- When selecting a bassoon reed, look for bilateral symmetry and a tip opening of approximately 1.5 millimeters
- Squeezing the first wire narrows the opening and reduces resistance, while spreading it widens the opening; adjusting the second wire can lighten the overall playing feel
- A reed that produces a buzzy, crow-like "jar" sound (the crow) when blown on its own is a resonant, high-quality reed
In bassoon playing, the reed is the most critical interface for translating your musical intentions into sound. However, a reed purchased at a music store or ordered online will not always be a perfect match for you. Common frustrations such as "it's too heavy and won't accept air" or "the tone becomes thin" can often be resolved simply by understanding the criteria for reed selection and making minor adjustments. Learning what professional players look for when choosing a reed—and how they customize a difficult reed to suit their preferences—is a major step forward in your bassoon development. This article focuses on simple adjustment techniques that require no specialized tools, walking you through a concrete process for achieving your ideal playing feel. Let's develop the eye for identifying the reed that is right for you.
The first thing to examine when selecting a reed is its bilateral symmetry. Look at the reed straight on from the front and check whether the left and right sides are evenly shaped. A warped reed is prone to unstable vibration, which negatively affects both intonation and tone quality. Next, check the tip opening. The ideal opening width is approximately 1.5 millimeters. If the opening is too wide, the reed will feel extremely heavy to blow; if it is too narrow, the tone will sound choked. Even if the reed you purchased falls outside this standard, there is no need to give up. By using pliers or your fingers to make fine adjustments to the wire wound around the reed, you can dramatically improve its playability. Squeezing the first wire from the sides widens the opening, while squeezing it from the top narrows it. Additionally, by adjusting the second wire you can control the overall resistance, finding the sweet spot where the reed responds most easily and produces the richest sound.
An essential step in evaluating your adjustments is learning to listen for the "crow." Without attaching the reed to the instrument, place it fairly deep in your mouth and blow. If only a thin "peep" sound comes out, the reed likely lacks sufficient resonance. A good reed will produce a buzzy, multi-toned sound often compared to the caw of a crow—something like a rough "jar" or "zaza" sound. A reed that crows well will efficiently transfer your air energy into the instrument body when attached, producing a rich tone that fills the entire hall. The key to success is to use your index finger to locate the point where the crow sounds, and to repeat your adjustments until the reed crows easily with a light airstream. With this foundational knowledge in hand, let us move on to a practical routine for further refining the precision of your playing.
Refining Your Articulation: A Practice Routine for Developing Ideal Attacks
Once you have a reed adjusted to your liking, the next step is to use it to refine your articulation—the way you shape the beginning and end of each note. On the bassoon, achieving a clean attack depends on both the responsiveness of the reed and the player's technique working in harmony. Use the following routine to develop ideal attacks and releases.
- ① [Crow Check] Confirm that the reed easily produces a buzzy, crow-like sound on its own, and perform a final check to ensure the reed responds evenly across all registers.
- ② [Mid-Range Long Tones] On a note around F in the bass clef, practice attacking with a relaxed tongue using the syllable "du," repeating until no noise contaminates the initial attack.
- ③ [Coordinating with Wire Adjustments] If staccato feels heavy, slightly squeeze the second wire to reduce resistance and verify that the reed follows lighter tongue movements.
- ④ [Full-Range Scales] Play scales from the low register to the high register on the adjusted reed, listening critically to ensure articulation clarity is maintained across all registers.
In closing, the skill of reed selection and adjustment is a powerful asset that supports your musicality. No matter how wonderful your musical ideas may be, if the reed that gives them voice is not functioning properly, you cannot convey your message to the audience. Time spent working with your reeds is also time spent redefining your "ideal sound." The joy of playing the bassoon—a complex and fascinating instrument—deepens through these small acts of careful maintenance. Rather than adapting yourself to a mass-produced reed, continue the effort of making the reed feel like an extension of your own body. That very process will lend a professional brilliance to your playing. Take your finest reed with you, step onto the stage with confidence, and share the wonderful voice of the bassoon with the world.
Watch the Lesson Video
- Title: Bassoon Reed Selection and Basic Adjustment: Checkpoints for Achieving Your Ideal Sound
- Instrument: fagott
- Level: Beginner
