I play Bass Clarinet and I was wondering if it would be hard to try the Bassoon. I already tried the Oboe but it was a little hard to play because of the slow exhaustion of used air. I also found it difficult to trace a fingering pattern for it bacause I only had one weekend to practice before the music teacher took back my reed.
I am not used to concert pitch music due to frequency of flats and sharps in beginning music.

Is the breathing for the Bassoon easier than the Oboe?
Is there a pattern for note fingerings?
Would the flats be easier to deal with the Bassoon because it is a bass instrument?

Hi Raj,
Yes, I think the bassoon is a bit easier on the "used air" thing than the oboe. First of all, the reed is bigger; also you`re needing more air to fill the bigger horn. So it would be more like a bass clarinet in that regard.

Fingerings - maybe a little more like the clarinet but just a fifth off. But once you get the hang of the pattern it`s easy like the clarinet. In the middle and lower registers there`s no goofy fingerings - just lift up one finger and get the next note. It`s only when you get up high that things start to get strange.

thanks

I play clarinet and bassoon. Learning the bassoon is a challenge regardless of what instrument you are switching from. Every instrument is a challenge. Just practice practice practice. Its hard to not fall in love with playing the bassoon (in my opinion), so practicing will or should be enjoyable. Get good reeds.

Switching from bass clarinet to bassoon will help because you will be used to hearing the lower pitches. When I first started playing I had a hard time listening to intonation on the lower pitches because I was used to the higher pitch of clarinet. Its easier and more common to play in flats on bassoon.

Enjoy and have fun!