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Bassoon Master Class

Michael Burns
 THE DOUBLE REED
Response Issues on the Bassoon
Cracking Low Notes, Cracking High Notes, Bocal Flex - Voicing - Foghorn Effect
Michael J. Burns
Greensboro, North Carolina
T
he bassoon is a unique instrument with a
characteristically quirky and idiosyncratic
sound. In terms of modern instrument de-
velopment it also is something of a dinosaur, lagging
behind the other woodwinds in acoustical develop-
ments by centuries in certain aspects. Therefore, the
bassoon has some intrinsic issues associated with its
acoustical design that lead to response issues. A com-
mon term for one form of response issue is “crack-
ing” and that is what I would like to deal with in this
article.
“Cracking”, a defi nition - my definition of cracking
on the bassoon is: When an extraneous or non-musi-
cal sound is created when attempting to execute a note
on the bassoon.
Which notes can “crack” on the bassoon?
There are some who might answer ‘all of them’ and
any note on the bassoon can be mishandled in such
a way that an extraneous noise is produced but I be-
lieve that the answer can be narrowed down further
and categorized as follows:
• ½ hole notes: [Fs, G, and Af at the top of the bass
clef staff and G and Af an octave higher (also the
Fs in the higher octave with some fingerings)]
• Flicking register notes: the notes at the top of the
staff and immediately above it that overblow an
octave to the first harmonic partial-A, B f, B, C,
D—not Cs in this register for reasons that will be
explained later
• High register notes: from F above middle C and
up. These notes all tend to be produced with a fin-
gering which derives a higher harmonic partial.
• Low register notes: those notes in the range ex-
tending from low E down to low B f. These are
definitely fundamental pitches.
27 ResponseBass.indd 71
71
What does “cracking” sound like?
There are many variants to the sounds and it depends
on which register is being attempted, but it may be
a growl, squeak, grunt, cough, croak, multiphonic,
split-octave, incorrect partial (another actual note),
howl, etc. Often it occurs just at the beginning of a
note and then disappears (see below for a possible ex-
planation) but sometimes it lasts the duration of the
note.
What causes “cracking?”
Here is where the categorization from above becomes
useful. These different registers may each have differ-
ent causes of notes that may crack.
• In the ½ holing register, players must adjust and
pivot the left hand index finger to create three dif-
ferent sized ‘½ holes,’ The Fs requires the largest
ARTICLES
opening with about ⅔ to ¾ of the hole uncovered.
G is more or less a true ½ hole while Af requires
a much smaller opening and I describe it as a ¼
hole. Incidentally, I also use the same size open-
ings for the octave higher G and Af respectively.
A couple of distinct types of “cracking” can oc-
cur when a ½ hole note is mishandled: When the
opening is not large enough a low pitch usually
will ensue—a growl, split octave, or if you are
lucky just the correct note an octave low. When
too much of the hole is uncovered a high pitch re-
sults creating a squeak or multiphonic. Th is tends
to happen mostly on the Af and G as the Fs hole
size is already so large.
• In the flicking register, notes crack because the
desired first harmonic partial is not sounding
correctly. Debate continues in the bassoon world
about how best to address this issue. Some man-
date speaker key usage either by touching and re-
leasing a speaker key at the start of each relevant
12/11/07 7:49:10 PM
 72 RESPONSE ISSUES ON THE BASSOON
note (this is often referred to as ‘fl icking’), or by
holding the speaker key for the duration of the
note (sometimes called ‘venting’); others advo-
cate no flicking or venting as they feel that they
can potentially alter the tone and intonation of
the notes in question in an undesirable way and
instead advocate altering the equipment setup
(reed, bocal, instrument) or the player’s execu-
tion (see ‘voicing’ below);
Arthur Weisberg, a bassoon professor at
Indiana University in Bloomington has been de-
veloping over the past several years the ‘no-fl ick
system bassoon’ which can be read about and or-
dered from his website www.futurebassoon.com.
It consists of a somewhat complicated mecha-
nism to automatically vent these notes with newly
drilled holes and an automatic octave system.
Cs is generally not included as a fl icking or
venting note as the Cs key employed whether
using a ‘long’ (fingerings including both left and
right hand) or ‘short’ (left hand only) fingering
itself acts in a similar manner to a vent key. The
note is therefore usually stable enough to not re-
quire flicking and also the left thumb is already
occupied anyway!
• High register notes tend to crack because a lower
ARTICLES
partial sounds instead of the desired one, usually
at the beginning of the note only but sometimes
for the duration. Therefore, the sound is most of-
ten a lower than desired pitch and may sound like
a grunt or growl. To address this I advocate “bo-
cal flex”—see below.
• Low register notes tend to crack because a higher
partial sounds instead of the desired fundamen-
tal, usually at the beginning of the note only but
sometimes for the duration. Therefore the sound
is most often a higher sound. I also address this
by learning about and using “bocal flex.” In the
low register this means ensuring that the bocal is
NOT flexed upwards.
How do you prevent “cracking” on the bassoon?
Again, it depends on what caused it and therefore to a
large extent, which register is being attempted.
• In the ½ holing register, care must be taken to
learn and use the correct ½ hole size for each
respective pitch. I strongly advocate learning to
pivot or roll the index fi nger to create the open-
ing rather than sliding the finger. By pivoting,
the player can learn to control the angle that the
finger makes at the fi rst knuckle and can recre-
27 ResponseBass.indd 72
ate the perfect ½ hole size more readily time after
time.
• In the flicking register, I advocate learning to
flick or vent for all of my students but must admit
that I do not use these techniques exclusively. I
like to address equipment possibilities, especially
reed setup and another technique that I strong-
ly advocate is learning to correctly “voice” the
pitches.
By voicing I mean a couple of related things:
1. manipulating the size and shape of the opening
in the oral cavity (particularly tongue position)
by creating different vowel sounds. Th is can in-
fluence response, tone, and intonation in various
ways. 2. actually moving the vocal chord appara-
tus in a way similar to (perhaps even the same as)
when singing different pitches. I can demonstrate
this. If I sing an A in the bass clef staff and then
an octave higher A, there is some sort of motion
inside my throat (presumably the vocal chords?)
in a distinct upward manner and to a defi nite lo-
cation, the location for the A is one place, a B f, Af
or any other note all have different (but distinct)
locations. This motion is also somewhat visible
externally because of the motion of my Adam’s
apple. Now, when I play those same octave A’s on
the bassoon when I play them properly seemingly
the exact same motion occurs and I feel that my
vocal chords are traveling to that same distinct
location as where I sang the upper A.
When I execute this properly on my regular
bassoon setup I can get the note to sound clearly
without any cracking. Likewise with the B f and
the other notes in the flicking register. There-
fore, I feel it would be hypocritical to require my
students to flick or vent exclusively when I may
not always do so myself. Instead I have a rule for
them. They are NOT allowed to crack but how
they prevent it is their business. Most of them
still need to flick or vent to be sure of the notes,
but some can occasionally only voice the note
(without fl icking) and still be certain of its clean
response.
One more word about voicing, I have found
with students that if their voice range does not
coincide with the instrument (for example a
natural soprano) that octave displacement of this
technique seems to work. If they voice A octaves
ascending within their own vocal range the prin-
ciple still seems to hold true to make the voicing
work on the bassoon for playing A octaves even
though the range is different between the voicing
12/11/07 7:49:10 PM
 THE DOUBLE REED
and the instrument.
• In the High register, most fingerings are pro-
ducing overblown high harmonic partials. As
mentioned above, cracking occurs when a lower
partial sounds instead of the one desired. Some-
times this can be fi xed by changing to a differ-
ent fingering and there are a myriad of options in
the high register with some notes having a dozen
or more fi ngering possibilities. See the Cooper/
Toplansky Bassoon Technique, or the IDRS Bas-
soon Family Fingering Companion at http://idrs.
colorado.edu/bsnfing/finghome.htm for more
information.
Aside from fingering adjustments, my pri-
mary remedy for this is to use a technique I call
