Currently teaching myself bassoon, although I do intend to find a teacher over the summer.

The reed I have is medium soft and while it is great for low - mid range notes I find it hard to get above a the D above middle C. I am intending to do Grade 3 in the autumn and need to get up to a G.

So my question is will a medium reed be hard enough or do I need to go up more than one step. And yes I know a teacher would sort this out for me, I`d jujst like the reed sorted so we can concentrate on a the other bad habits I will no doubt have developed!

The harder a reed you can get, the easier it will be to go higher....

Your reed also may be too open, when I say that I`m referring to the "()" shape as if you were looking at it sideways... If there is more than a little bit under 1/8" of an inch between each of the top and bottom reeds then it is open too much, a common situation where the low notes (from double BBb to the next Bb) will come out brilliantly but above that next to nothing...

To fix that, soak the reed thouroughly in water for 15 minutes (no less, the reed must be thoroughly saturated), then get a pair of pliers, and very lightly squeeze the wire closest to the playing end of the reed, to close it very slightly....

You may have to experiment to find the exact working position, but that should fix it... Be careful, the reeds are very easy to split down the center...

2 Important things to remember when adjusting a reed...

1) The reed must be thoroughly saturated with water, spit will NOT work. If the reed is not wet all the way through it will crack immediately with even the least amount of pressure...

2) Never mess with the wire towards the turks knot (the thread). It should never be adjusted, it is there to keep the reed`s cylindrical shape towards the back so it will correctly go onto the bocal..

Hope that helps,

Alex

Thanks very much. I`ll try that with the reed I have and then get a slightly harder one for comparison. I never knew how easy I had it as a flute player! Just wait until I see me professional development mentor who came up with this bassoon idea. Although secretly I`m really enjoying it - I love a new challenge!