r/bassoon

Is this a good concerto competition piece winner compared to Mozart Weber Hummel etc?

I am a 4-year-old (not actual age just how long I've played it for) alto sax player and a few month-old bass clarinet player hoping to start my first double reed woodwind, the oboe, next month. For my 4th and final instrument, I want to pick up right now I chose the bassoon. There are a few small problems though, I AM NOT WILLING TO PAY 5K ON AN ENTRY LEVEL INSTRUMENT!!! Is there any way for me to get one (Preferably the Fox model 51 because I have BABY hands) for 1k or under used? Has anyone gotten one of those cheap ones off of Alibaba? If so, did it play well? Are there any tips for me? Random final question, but does playing a lot of rhythm games help with the 11 thumb buttons?

Hi, so I recently had a lesson with my professor who brought up the idea of me possibly getting a new bassoon since he feels that my current instrument might be holding me back, and was recommending me if I wanted to to look into either Moosmann, Puchner, or if possible Heckel. The current problem is that I had just recently bought my current bassoon which is a fox 220 in around September of 2024. Should I just continue to play on my current instrument now or possibly look into selling my current instrument and upgrading to a new one?

Dear friends,

A friend is trying to sell me this bassoon bocal. Neither of us has any information about manufacturers or age, so we cannot agree on a reasonable price. The length is 34,5 cm. Can someone help with any information? Thanks in advance.

https://preview.redd.it/b4awp48v0j1h1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3c6d588056cf6092d84eb67f501611eed6a6ffb

https://preview.redd.it/0i1fc47w0j1h1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=04eaadaae66be090fa2c9a5eacb5a3802a138666

https://preview.redd.it/uopfz09x0j1h1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b63a7240dc11e327254d54861db04b705f1f527

hi guys, im looking forward to buy a new bassoon, but idk very well where to look at. Im looking in musicalchairs and a few others sites but nothing interesting.
Im from Argentina so if i have to buy a bassoon i have to travel to adquire, so lmk where its the best spot to buy a new baby. Thanks all

this is SO LONG im so sorry you don’t have to read the entire thing

I have been in band since 6th grade, I played alto saxophone up til sophomore year. During freshman year my band director asked my section if someone would like to switch, for context all of the other members of my section were boys that were so beyond immature it drove me insane. our section would get scolded every single day because of them just acting out and my director would always say something like “all of you guys minus one need to…etc” I just truly hated it. So i immediately raised my hand. At the end of the year, i was given one of the schools bassoons, which is a Fox IV.
I had no clue what to do. I was just given a bassoon and a page of fingerings. Through the summer i tried to play but struggled really deeply and kinda just gave up because i struggled so much. When the beginning of sophomore year started, i kinda was forced to play stuff i didn’t know and ended up embarassing myself in front of everyone. I didn’t know anything about bass clef, (kinda still dont), the thumb keys on the instrument scared the absolute shit out of me and it just made me so anxious.
Eventually i would practice at home and whatnot, my band director took me into a room 2 or 3 times to go over some exercises but that’s the ONLY “lessons” ive ever taken. also im the only bassoon in my band.
(i am a junior currently i may add)

So basically to get to the point ive literally self taught myself bassoon entirely. im not incredible but i think im pretty good for having taught myself everything. There’s just so much im still lost about. ..so here are my issues that i need advice about

1. There’s so much inconsistency on whether or not my sound is airy or full. I dont know how to fix that. When i adjust the bocal or the reed it sometimes fixes it but alot of the time it just doesn’t change and i kinda just have to deal.
2. this might be the reason of the first one, but i don’t really know what to do about reeds. i am very broke and don’t have the money to get a singular reed for $35 but i also am not smart enough nor am i at a high enough level to be making my own. i also don’t know if i’m going to continue playing bassoon out of high school because i’m renting the schools and have no clue where im gonna rent a bassoon out. My director just has me get them from a random company and they’re not horrible but they’re not incredible
3. after playing for a while liquid (probably spit) gets stuck in the bocal and it makes that clicky sound while i play. i usually just blow into the bocal and it fixes it but idk if i should be doing that or if there’s a better way…

but yeah im lowkey not great and definetly still learning. i do love bassoon and i enjoy learning new things about my instrument. sorry this was so long lol
also any other advice would be appreciated!!!!

I've played sax for 7 years and clarinet for 5, and I want to learn bassoon. I just find the sound enamoring. I know the embouchure and reed are totally different and the fingerings are quite different too, but I'm fairly confident I can learn these with patience and the right gear.

I have access to a few bassoons but I know nothing about them other than they're all broken and would probably need repairs, or else I can rent one from a local music shop. Is there a certain brand I should look to rent or repair? I've heard bassoon quality makes or breaks the learning experience.

Also, in terms of reeds, I know custom reeds are better, but as a total beginner is there a manufactured brand that's good that I should look for, or do I need to find a reed dealer? Lastly, coming from the instruments I do, are there any habits I'll need to kick or adjust for bassoon?

Thanks

When in concert band, who plays the low notes of the bassoon, 1st or 2nd player? I dont know much about double reeds, so I dont know which range is harder.