Bocal Flex. Bocal Flex, as the name suggests, in-
volves very slight flexing of the bocal in an up-
wards direction to achieve higher partials and
can be demonstrated by doing the following: Play
a low C and deliberately pull slightly upward with
the lower jaw while not pinching down with the
upper lip and jaw. Keep the embouchure relaxed
and let the upper jaw and lip just rest on top of
the reed as you would for the low C. You should
be able to produce harmonic partials above the
fundamental C. The first partial is an octave C,
the second a 12th G, etc. You are making the bas-
soon act in the way that a brass instrument must
which is to produce multiple harmonic pitches
from a single fingering based on an embouchure
change. Now, the control is most likely not there
to accurately play specific harmonic partials and
either random partials or multiple partials si-
multaneously (multiphonics) may be produced at
first but with practice it is possible to play ‘bugle
calls’ on the bassoon by fi ngering a single low
note and adjusting the amount of bocal flex and/
or embouchure aperture and pressure. Th is ele-
ment of the technique will be discussed further
again below when dealing with low register issues
but I now want to move the demonstration up to
a higher pitch.
Begin with the F third space above the bass
clef staff. Fingering this note deliberately allow
the lower jaw to drop down as if playing a low
register note (like the C from earlier) the bocal
should essentially un-flex and lower down also
and one of two sounds will result: a multiphonic,
or, when you have lowered the jaw sufficiently an
e in the staff with a slightly strange timbre. With
practice, one can go back and forth between
the ‘e’ and the f or even hold on the intervening
73
multiphonic.
How does this help, you may wonder? To
explain I need to give a little history. My first
exposure to this technique was as a student of
William Winstead’s. I was working on the Rite
of Spring beginning solo and having difficulty
consistently getting the first note to respond in
time, in tune, and with an acceptable tone. One
of the things he had me do was come up with a
good fingering, have the tongue on the reed and
prepare the airstream and “pull up on the bocal
until you feel it rise.” When he told me this I at
first thought it was one of the oddest things I had
ever heard and also thought that I would damage
my precious bocal for sure. But, I tried it and, of
course, it helps tremendously and my bocal is still
going strong over a decade later with no signs of
mistreatment.
Now, fast-forward several years and I was in
my current position as the bassoon professor at
the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
One particular week one of those odd coinci-
dences that seem to occur occasionally in teach-
ing happened where several different students all
seemed to be suffering from a similar ailment.
They all were playing pieces that involved some
ARTICLES
kind of exposed entrance on the F above the staff
(e.g. Weber Concerto first movement, first bas-
soon entrance) and all were ‘cracking’ the f with a
grunt or multiphonic sounding at the beginning
of the note in a most audible way. I was puzzled as
to the cause. I tried their bassoons and reeds and
all was fine, I checked their fi ngerings, had them
play on my bassoon and/or reeds, checked the
shape of their embouchures all to no avail. The
problem persisted. Now, one of my favorite teach-
ing techniques is to learn to emulate a student’s
problem so that I can then determine what causes
it and how it can be addressed and fi xed.
So I set to trying to learn how to create this
problem with the F. At first I was unsuccessful
and could not get the note to crack but eventu-
ally I lowered the lower jaw experimentally and
succesfully recreated the problem, producing
the multiphonic or the lower e. It was then that
Winstead’s technique from the Rite of Spring
came back to me and I decided to apply it in this
other context. I also eventually came up with the
term bocal flex for it both because it fairly accu-
rately describes what we are doing and because
it sounds like the name of a product being sold
on a late night infomercial, which appeals to my
 74 RESPONSE ISSUES ON THE BASSOON
sense of humor.
By introducing this concept to all of the stu-
dents concerned, I was able to get them to elimi-
nate the cracking on the f and we also learned
to apply it to several other high register notes.
Now part of the trick is to NOT bite. You lift up
SLIGHTLY on the bottom of the reed with the
lower jaw but do NOT clamp down with the up-
per jaw. Instead it sort of rides upwards slightly
also, maintaining the correct aperture size as op-
posed to narrowing it, but slightly compressing
the bottom blade of the reed and flexing the bocal
upwards gradually and gently.
Another element that I find essential to this
discussion is that one has to learn to separate the
bocal flex and associated jaw position and aper-
ture between the teeth from what happens be-
hind it in the oral cavity. For many high register
notes one must combine bocal flex and a some-
what narrow aperture with an open oral cavity
and low tongue position in order for it to come
out but with low enough pitch.
I now maintain that I cannot correctly play
the F (or perhaps any other higher register note
above it) without using at least some bocal flex
and that I probably had been using it all along
ARTICLES
without realizing it. I dare say that many (most?
All?) other bassoonists probably do likewise.
Bocal flex has now become an essential part
of my teaching technique and seems to bring
much better success and consistency to my stu-
dents. When I have presented the technique in a
masterclass situation it often merits raised eye-
brows and looks of skepticism from participants,
listeners, students, and teachers and I remember
my own first response to Winstead’s suggestion
but I encourage you to try it out for yourselves. I
really think that it works.
• In the Low Register, again several factors can
lead to low notes cracking: A fingering issue may
lead to a tonehole being uncovered and creating
a leak; the instrument may be out of adjustment
and either have pads not covering or the link be-
tween the low C and D key may not be engaging
properly; reed problems can certainly play havoc
either from a leak, or just poor response from
scraping issues, etc., the student may not be put-
ting enough air into the horn, etc.
However, all things being equal I find that
again bocal flex can be a major issue but this time
at the other end of the spectrum. In the demon-
stration on the low C described above one could
27 ResponseBass.indd 74
produce ‘bugle calls’ or harmonic partials above
a fundamental while fi ngering the low C. Some
cracking in the low register is caused by exactly
that. The player is inadvertently flexing the bocal
upwards, at least at the beginning of the note so
that a harmonic partial, or perhaps several (the
multiphonic again) sound at the beginning of the
note instead of the fundamental.
To illustrate this I can again emulate the
problem by deliberately allowing my lower jaw
to be too high at the beginning of a low register
note and then drop it down into place. If I do
this quickly at first and then slower and slower it
becomes obvious that the note is doing what the
brass players might call a “splee-ah” with a mul-
tiphonic or harmonic sound beginning followed
closely by a fundamental. Then I use an analogy
(yet another of my favorite teaching techniques)
this one I call “training the puppy.”
I ask the student having the cracking problem
in the low register to imagine that they are train-
ing a puppy to “stay.” At first the puppy doesn’t
understand and wants to go everywhere that the
master goes but with some dedication and pa-
tience one can teach it to stay on command. Now
lets think of the lower jaw as the puppy and the
tongue as the master. At fi rst the ‘puppy’ (lower
jaw) is untrained and wants to follow everywhere
the ‘master’ (tongue) goes. When the tongue
comes up to the reed, the lower jaw follows and
rises up also. This motion is fairly common in
activities outside of bassoon playing, when chew-
ing, the tongue moves in tandem with the jaw
and also in some speech, etc.
Now back to the bassoon. In many registers it
will not affect the note too adversely if the lower
jaw follows the tongue upwards as the tongue
moves up to the reed, but in the lower register it
becomes more noticeable and more problematic
as it often results in an incorrect partial sounding
instead of the fundamental at the beginning of
the note (splee-ah.) To address this then I suggest
the student teach the ‘puppy’ (lower jaw) to ‘stay.’
They need to send a message from the brain to
the lower jaw to fi nd and hold the correct lower
position so that the fundamental will result while
the tongue independently moves up to the reed.
This is easiest to achieve when playing repeated
notes in the low register (see the Foghorn exer-
cise below) but eventually needs to be addressed
for a note beginning.
When starting a note in this manner the
12/11/07 7:49:10 PM
 THE DOUBLE REED 75

