Hi. have looked through the first 15 pages of the forum and can't find anything so hope I'm not repeating a thread here.

Have been playing bassoon for about four months - am clarinet player and decent sax player. have been working hard to make sure my tone is equal through range and am confident of fingerings - as the temptation is when you can read notes is to run before you can walk.

Anyway. Question - how do I go about achieving dynamics? mostly I am tending to produce what is probably mf/mp. Tone is okay, but cannot get louder!!!

Is this a reed issue do you think?(coming from humble single reed circles this double reed thing is still pretty new to me and v confusing.)

I love the bassoon, and am so lucky to have been given one. But if I am stuck at one dynamic I can see the interest beginning to pale somewhat.

Thanks everyone, hope you have some ideas because I am stuck.

At best the bassoon is capable of a limited range of dynamics, achieving a real forte is a challenge but soft dynamics down to a whisper should be achievable. If you are a relative newcomer and using mass produced reeds, much of your difficulty is likely to be reed related.

Best advice, find yourself a teacher who can help you with reed adjustment.

Thanks. Thought it probably was.

Can't afford a teacher right now, was hoping to get the basics underway then get lessons - might just have to settle for a change of reed right now. I think softer might do it.

Thanks again.