I think that I really want to play the bassoon. I can't buy one at the time and no one will rent for me. i've been playing clarinet and piano now and i'm not the best. i think i can get a bassoon from my school. i'm really busy with practices and homework right now, but if i work my schedule the right way, i can practice all three instruments and do my homework...should i? is it worth it?

Yes. Go for it. I'm sure you won't look back.

But I'd say to do it at a more convenient time.

Question--why would a director encourage some people to switch over to other instruments and then discourage others? when i mentioned bassoon to my director he gave me look as if to say "Why in the world would you want to play a bassoon?" if you ask me, i'm kind of getting the feeling that neither he (nor the assistant director) want me to switch over from clarinet. but i heard him once before tell a flute player that she could play anything she wanted to play.

When I first started my music teacher was like "Awesome! Noone's played that thing at this school in about 8years!", and then she moved schools and when we got the new music teacher the new one was like "do you want to change back to clarinet again? It's a better instrument".

I hate her.

it really just seems to me like none of the other band members even want me to switch over. one of the flutists said "no, we need good clarinetists." we have clarinetists who are good enough and we'll have more (because everyone wants to play clarinet). our only two bassoonists will have graduated very soon.

i believe that the bassoon is the best instrument in the world, the only problem is, we are a minority, when i got my bassoon, i was lucky that i had the current teacher at my school with the contacts to get me it. then when he left there was a year 8 that wanted to play and he got shoved onto clarinet, i have since spoken with him and i said when i leave, he can have mine that i was renting. all i can say is, once a bassoonist , always a bassoonist.

my director is going to let me play. only problem is, when he went to get it for me, he only found the one that is in serious need of repair. one of the bassoonists has already offered to teach me how to play...but i have no bassoon TO play. i know i can't buy one, so i'm looking to rent one, but i only found one store that rents them, and my parents don't want to pay the price for it.

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also...Amati, is it ok as a bassoon?

Sorry for double posting, but I'm thinking about renting a bassoon for about 3 months to really secure my feelings for wanting to play. After that, if I buy one (which I think is really going to become possible now), I need to know what kind I should buy. I don't want to end up like my clarinet (I got a student clarinet only to discover that now, I should get a new wood one for a good sound).

The bassoonist at my school told me that a plastic bassoon is really bad and can't do anything. If this is the case, then I (not knowing anything about it) don't want a plastic one. Basically, I want to buy one and be able to keep it for a long time.

ANYWAY-what I'm really looking at are these: Fox II, Fox III, Fox Renards 220 and 240, Amati ABN41S and ABN81S.

Can any of you say anything about these bassoons?

Fox III is a plastic model, but don't let that scare you off, it could be one of the biggest bargains on the bassoon market. Fox does not label this a "Renard" so in their eyes it is a professional model. See their web site for information about plastic and wood models.

Does anyone know anyplace where I could rent a bassoon, in the Los Angeles county area. My school doesn't have any and won't have one for another month.

I probably should wait that month, but I'm really trying to get my hand on one. Problem is, if I do rent, then i'm required to keep it for three months. since i'm already in my high school band and there will be middle schoolers coming that already play, i don't want my director to give out all of the bassoons and not have one left for me.

Hehe my time with the bassoon has been a blast. I'd always looked at it since 5th grade (when we're first introduced to band and shown instruments) but I was told it would be too difficult and took up saxophone. Once 8th grade rolled around I remembered it and my instructor also gave me one of those infamous "What? Oh that thing" looks. I ended up spending 1/2 an hour dusting off the thing lol.

About how long after you've played bassoon, do you know that it's time to buy one?

hi, i just got the school bassoon to learn over summer break, but i have a few questions, since i know nothing.

first, the long and tenor joints aren't going into the boot completely, so does this mean that corks need to be greased or something? there's also these thread-like things where the corks would be. and also, should both joints be put into the boot together, or one first then the next?

sorry if these questions sound...uh...stupid. but i'm really excited about playing the bassoon, and i wanna get started asap. thanks!

Yes, the corks should be greased- the thread is common to have on the bassoon instead of cork. Put in one joint at a time.

i've just heard that if you put one joint in at a time, you may possibly damage something and i'm trying to stay away from that.

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sooooo...put grease on the thread?