player fingers it correctly (of course), brings the during the string of articulated notes following
tongue up to the reed WHILE MAINTAINING the E-B f slur of the foghorn.
THE CORRECT LOW FUNDAMENTAL PO-
SITION of the lower jaw, sets the airstream and, I hope that some or all of these suggestions prove
on command, releases the tongue to begin a note helpful in reducing the incidence of cracking for some
that should sound as a fundamental from the of you. Bassoon tones that are unmarred by cracking
outset. Another exercise that can prove useful in can be enjoyed more by all. ◆
diagnosing and fi xing low register issues I call the
Foghorn. This gets its descriptive name because
it sounds, well, like a foghorn!
The exercise has two parts. The first is to play
a nice strong low E with the left thumb ‘hover-
ing’ over the cluster of keys on the long joint (bass
joint) then drop down the left thumb to simulta-
neously cover all of the keys necessary to play a
low B f. The exercise can show if the player’s em-
bouchure and air are working correctly to pro-
duce the B f. Also many students inadvertently
pull one of their left fingers off of the tone holes
(especially the third or lowest fi nger on the wing
joint) when reaching the thumb over to the low
B f key creating a ½ hole or leak which makes the
low note response tenuous.
By starting on the low E with no left thumb,
the player can ensure that the tone holes are cov-
ering completely and I usually then have them

