This is the cyber-version
of a handout that I have developed over the years to give
to bassoon students when I meet them at clinics,
masterclasses, and lessons. The contents are intended to
give the (usually young) bassoonist some useful tips and
explanations.
Selected Articles by Michael Burns:
Most of these articles were written either in my capacity
as the Editor of the Woodwind Notes section of the
North Carolina
Music Educator, for the Woodwind Pedagogy class at
UNCG, for the Yamaha Educator Series, or for
The Double
Reed.
Some Thoughts on Bassoon
Articulation
A Bassoonist's
Heirarchy
Articles
and Reviews by Burns that appeared in
The Double Reed:
Thoughts and Strategies for Bassoon
Vibrato,
from volume 28-2, 2005
Response Issues on the
Bassoon,
from volume 30-4, 2007. Password: englishhorn
Contrabassoon as Pedagogical
Tool, from
volume 33-1, 2010
Music for Bassoon by Bassoonists an
Overview,
from volume 24-2, 2001
Report on the Pedagogy Round
Table, from
volume 27-2, 2004
Review of Teaching
Woodwinds, Dietz, General Editor
Articles
by Burns that appeared in the
North Carolina Music Educator:
The Importance of
Breathing,
from NCME Volume 46-2
Strategies for Teaching the Bassoon
Embouchure,
from NCME Volume 54-4
Some Thoughts on Practicing
(combining two articles
from NCME Volumes 46-4 and 47-2)
Some thoughts on
Intonation,
from NCME Volume 46-3
The Benefits of Wind
Quintet,
from NCME Volume 51-1
How to choose a Double Reed
Player, from
NCME 49-1
The following article is part of the
Yamaha Educator Series online and has also appeared in
the
Texas Bandmasters Association Journal.
Some Typical Bassoon Problems, Their
Explanations, and Solutions
Review
from MLA Notes, 58-4, June 2002
Review of The Bassoon Reed Manual: Lou Skinner's
Theories and Techniques, James McKay
Another
Source for Articles by Burns:
NC Docks
Warm-Ups and Practice Patterns:
This pdf file is an adaptation of a flute warm-up from
the
Taffanel-Gaubert Book 2, number 4. It goes through all of the Major and
Harmonic Minor Scales using the Circle of Fifths pattern.
In about 15-20 minutes of warm-up you have covered every
key. Scale/Modes Warm-Up
Larger print version
of Taffanel 4 Scale/Modes
Warm-Up
Leonard
Sharrow Modes Warm-Up. The following two pdf files are
fully written-out versions of warm-up exercises that were
used and advocated by my former teacher Leonard Sharrow. As
it progresses up in whole steps, it is the same exercise in
the two possible keys:
Sharrow Warm-Up 1,
B-flat
Sharrow Warm-Up 2,
B-natural
In this pdf file I have taken the patterns used by
Fernand Oubradous in his
Enseignement Complet du Bassoon
and added some additional
variants of my own. These patterns of rhythmic and
articulation variations can then be applied to any scales
or passages that consist of regular eighths, triplets,
sixteenths, sextuplets (using two sets of the triple
pattern), etc. if a passage contains mostly sixteenths but
some eighth and two sixteenth beats then I suggest treating
the pattern as if the first two notes were tied together
(i.e. 2 sixteenth = 1 eighth). Oubradous Practice
Patterns
Reeds:
Some Thoughts on
Reedmaking
Reedmaking Notes
Reed
Pictures:
Below are
links to five pdf files of reed making and adjusting
pictures that I created on the computer. I had found that I
would draw pictures similar to these over and over for
students while teaching reed classes so decided that
putting in the time to enter them on a computer drawing
program would be worthwhile. These show my own personal
dimensions and approaches and may not be suitable for all
or even similar to those of other bassoonists.
Reed Dimensions
Dial Indicator
Measurements
Relative Thicknesses of the Bassoon
Blade
Regions of the Bassoon Reed
Blade
Side Views of Some Possible Reed
Profiles
