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(Kate)
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I`m not really a bassoon player, but I`ve played and I`m a professional clarinetist. As far as tonguing goes, you should basically be tonguing tip to tip (not quite, but close). You`re probably tonguing too far back right now, and too heavily. This will cause a "thah" sound, as well as inaccuracy and slow speed. Take your bocal (with reed) in hand, and hold it straight, as it would be when you were playing. Begin a tone, then touch your tongue (just the slightest bit back from the tip) to the tip of the reed (it`s okay, with a double reed, to use the tongue kind of as a valve, though you really only need to stop the vibrations). Move your tongue slowly back and forth, making sure you use as little of the tongue as possible, and paying careful attention to how your tongue is hitting the reed. Try to make it as consistent as possible. Continue this slow practice (bocal only) until you feel more confident with your tonguing. Make sure you keep your embouchure as steady as possible during this phase.
After that, begin practicing with your entire instrument. Play slow scales, and tongue purposefully (but lightly) between each pitch. Keep your breath support; it will aid in tonguing immensely (your breath support is right when you can feel the "tightness" in your lower abdomen, and when you can maintain a steady, correct pitch and decent tone on the instrument). As you get used to your new way of tonguing and it becomes more automatic for you, start working on some music you already know. Make sure you`re still thinking about your tongue.
Within a few days, you`ll find that you no longer have to think about your tongue very much, but it sounds much better and is much more consistent.
All of that said, feel free to email me if you have any more questions. Also, I recommend you get a private teacher if you`re serious about the bassoon (particularly since your band director knows nothing, though he SHOULD, if he went to college and paid attention).
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