ARTICLES
move and rotate the thumb in multiple directions
while maintaining contact with the tone holes on
the wing joint to demonstrate that the thumb’s
mobility is not dependent upon pulling the fi n-
gers on the tone holes out of position before fi-
nally dropping the thumb into place onto the Bf
key and C-D cluster.
Once the player can execute a lovely solid slur
from the low E down a tri-tone to the Bf then
we move on to part two of the exercise which
is to add an articulation element. It begins the
same with the slur from E-B f but once a good
B f is established then the player tongues slowly
but repeatedly on the B f while maintaining the
same open lower jaw position. The tongue should
be the only thing in motion and the B f s should
speak easily and evenly. Many players will try to
bounce or “chew” with the jaw when moving the
tongue and this must be eliminated. Once consis-
tent clean attacks can be implemented on the low
B f after slurring down from the E then the player
should try to begin on the B f but setting the same
jaw position, open throat, tongue position, voic-
ing, etc. If all elements are successfully accounted
for and executed then the response on the low Bf
should be just as good from the first note as it was
 SOME THOUGHTS ON PRACTICING by Michael Burns

Every Musician is told at some point that they need to practice. This advice may come from a
teacher, band director, conductor, section leader, or from numerous other sources but how often are
they told what to practice, and more importantly how to practice? In this article I would like to
outline some hints and suggestions concerning the practice process.

Practicing can be broken down into several steps, some of which are outlined below:

1. Many people will start out the beginning of a practice session by doing some kind of warm-ups.
These frequently consist of long-tones and/or scale exercises. This literally warms-up the
instrument and the fingers, gets the air moving to create good support, and gets the brain ready for
action. There are many diverse types of warm-up routines available for woodwind instruments and
it is perhaps less important which of them is used just so long as a player utilizes one consistently.

2. After the warm-up the player may have several options--solo repertoire, ensemble music,
technical exercises and etudes, etc. Depending on the time available and the amount of repertoire to
be covered the player may choose to do a little work on each of the various items or a lot of work on
just a few. Either approach can be fine as long as all materials are covered sufficiently over the
space of a week or so. This may mean doing detailed practicing (see below) on one or two items
one day and then working on another couple the next day.

3. Once the player has determined what pieces to start practicing after the warm-up then the real
work begins. In some ways practicing is a bit like surgery. A surgeon cuts out the tissues that are
diseased and damaged, trying to leave the healthy tissue alone. Practicing is most effective when we
work to remove, or at least improve the problem spots, rather than merely playing through the
passages that we can already play (the healthy spots.)

There are a couple of common practicing errors that I have observed in many students. One is to
start at the beginning of a piece and play through continuously until a mistake is made, then go back
to the beginning and start all over again, progressing until a mistake is made, starting over again, and
so forth. The problem with this approach is that the student is essentially practicing what they can
already play (the beginning up until the mistake) and frequently the mistake that causes the return to
the beginning is at the same point. If the player repeats up to that point playing the same mistake
over and over then they are reinforcing and actually practicing the mistake. The second error is
one that comes about when students are practicing somewhere that others may hear them. A
tendency is to want to impress your 'audience' and to play passages that you sound good on i.e.
passages that you can already play well that sound impressive. Obviously these passages need less
practice than those that you cannot play and time would be better spent determining where the
trouble spots are and concentrating on them.

In order to find out where the areas that need practicing are it is sometimes good to do an initial
play through, stopping to mark tough spots with a pencil for future reference. I like to enclose these
areas in square brackets. If the passages are marked then it is easy to leap right into effective
practicing on those passages on subsequent days. Practicing to fix errors and remove problems is
not always pleasant and fun, and often does not sound very good during the process but it will give
the greatest benefits in the long-term.

4. Once the troublesome passages are marked then the player needs to know how to work on them.
There are several effective methods of doing this of which I will outline a few. Firstly, the player
should try and determine what is the cause of the problem: e.g. wrong note or notes, difficult
fingerings, register changes, difficult articulations, rhythmic problems, physical problems (air and
embouchure,) etc. Depending on which of these areas are causing the problems different
approaches to fixing the passage may be necessary. Sometimes a passage can be fixed as simply as
penciling in a reminder accidental in front of a note, often it requires more work than that.

