Bassoon

Bassoon

The bassoon is to the oboe what the bass clarinet is to the clarinet. It is the larger, lower sounding version of the double reed instrument. However, bassoon students will not play oboe before switching, instead they will begin on the bassoon itself. VERY few students will be selected to play Bassoon. Students who are chosen to switch to bassoon will do so at the end of the first semester of sixth grade. Bassoon players are usually selected from the clarinet class. At times, some beginning flute players have also made great bassoon players!

Physical Characteristics

A slight overbite is okay for students wishing to play bassoon, however, a student with an underbite should avoid bassoon. Agile thumbs is a necessity for playing bassoon proficiently as well as a medium or greater hand span.

Other Considerations

Like the oboe, the bassoon is such a difficult instrument to master, only students with high academic performance records will be considered. Students who choose (and are selected) to play bassoon are required to take weekly private lessons. Students are required to maintain a supply of 3-4 high-quality reeds at ALL times.

Again, the financial trade-off for having to take lessons and keep a stock of working reeds is that Stillwater provides bassoons for students at a cost of $50 rental for an entire school year payable to Stillwater Band for routine maintenance.