When I play, after about a line of music, my reed will start seriously clicking. I correct this by quickly sucking the water out of the reed (gross, I know), but this only lasts for, as I said, 1 line. Do you know any ways that I can keep the reed from clicking while retaining moisture?

Thanks

Hi,
Don`t worry about being gross sucking the water out of your reed - I just came back from a chamber concert and the bassoon player there did it every time she had a break in the music. I don`t know why you should get so much moisture in the reed, tho. Maybe as you play more and get more experienced, it will diminish. I often have to take my reed off and blow into the bocal hard to get the moisture out, but not so much the reed itself. Maybe someone else has some ideas.

AT least she did it every break. I think its unusual only becuase I have to sock the water from the reed into my mouth every line of music. If I wait longer, its clicks can be heard throughout my whole house where I practice, with my room`s door closed. Is this usual? Any ideas?

Take the reed off the bocal. Then close all the holes on the bassoon(like your playing an F) and blow into the bocal. You can also blow into the reed from the bottom, near the knot.

Maybe your clicking isn`t from your reed, but trapped water in your bassoon. Put all your fingers down on the holes, blowing the whole time, and lift them up one by one until you find the click. Then blow hard into that hole.

Yes, bassoon player`s idea is a good one - to try and find which hole might be collecting water (if indeed it is that). Moisture often runs out my left top finger hole and sometimes the others, too. Sometimes I lean down and blow out the individual finger holes during rehearsal, but you have to be kind of a yoga expert to do this!

Hi Kevin,
I just tried a different reed the other day, and guess what? It clicked, just like you said yours did. So now I`m thinking it IS the reed, not anything else, since I have a few reeds and not one of the others does this.

Ya, I tried holding the fingers down and blowing water out but it didn`t work. (ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES THIS DOES HAPPEN! WHEN THAT DOES HAPPEN IT WILL BLURP REPEATEDLY)

My reedshave very tight openings, and I like them being really moist, Might these be factors in their clicking?

Thanks

>My reedshave very tight openings, and I like them being >really moist, Might these be factors in their clicking?

I`ll bet you put your finger on it. Don`t know what the answer is, tho.