One of the most universal truths concerning practicing is that it should be done slowly. The
player needs time to be able to hear and feel all of the necessary changes in fingers, air, and
embouchure from one note to the next to the next. The discipline required to play a passage that is
supposed to go very fast very slowly to fix it is difficult to achieve for many young players, but it is
essential to becoming a fluent performer. I found a wonderful image describing this process on the
internet, it says On the train journey the railroad ties are blurred to invisibility. But in laying the
track you were painfully aware of the weight and placement of each tie.
As well as playing the passages slowly, the player needs to use repetition to build the correct
patterns into a habit. Care must be taken to ensure that all repetitions are correct. If you repeat an
error over and over in the passage then that error also becomes habit.

Many practice techniques also vary the repetitions in some manner by changing the rhythms,
articulations, or both (see below.) This can be very effective when applied to practicing a passage as
you play varied repetitions that are even more difficult than the original, making the original seem
easy in comparison. They also place the emphasis on different notes within a passage which can
further pinpoint where the problems lie.

Another technique that I like for pinpointing problems is one that I call Backwards and Forwards
practicing. If I have a passage that is 8 notes long then I would practice notes 1 and 2, then 1,2,3,
followed by 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4,5, etc. all the way through the passage forwards. Then I would play
notes 7 and 8, 6,7,8, 5,6,7,8, 4,5,6,7,8, etc. This is, of course, the backwards part. This technique
shows the same passage from two different viewpoints-coming and going if you will. Since music
is so goal oriented it often helps to see and practice a passage as starting here and going
somewhere, or ending here having come from somewhere. I frequently find that the passage can be
reduced down to one or two crucial notes that can be isolated by this technique. If I get those notes
correct then the entire passage is correct. If I miss them then the passage falls apart.

Further practice techniques that I advocate are:

Spend a lot of time practicing passages that involve a lot of difficult finger/tongue
coordination all slurred. Doing this allows me to concentrate on the fingers and the air. Once
these are correct I can add the tonguing back in. An additional step may be to practice tonguing at
the tempo and rhythm required all on one note before putting the passage back together. In my last
article I also mentioned practicing a passage by singing it out loud. This eliminates the
instruments, reeds, fingers, and embouchures from the equation and can often be very valuable.
Coupled with this I firmly believe that every note that a wind player plays should be sung
(mentally.)
Practice passages that involve ornamentation (trills, grace notes, etc.) without the ornaments, making
sure that the rhythmic durations are correct. The trills and grace notes should be practiced
separately also and then added back in.

Know your enemy. When a student has been working on a piece and is preparing it for
performance I have them make a list of potential mistakes that they could make in the piece,
being as specific as possible. We then go through and try to find a remedy for each mistake using
some of the practicing techniques listed above. Then when they play I tell them that there is no
excuse for making any of those same errors.

5. Players need to spend the majority of their time practicing to fix errors as described above,
necessitating a stop/start approach usually concentrating on small areas. This needs to be
periodically balanced with practicing performing, i.e. a straight run-through of the entire piece
without stopping no matter what happens! This is particularly important when students are
preparing for such events as concerts, try outs, auditions, recitals, etc. When a player is used to
being able to stop to go back and fix errors it is very difficult to keep playing without stopping
unless it is also practiced.

Practicing should be a regular occurrence. It is far more beneficial to the player to spend some
time every day practicing rather than to do longer practice sessions several days apart. That is, it
would be better for a player to spend 30 minutes practicing every day for a week than to do two
practice sessions of two hours each. Even though the latter example has given more practice hours
in the week (four instead of 3 1/2) over time the regularity will pay off more.

Obviously, the more time spent in each of the regular practice sessions the better. However,
spending hours in the practice room does not necessarily mean that you are practicing
well. Practicing needs to be efficient, and usually a short intensive practice session is more
productive than a longer inefficient session. Practice to fix mistakes, not reinforce them. Simply
running through a piece several times is NOT efficient practice. See the last article for some
suggestions on how to increase practicing efficiency.

Don't just practice notes, always aim for the music. You should always monitor and work on
tone, intonation, dynamics, and phrasing, not just technique.

EVERY musician should own a metronome and use it when practicing. We all need to
develop a strong sense of rhythm, and a metronome helps in this task immensely. Most
instrumentalists need to be able to follow an external beat, whether it be from an orchestra or band
conductor, colleagues in a chamber ensemble, piano accompanist, or what have you. In order to do
this we all need to develop a strong sense of inner rhythm and a working familiarity with the
concept of subdivision. This should be worked on in the practice room using the metronome. It can
be very useful to a student to set the metronome at the faster tempo of one of the subdivisions
(perhaps 2,3, or 4 times the beat tempo) rather than at the given beat level. Conversely, practicing
with the metronome only clicking once per every two, three, or four beats, or even once per measure
makes the player have to subdivide the inner beats to stay in time. Of course you will also set the
metronome to the beat itself often. Which tempo you set the metronome to would be determined by
the music and the individual player. Remember, the metronome never lies! If a player is not used
to using one in their practicing they may be surprised at how much their tempo fluctuates.

If possible, a regular time should be set aside for practicing every day. This time should be
adhered to no matter what. If you have a scheduled practice time you are much more likely to use it.
It is all too easy to procrastinate, put it off, get involved with other activities and the practice gets
neglected and forgotten. This situation often leads to the scenario mentioned above where the player
needs to catch-up and do a long practice session to try to make up for the skipped practice time.

The more you practice, the better your playing becomes. When you improve on your
instrument it becomes far more rewarding and enjoyable to play. Music is supposed to be fun!
Many see practicing as a drudgery that has to be suffered through, but when done well it is
extremely satisfying, and yes, practicing can and should even be fun.

