Bassoon TechniquesEmbouchureThe main purpose of an embouchure is to ensure that air does not escape through any place other than the reed, making it one of the most important aspects to master of any instrument. is initially tempting to cover between half and two thirds of the reed when first meeting the bassoon, this urge must be resisted. Instead, the player must cover the front third of the reed. The teeth should never come into contact with the reed. Only the lips should touch it. The lips should hold the reed firmly, but the student should be very careful not to put too much pressure on it by rolling the lips inward or excessively clenching the jaw (this usually happens because a student attempts to force the bassoon to change pitch). with their mouth, not air pressure). This leads to biting, which causes problems not only in sound production, but also in sound quality, intonation and musician fatigue (one would be amazed how quickly even a little tension can wear down a musician). Once the embouchure is set, a student can check if the embouchure is correct through a process called singing. This simply involves the student blowing through the reed (be careful, not much air is needed for this process). If the embouchure is correct, the sound emitted should be multiphonic or it should give the impression that several notes are emitted at the same time. Many have compared it to the sound of blackbirds calling, from which the term crow gets its name. Like anything related to music, it will take time for the student's embouchure to develop and perform without outside assistance. A teacher should always be on the lookout for errors that might occur in the middle of the paper (the air would simply escape), and stability is the key to correct exhalation. Every time a student plays a note, it expires. If he relaxed his grip, the air would come in faster (or even escape) and ruin the solid sound he was making. But if its air support remains stable and constant, the tone should, in theory, remain the same. A good exercise to practice that can help with support and exhalation is to take a small piece of paper and hold it at the mouth against a wall. Stand about six inches from the wall and start blowing. As soon as the air hits the paper, remove your fingers. If the air released is stable and constant, the paper should be held still against the wall. If the paper falls or moves slightly, the air support (and possibly the mouthpiece) needs some work. Fingering charts See attached document.