for the left thumb is also possible quite cheaply on most instruments.

Do you know of a place I could send my bassoon to to have this done if I wish?
There is no bassoon repairman in my area, and I wouldn't trust my music teacher to do something like that.

Can't help on that one - I live on a different continent!

*hehe*
By the way, thanks for all the help. Who knows, maybe someday there will be finger extension surgery for those so vertically challenged as I.