The following is a list of some recommended sources for bassoon warm-ups:

Bassoon: Fernand Oubradous. Complete Exercises for Bassoon

Simon Kovar. 24 Daily Exercises for Bassoon
Chris Weait. Bassoon Warm-Ups

Many teachers also advocate having students create or write their own warm-ups for their
instrument. Others may borrow warm-up routines from other instruments, for example many
woodwind players use the famous brass warm-up patterns outlined in the Arban-Clarke method for
cornet.

This is by no means a complete list. There are many other wonderful and successful practice
techniques that I have had to omit for reasons of space. I would like to conclude with some final
thoughts on practicing.

Telephone numbers must be accurate, close is not good enough. A number with area code is 10
digits. Even 90% accuracy could have far-reaching consequences!

Fast is exactly the same as slow, only quicker.

Know the results of your actions before you do them. You should learn, through practice, how to
feel if the note that you are about to play will speak, be in tune, and have the correct volume.
The Double Reed Vol. 28 • No. 2 Return to Table of Contents
THE DOUBLE REED 121

Thoughts and Strategies for

Bassoon Vibrato
Michael Burns
Greensboro, North Carolina

T
his article had its beginnings as a handout for a session
on vibrato for my bassoon repertoire class at UNCG.
As I began research and gathering my own thoughts
on the topic I discovered that it has not been dealt with very
extensively or recently in The Double Reed. Perhaps this is
due to the fact that vibrato on the bassoon (or oboe, or any
wind instrument) is a somewhat contentious issue. I would
therefore like to share some of my own personal thoughts on
this topic along with some strategies and exercises aimed at
helping to learn and control this technique.

Vibrato is defined in the New Grove Dictionary as:

“A regular fluctuation of pitch or intensity (or both), either
more or less pronounced and more or less rapid1.”

WHAT IS IT ON THE BASSOON?

Pitch Oscillation, Volume Oscillation, or Both
(a combination)?

Pitch oscillation is when a note is made sharper or flatter

alternating with the ‘in-tune’ pitch. If this approach is taken

ARTICLES
then there are additional questions relating to the relationship
to the starting pitch. See the diagram below:
1. at pitch and oscillating below
2. at pitch oscillating the same amount above and below
3. at pitch oscillating above

In terms of pitch oscillation I advocate type 1. above as I believe two. English and French players
that the ear hears the highest pitch as the primary note. This (and some German) often advocate
is also how many excellent string players do vibrato (although lip and jaw vibrato. Chris Weait’s
some also oscillate equally above and below). Fluorographic study2 shows NO
motion of the diaphragm and
Volume or intensity vibrato is when a note is supposed to suggested that the larynx or vocal
stay at the same pitch but alternate LOUD-soft-LOUD-soft- cords may be responsible for the
LOUD-soft, etc. I believe that this is done in combination with oscillation. The diaphragm in fact
some pitch change. Another argument for going to the pitch cannot produce vibrato as it is an
below the note is that this can coincide with the softer volume inhale only muscle—all muscles work
oscillations as a slight relaxation of the sound. in only one direction and are usually
opposed by a muscle that works in
WHAT PART(S) OF THE BODY CREATE IT? the opposite direction (e.g. there is
Abdomen, Diaphragm, Throat, Lips, Jaw, Larynx, one set of muscles (the biceps) to
or a combination? raise your arm and another set (the
There are proponents of each of the above locations. Most triceps) to lower it.) Therefore, I feel
American bassoonists say that they use diaphragm (medically that in most instances that people cite
impossible), abdomen, or larynx or a combination of the last a diaphragm vibrato they probably
 The Double Reed Vol. 28 • No. 2
122 THOUGHTS AND STRATEGIES FOR BASSOON VIBRATO
mean an abdominal vibrato. Furthermore, I believe that a slow
vibrato is often abdominal but that it travels up to the larynx as
the speed increases. This results in a very ‘vocal’ quality to the
vibrato. Video evidence from inside the throat while playing
definitely shows the larynx in motion when producing vibrato.
Some argue that the vocal cords are just vibrating in sympathy
with an oscillation generated from lower down (perhaps the
abdomen) and this may be correct. Nonetheless there is very
definite oscillation of the larynx and vocal cords during my
own vibrato at least. I know this as I have video of the inside
of my throat while playing courtesy of a visit to the surgery
office of an adult bassoon student of mine, Karol Wolicki, an
ear, nose and throat surgeon and IDRS member. Karol made
a presentation on these and some other findings at the IDRS
2003 Conference in Greensboro showing some of the video
we had recorded. Charles Veazey, the oboe professor at the
University of North Texas College of Music, has also done
extensive research involving fiber-optic video of the inside of
the throat while playing.
A further quick word about “throat vibrato.” The type of
vibrato that I refer to as perhaps originating in the larynx is
not the same as what some people refer to as throat vibrato.
The image many have of throat vibrato is of the “nanny goat”
or “Elmer Fudd” vibrato that sounds like a rapid series of
eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh, etc. This seems to be caused by a series of
glottal stops of the airstream and I agree that it is generally not
a desirable form of vibrato for the bassoon. It IS also produced
in the throat but that is, in my opinion, the only similarity with
laryngeal vibrato.
There is discussion of the issue of “From Whence Springs
ARTICLES
This Vibrato?” from an oboist’s perspective as the last section
of the excellent article “Vibrato Awareness” in the Double
Reed by Geoffrey Burgess.3
WHEN SHOULD IT BE USED?
All of the time, none of the time, or some of the time? If some,
then how do we decide when?
This is a topic unto itself. I was taught at one point that
EVERY note should have vibrato and further, that vibrato
was inexorably tied to air support to the point that no vibrato
equaled no support. Now I don’t agree with this or use it in
my playing. There are also those who advocate the use of no
vibrato at all sometimes stating that they don’t want to use
vibrato as it distorts the sound. I must agree that some vibratos
do disturb me and that one definition of an oscillation could
be thought of as a distortion of a “pure” tone. However, I feel
that a well-modulated and well chosen vibrato can add a lot to
a sound. In my opinion, it is a coloristic tool that can be added
or not, manipulated at will and used to enhance the music. I do
NOT advocate or agree with those who suggest it as a means
of disguising poor intonation.
A graph of vibrato amplitudes
Return to Table of Contents
As for usage, vibrato is more often
used on longer note values than
shorter and often a decision should
be made about how short a note
can be and still sustain a vibrato. To
use the Mozart Bassoon Concerto
K191 first movement opening as
an example most players who use
a vibrato would not use it on the
dotted eighth and sixteenth notes at
the ends of the first two measures,
some would have it and others not
on the quarter notes at the beginning
of the first three measures, but almost
all that use vibrato would have it
present on the half notes in the first
two measures. These are matters of
personal taste mostly but also involve
what vibrato speed a player likes and
can produce. At the tempo that most
would play the Mozart concerto then
in order to have any oscillation on a
note as short as an eighth or especially
sixteenth note one would have to
have a very rapid vibrato. Even if one
could produce a vibrato that fast the
decision would need to be made on if
they actually wanted to.
There are those who feel that
notes below a low E on the bassoon
should use little to no vibrato
because of the already low frequency
of the pitches (see the discussion of
frequency below.)
AMPLITUDE AND FREQUENCY
OF THE OSCILLATION
Amplitude can also be called ‘depth’
or ‘width’ of the vibrato. Frequency
is the number of oscillations per
second or speed. It is possible to
have a slow and wide vibrato, slow
and shallow, fast and wide, fast and
shallow, etc. I aim to change either
or both of these variables to suit the
specific character and context of the
music. There also seem to be regional
or national tendencies in favored
vibrato speed and depth. Another
factor that I consider is what register
am I playing in? If you listen to
The Double Reed Vol. 28 • No. 2 Return to Table of Contents

