Hello all,
My name is bill I live in Aurora IL,Im 33 years old and NEVER did anything music related in high school(mostly beacuse I was home schooled). I have a bunch of family on my wifes side and other friends that are into jazz playing(sax,trumpet,piano,drums,guitar,bass) and I really would like to get into thier scene.
I was looking through a Woodwind & Brasswind catalog and thought the bassoon looked cool, and after some web scearching and music listining decided that that sounded like my personality if you get my meaning.I love its sound.
Now here is where I get into trouble, Im sure I can score a nice bassoon on Ebay or wherever, but Im still trying to find a place to take lessons,and I was told its a very hard instrument to learn.Do I need to start on a diffrent instrument and work up to the bassoon? Or can I get one and find a teacher and go for it?
Thanks for the help in advance!
Bill

You are fine.
Find a good teacher and get going.

Many people will tell you to start on another instrument and that Bassooon is difficult. Most bassoon players did start on another instrument. But, the reason is Bassoon is heavy and requires well developed lungs. Because of this it is not a primary choice for young children or young teenagers. As you get older your body is better able to hadnle it. You being 33 should not have a problem with the lungs or the size or weight of the bassoon.

DO DO DO find a teacher. You will totoally frustrate yourself if you try to learn it on your own.

Thanks for the reply and encouragement.I figured the weight was a big part, and I can handle that. The double reed though, I have been told is a little tricky.Any thoughts on the double reed? Im sure there is a technique to it and lung power is a must.

I go along with the previous reply.

Do try & find a bassoon teacher or players before buying an instrument, especially on E-bay, as you can get stuck with an old high pitch bassoon, one that is so old it doesn't have all the keys considered essential these days or is a French system (Many of those advertised come into the high pitch category as well) A lot of teachers won't know how to teach French system - Different fingering, sound & reed requirement.

Also there are a lot of unknown brands being advertised new - most of these are of Chinese origin & most of these are dreadful.

Go for it & have fun!

I second everyone else who has advised you to get a teacher. For an instrument, rather than start on eBay, where you can get a good bassoon but you can also get a real clunker (and how do you tell the difference at your stage?), I would go with either one of Fox's polypropolene models, which can go outside in the damp weather, etc., with no problems and which do not cost an arm and a leg to start, or consider a Takeda, which we have all talked about and have pooh-poohed on this and other forums, but which have been upgraded recently. See this site for a recent discussion http://www.doublereed.org/IDRSBBS/viewtopic.php?id=2463

Both the Fox previously mentioned and the Takeda would lower your initial cost and get you into bassooning.

The teacher and the reeds are another story!

Since you live in Aurora, you are super close to 1000000 bassoonists in Chicago. There are many fine players who would be willing to teach. Some good ones may even already drive out there to teach. For example, you could start by asking any of the bassoonists in the Chicago Civic Orchestra. They are young players often looking for students, or would know who would be willing to take on a beginner student.