One of the biggest hurdles for intermediate bassoon players is mastering the technique of flicking. When playing in the tenor register (the range around and above the top of the staff), failing to properly operate the small group of keys above the left thumb results in the bassoon's characteristic "cracking" phenomenon and unclear attacks. While most method books only touch on flicking briefly, professional players apply this technique with great precision on every single note. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive explanation covering the fundamental reasons why flicking is necessary, how to select the correct key for each note, and the key points to keep in mind during practice.

The Importance of Flicking on the Bassoon: Why You Need to Press That Key

Due to the bassoon's construction, certain notes in the tenor register have inherently unstable overtones that make it difficult for the fundamental pitch to speak clearly with standard fingerings alone. For example, when playing tenor A, briefly tapping (flicking) the A key with the thumb, or pressing it simultaneously with the attack and releasing it immediately, helps regulate the airflow inside the bore and assists with a clean onset. Neglecting this causes the tone to sound muffled or unintentionally produces a lower partial. Similarly, for Bb, B, and C, using the appropriate flick keys enables smoother slurred leaps and prevents the pitch from sagging. This is essential knowledge for truly making the bassoon "speak."

Practical Checklist: Key Operations for Each Register

Here we clarify the objectives and focal points for stabilizing key operations across each register of the bassoon. The bassoon is an instrument where even slight tension or angular misalignment directly affects tone color, intonation, and articulation consistency. That is precisely why it is important to understand in words what needs to be adjusted to change the result, rather than repeating exercises aimlessly. The following checklist allows you to verify posture, support, finger placement, and other elements one by one, helping you identify areas prone to breakdown at an early stage. Whenever you feel uncertain during practice, return to the perspective offered in this section and make adjustments by connecting your physical state with the changes in your sound.

• Tenor A: Are you tapping the A key at the moment the tongue releases the reed to achieve a clean attack?
• Slurs on Bb, B, and C: Are you selecting the appropriate B key or Bb key so that the sound is neither interrupted nor muddied?
• Tenor D: Are you using the D key, which is often omitted from fingering charts, to correct pitch and tone color?
• Timing of key release: After assisting the attack, check that your finger is not lingering on the key too long and compromising the tone.

In actual performance, such as the famous bassoon solo in Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi," extremely busy flicking is required. Here, it is necessary to know precisely which key to flick for each note and to train until the fingers move automatically. The use of the D key for the note D in particular is something many players tend to overlook, but employing it stabilizes the pitch and sharpens the definition of the tone. Depending on the individual instrument, it may be better to hold the key down continuously or to touch it only for an instant, so it is important to listen carefully to the resonance of your own bassoon and determine the optimal timing.