THE DOUBLE REED 123

good singers then you may notice that a bass’s vibrato tends Then have them pulse each
to be different from a soprano’s. Usually a bass sings with a eighth-note, each triplet, and
slower and wider vibrato and a soprano sings with a faster and finally each sixteenth-note.
narrower one. This seems to go along with natural acoustic Move the metronome up to
theory as lower pitches are from slower frequencies so a slower a higher speed and repeat. Also
vibrato matches it better. Likewise higher pitches are a faster repeat the exercise on different
frequency so faster vibrato oscillation matches. This effect is pitches on the bassoon until the
such that when I hear a bass with a fast shallow vibrato or a entire range can work. If you
soprano with a wide slow vibrato I feel less comfortable with wish you can also do quintuplets,
their overall sound. Therefore, I actually aim to change my sextuplets, etc.
speed and depth at least somewhat according to the register Obviously this exercise is
in which I play on the bassoon. I also use vibrato as a tool, actually teaching and training
in addition to dynamics, to increase or decrease intensity by primarily intensity vibrato but I
altering speed and/or amplitude appropriately. also usually notice an associated
The graph on page 2 shows some different types of vibratos pitch change. I also try to have
with speed measured horizontally and amplitude measured the player notice if the generation
vertically. The types shown are: slow with a large amplitude, is always from the same ‘body
fast with a large amplitude, and slow with a small amplitude. part’ usually it at least begins
in the abdominal muscles at
TURNING VIBRATO ON AND OFF the slower speeds but for some
There are many times when I feel it is appropriate to play with (including myself) they feel the
no vibrato. Playing in an ensemble with clarinets and horns movement move upwards in the
who typically use none I often opt to play with no vibrato body with increased speed. Others
also in order to blend better. However, when I join flutes and sometimes cannot easily make
oboes, or string players who are using it I may well join them. the pulsing ‘migrate’ upwards
If possible making the speed and depth of my vibrato match and can therefore have difficulty
and blend as well as possible with theirs. It is also something reaching or sustaining a faster
that I will choose to take away or add on a single note at the oscillation speed. To me it makes
ends or beginnings of phrases occasionally. In a solo, I may use sense that the large muscles of
a type of vibrato designed to make me stand out more from the the abdominal group would have

