Maintenance, Repair, Customization

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A BASSOON TECHNICIAN

Keith Bowen, April 2012
 

Check the equipment and play the instrument. Make sure the support devices work and that there are  good swabs available. Check the case.

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Teach the proper cleaning procedure:  Boot swabbed large to small rotated around c# trill. Wing swabbed large to small. Dust and polish outside. Vacuum clean the case.  Keep swabs outside of the bassoon compartment.

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Show how the bassoon is set up concerning the tone hole system.  Open holes set up a C major scale starting on B natural. This one at a time opening is bent back on itself with the u-tube.  Covered holes provide most of the sharps and flats with the exception of Eb on the wing.  Octave vents start with the ½  open f hole and move up a, c, d vents, to the whisper key. Use only one vent at a time including the whisper key.

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Show how the majority of the tone color is amplified in the Bell.  Show how after the first open hole, the lower energy air column acts as a resonator.

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ADVANCED:

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Tone color can be changed by re-configuring the resonance pipe.  Exchanging open and closed holes is used to change color and make small pitch changes.

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The different bore designs have different pitch resistance results. It is useful to know your bore type and instrument’s tendencies.

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Technician pitch adjustments are small and utilize resistance.  It is a difficult area and should be carefully approached.  Adjustments near the outside of the instrument create big changes and changes near the  bore create small changes.