Bassoon

From assembling your first joint to your first etudes — work through it in order, or jump to wherever you are today.

  1. Videos and PDF resources for a better understanding of bassoon assembly, performance posture, and fundamental bassoon hand position.

  2. Exercises and tips to improve musical breathing, with video and PDF material to build healthy breathing habits for performance.

  3. Double-reed embouchure: how to form your lips and jaw around the reed for a rich, resonant tone.

  4. Enable your microphone, then play each note and hold it steady until the trainer glows green. Five levels, each with a wider range and a longer hold.

  5. Navigate the staff and identify notes and fingerings — use the tool to hide note names or fingerings, or play the game to test your knowledge of note-to-key relationships.

  6. How to tongue cleanly on the reed for articulate playing.

  7. Rhythm fundamentals with playable exercises.

  8. Tetrachord, Major/Minor, Chromatic, Pentatonic, Whole Tone, and Blues Scales + Arpeggios — with multiple octaves, playback, and fingerings.

  9. First Songscoming soon

    Recommended repertoire and melodies for beginner bassoonists to learn — lists of songs from method books, some public-domain downloadable content, and recommended books of familiar tunes to easily jumpstart your journey navigating the instrument through musical lines.

  10. Recordings and examples from professional bassoonists, by genre.

  11. Reed Maintenancecoming soon

    Reed soaking, bocal care, joint sealing, and key oiling.

  12. Standard orchestral excerpt reference.

  13. Concertos, chamber works, and solos to work toward.

  14. Links and tools to practice reading music fluently.