I have been playing bassoon for about 9 months and I`ve been teaching myself. Before I started playing bassoon I played claritnet so you might want to find someone to help you

i have been playing the bassoon for a little over a year. it is my school`s instrument but i have been teaching myself because i don`t know of anybody who can play it. It is not that hard to teach yourself, i think, then again i haven`t seen any one else play, so i don`t know if i am actually doing it properely. It sounds OK anyway.

mention was made about clefs for bassoon music. as a bassoon major at a major university, i was required to read treble, bass, and several alto clefs all on the same piece. please note that this rarely occurs, and usually bass clef is enough.

ref: Clefs -
You would only really be required to learn bass clef and tenor - these are the two usually used for bassoon music. Tenor is used for higher music - most 1st bassoon orchestral parts would require tenor clef and some 2nd bassoon parts go into tenor clef. Only french scores use treble clef for high bassoon music so you would only really be asked to use this if you were likely to play any of the 20th century orchestral repetoire. The alto clef is not used for bassoon music - i would be very, very surprised to see any bassoon part with alto clef.

I have been the bassoon for about 6 weeks (my band director had me switch after playing the oboe for 1 school year). I have had no problem learning the fingerings and reading bass clef but what I`m having problems with is volume change. I guess I hadn`t really leaned this on the oboe either. My mom keeps trying to explain/show me how to change volume but I don`t seem to get the hang of it. Can anyone explain it yo me in a different way?

I recently started playing bassoon (in like august), but I had played flute first for about 5 yrs. It is a difficult instrument, but its so easy when you get used to it, and to tell you the truth, i think it helped my embouchure and sound. the reason why is because it made me use more air and made my mouth more relaxed. th fingerings are difficult at first until you learn the patterns. Bass clef wasn`t to hard to learn, but I am in music theory as well.
My suggestion is to get a private teacher.

If you all think Bassoon is hard, might i suggest you try the clarinet, because other than the oboe, i have tried most woodwind instruments comonly available. I play Clarinet, Saxophone, a bit of flute, and am now teaching myself bassoon...it really is not a big deal that you all are learning bassoon, there are a lot of people out there who are. all though might i ask what this wierd 3.2 and 4.1 grading thing is, i`m british and i still don`t get it our ABRSM system is a very easy 1-8 grading.

Yeah, well i play the Flute and have picked up the Bassoon a few months ago. what i`ve learned is that you won`t wreck your embochure for flute by bassoon unless you`ve been playing it for days without playing flute at all. I learnt bassoon for three half days and without learning for any longer im now in a grade 2 level band...i found it pretty easy once you know the notes. i still dont have a teacher though. go for it guys!!! you can do it if you put your mind to it!!!!

i played many many insterments not keeping with the same one for very long and when i tried to play the bassoon it was pretty easy i tought myself because my band director at the time didnt know how to play it so i learned it all by myself and it was pretty easey and its a fun interment to play! people would ask do you really play that and i would say yea! they are amazed at all the buttone that you have to play with just your thumb but really if you practice its pretty easy and it is a beautiful sound! so i wish you good luck!

hey guys. im starting the bassoon in about 1 week and all i know is treble clef...and i play the drums....am i screwed?

LOL, You`re not screwed, with base clef, you just read it two tones or four semi-tones down. For instance if you read a `c` in treble cleff, it would look like an `a` in the treble cleff but it would be read as a `c`

I hope you get it, if not it is really easy if someone shows you.

Good Luck at your lessoon. I started bassoon 2-3 months ago and now I`m a grade 3!!!!!! Good Luck