Surprise, surprise a newbie on the forum and not a question about which bassoon to buy or help with the instrument. (I already know what bassoon I plan on getting, Fox Model I.)

So what's your story on how you came across the bassoon and decided to play it?

For me it was six years ago back in grade seven. I never played any other instrument before and I thought it was the coolest instrument because I heard it in Peter and the Wolf. My band teacher however had no idea how to play it so I was given this book of fingerings and was told I was on my own. Of course I developed horrible habits like clamping up on the reed but when I entered High School I attended many workshops and worked with professionals there and I’ve been studying privately for two years now. Now I’m attending University in the Fall to study Music.

A success story! Good for you for persevering and getting good tutors for yourself. Sounds like it paid off.

I, too, started bassoon in grade 7 (many, many more years ago than 6) but I switched from clarinet. We all started out either on clarinet, flute, or trumpet, then got switched as the need arose or the ability seemed there.

I started bassoon in June at the end of 7th grade. I started out playing clarinet in 5th grade, tried trumpet for a while in 6th, then wanted to do something different. My band director is primarily an oboist so she suggested oboe. I really wanted to play bassoon, but she had an oboe(plastic...not a good experience) available so I took lessons in 7th. She also said that I should play oboe for a little bit if I wanted to play bassoon. I don't remember how I found out what a basson was, but I wanted to play it really bad. So in June after 7th grade, we found out that a family friend played bassoon in college and would let me use it for free. So thats how I started to play bassoon.

End of story.

Hey hey hey everybody! I'm back!

Anyway, the story on how I got started with bassoon is pretty simple. I went to a private middle school which didn't have an excellent music program, so I didn'tknow about many instruments. My friend did play clarinet, So, I decided to pick up clarinet. When I started high school, around concert season, I found out my assistant clarinet section leader was a wonderful bassoonist. Also, my band director made an announcement that we were running low on trombones players for next year, so he was starting trombone classes for those who wanted to switch. Also, at the time, he had a student teacher under his wing. I asked the student teacher about the classes, and he told me about them, but also that since I was such a good clarinetist, they may not want me switching to trombone, so I should try to stay away from it. I really wanted to switch to another instrument, and upon hearing his reply, I got upset. So, as a joke I said to myself "Fine! I'm switching to bassoon!" Then I started looking into it, and it seemed really cool. I talked to the bassoonist at my school, my band director, and to make a long story short (too late), I'm now beginning my 3rd year on bassoon.

Maybe my story wasn't so simple...

omg everybody starts playing bassoon in 7th grade How weird is that cause i did to.(well i just got out of 7th grade so im a beginner)

I'm actually a preccusionist in the school band but from there i started to learn so many instruments after i learned flute clarinet seaxaphone viola guitar french horn trombone and bagpipes but my newest instrument is the bassoon and i think im going to stick with bassoon as my main instrument for life



I have to choose which one i want to play for life anyway or my parents wont want me playing music

The reason you see most players say they started in 7th grade is that traditionally the age to start someone on bassoon is 13 or 14, because by this time they are able to handle the weight and their hands are big enough to reach the keys. Nowadays there are bassoons for smaller people and smaller hands, but not many schools would invest in one of these since students would eventually switch to a bigger instrument anyway.

i came across bassoon in 6th grade...2006 and began playing just this year 2008, 8th grade, and i have found it really odd... in a way, it was different than all of the other instruments. i was nervous at first, but it was extremely easy to pick up for me... i like bassoon because of its great sound, but i really thought it had some pretty cool solos. but so far i only had a solo,recreated by our teacher because we dont have a tuba or trombone in our band, in rhapsody in blue...

s a freshman I saw and heard the bassoon, and It sounded so nice, so I decided that I would try it when the senior who was playing was done! I am now entering grade ten, and after touching the bassoon and playing it, I am in love! I have ever since been teaching myself it! I crave the fox 660, 601, II, or I

It took a long time...
I started with the recorder in school when I was about 9. I moved on to the oboe at 12 and stuck with that until 18 - but my first (and very good) teacher left, and her replacement only wanted me to do baroque concerti. At 16 and 17, there's only so much Albinoni you can take; and when I turned up for a lesson one day with the Vaughan Williams concerto, he looked at it very much as if it might bite.
I put my oboe away eventually, mostly because I could never come to terms with the reeds; and later sold it and bought a flute, which kept me busy for quite a while and meant I could play in a street band. Then I stopped again, because I could never make it sound the way I wanted.
I thought that was it, but when I reached my 50s (yes, really!) I got itchy fingers again and I knew only a bassoon would do. I was lucky enough to get a bit of help, and somehow the good luck and the money came together at the right time and I was able to acquire a Kohlert, which is almost as old as I am - heavy keywork, but a very nice sound. And it was worth it, because we just feel right together; and all that time on the oboe left me with plenty of relevant technique.
Any other very late starters out there?