ARTICLES
accompanying texture. It is very important that a player be able difficulty in moving very rapidly.
to play with no vibrato. Some players cannot turn their vibrato
off! To me, this is a problem in that they therefore do not have 2. The “Train.” In this exercise
total control of it. I try to advocate being able to play the same the player begins a note with a
passage with multiple different types of vibrato (e.g. none, slow slow oscillation, increases the
and wide, fast and narrow, starting with none and adding it, speed as much as possible and
starting with and taking it away, speeding it up or slowing it then slows it down again. This
down along with the phrasing or making individual notes stand is supposed to be similar to a
out by having none in a context of overall vibrato, etc.) train leaving a station, building
up speed and then pulling into
In order to fix a poor vibrato a student may already have I the next station, hence the name.
often find that I have to get them to eliminate it totally and It should be within one breath
play with no vibrato for a period and then rebuild again slowly, and one sustained note of course
consciously and correctly. and, as with exercise 1. above,
the player should then try it on
VIBRATO EXERCISES different notes throughout the
There are a number of exercises that can be useful in learning to range of the instrument.
produce or control one’s vibrato. My favorites are as follows:
3. Vocally try to produce
1. Put a metronome on at q = 60. Have the player play a a vibrato away from the
sustained tone at an mp dynamic (I usually have them start instrument. This is most likely
on the C in the bass clef staff (C3) as it is such a good, to have a pitch element along
stable note.) Then have them pulse to an f dynamic on each with a slight intensity element.
quarter note beat as a sudden spike similar to the heart Have the player sing a note that
monitor in a hospital e.g. they can comfortably sustain a
steady pitch on a syllable such as
Ahhhh. Again with a metronome
have them shift to a syllable like
 The Double Reed Vol. 28 • No. 2 Return to Table of Contents

124 THOUGHTS AND STRATEGIES FOR BASSOON VIBRATO

an OOOh at each quarter note pulse with a simultaneous is associated with the Eastern Music
slight drop in volume. When successful have them try at Festival and the Bands of America
different speeds and perhaps different pitches. Then try to Summer Symposium. He is also an
achieve the same effect on the bassoon. This should, one active composer with many of his
imagines, produce a ‘vocal’ quality in the bassoon vibrato. pieces being published by BOCAL
Music and frequently performed
4. This exercise was suggested on the idrs-listserve by Martin throughout the country. Burns has
Bebb of Muskogee, OK and I have adapted it slightly for published articles and reviews in the
my own use. Have the player play a sustained tone (again Double Reed, the TBA Journal (Texas
starting on C3 by preference) and then drop the air pressure Bandmasters’ Association), the NC
while maintaining a steady embouchure. As the air pressure Music Educator for which he serves
decreases, the note should be allowed to drop in volume as Woodwind Notes Editor, Notes
and pitch until it stops altogether. Once this is achieved, the (the journal of the Music Library
player is asked to repeat the exercise but before the sound Association) and on the Yamaha
stops they should catch it and bring the air pressure back Educator Series online. His mentors
up to normal regaining the original pitch and volume. Next include William Winstead, Sherman
have them work to control the rate of descent and recovery Walt, Leonard Sharrow, and Colin
in pressure so that they are as equal as possible. This should Hemmingsen. He is archivist for the
all be at a very slow rate of speed. International Double Reed Society
and was co-host for the IDRS 2003
METRONOMIC VIBRATO Conference in Greensboro, NC.
The reason that so many of these exercises use a metronome His website is: <www.uncg.edu/
is to help establish control of the vibrato. However, in use a ~mjburns>.
vibrato should NOT be metronomic if possible. After the
player has begun to successfully create a vibrato (or perhaps BIBLIOGRAPHY:
several vibratos) they may start to gravitate towards a personal G. Moens-Haenen. ‘vibrato’, Grove
favorite default speed and amplitude. I try to ensure that I never Music Online ed. L. Macy
have an exact measurable number of oscillations per beat of (Accessed 2 October 2004),
the music—rather my vibrato speed will be totally independent http://www.grovemusic.com
of the music tempo. Remember that I also try to change
ARTICLES

my vibrato to suit the music as stated above so one of these Weait, Christopher and John B.
decisions is to ensure that the tempo and vibrato oscillation Shea. “Vibrato: an audio-video-
speed do not interfere with each other. Beginner vibratos often fluorographic investigation of a
are set at exactly triplets, sixteenths, etc. and the player needs bassoonist” Applied Radiology,
to be gradually weaned away from this tendency otherwise January/February 1977.
the vibrato often sounds artificial and sometimes labored. The
player also needs to learn and practice being able to produce Burgess, Geoffrey. “Vibrato
vibrato in all dynamics. Awareness”, Double Reed Vol.
24, No. 4, 2001. 127-135.
These are my own personal views on bassoon vibrato and I
hope that they are helpful to some and are not too ‘out there’ ENDNOTES
or contentious. ◆ 1 G. Moens-Haenen: ‘vibrato’,
Grove Music Online ed. L.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Macy (Accessed 2 October
Michael Burns is associate professor of bassoon at the 2004), <http://www.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and is a grovemusic.com>
Yamaha Performing Artist. Burns has performed in numerous 2 Weait, Christopher and John B.
professional orchestras including the Cincinnati and the New Shea: “Vibrato: an audio-video-
Zealand Symphony Orchestras and played principal in the fluorographic investigation of a
Midland/Odessa, Richmond and Abilene Symphonies, and bassoonist” Applied Radiology,
the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. Currently he performs January/February 1977.
regularly with the North Carolina, Greensboro, and Charlotte 3 Burgess, Geoffrey: “Vibrato
Symphony Orchestras. He is also bassoonist in the Eastwind Awareness”, Double Reed Vol.
Ensemble and the Cascade Quintet. Burns remains active as a 24, No. 4, 2001. pp127-135.
solo and chamber performer with numerous performances at
IDRS conventions, recitals and masterclasses throughout North
America and the South Pacific. He has recorded for the Centaur,
CAP, Telarc, EMI, Klavier, and Mark labels. In summers, Burns