Bassoon Pitch
Written by Professor David Pierce, Bassoon
What affects pitch and intonation on the bassoon?
Accurate bassoon intonation depends on:
- instrument in adequate if not good mechanical condition
- bocal of appropriate length and focused tone quality
- reed in proper adjustment
- player with excellent pitch sense and understanding of the tendencies of the bassoon
The mechanical adjustments must be made by a qualified repairman, the instrument "voiced" to a relatively even scale. Leaky pads, or pads which open to the wrong height can be detrimental to your ability to play in tune.
The bassoonist would do best to combine a bocal and reed that feature a very centered (focused), perhaps dark, tone. A centered tone makes it easier for the other instrumentalists in the ensemble to hear, even feel, the pitch so that they may more easily find and match that pitch. Pitch ambiguity is often the result of a bright tone quality that features unusual strength in overtones and weakness in the fundamental, hence a quality that may imply to some listeners pitch other than the one desired. I use a Heckel "C" bocal. I think most Fox CVX bocals are too bright for modern bassoons (Fox CVC bocals are better). As always, though, try as many bocals as you can to find one that matches your instrument. What about length? Most bassoonists use a Heckel #1 or #2 (comparable with Fox #2 or #3) Your particular reed style and instrument will determine the length you need.
A reed that is adjusted to play especially well in the lowest octave is recommended since the bassoon is scored predominantly as the bass voice in the ensemble. (There are other ways to improve response in the upper register.) The bassoon player is cautioned, however, against allowing the free-blowing reed to be too low in pitch, since constant "lipping-up" of pitch eliminates any resonance benefit to the lowest octave. The reed that is strong in the lowest octave, in combination with the bocal that produces a compact sound--strong in the fundamental partial, will produce a resonant darkness in tone quality that is desirable in ensemble performance. I tell my students to aim for a reed which is 56 millimeters long. Then, if the "one finger E" drops too easily, there is still room to clip the reed without making it too short to play the octaves in tune.
The bassoon player must be aware of the pitch tendencies of each of the notes and registers of the bassoon. The reed must be flexible enough to allow embouchure adjustment of the pitch for the full range of the instrument, especially so that the player may accomodate certain sharping or flatting tendencies of the other instruments in the ensemble.
A great many bassoons are sharper than standard (relative to "A = 440") in the lowest fifth of the total range:
and flatter than standard just above the bass clef staff:
Here are some especially challenging notes, their tendencies, and possible ways to "fix" them:
Low D
There's really no alternate fingering here. Pitch depends on your bassoon, but is usually sharp. Fix your reed to play low D in tune (sometimes sanding the back of the reed with very fine sandpaper will help).
Low F-sharp
Usually sharp. The fingering, wxxx/xxxFF# (little finger F-sharp) will tune lower on most bassoons.
Middle C-sharp
This one may "cave in" if your reed is too soft. In a pinch, try adding the right thumb low E key (pancake key).
Middle E-flat
This one is sharp if your reed is stiff. To fix with a fingering, try adding right thumb B-flat key and second finger (or right thumb B-flat key and first finger).
Middle E
If your reed is too soft, the "one finger E" will drop flat. If you have problems with this, try reaming out your reed so it goes on the bocal a little further, or clipping a tiny amount from the end of your reed (to make it a fraction shorter). In a pinch, add your right hand third finger (the G key) to your regular fingering: wxoo/oox
Middle F-sharp
Middle F-sharp is sharp, too. Use the "little finger F-sharp" fingering: w1/2xx/xxxFF#
Top space G
This one is notoriously sharp. Most bassoonists try to use one of the left hand pinky keys (low E-flat or low D-flat). I use the low D-flat key all the time. You'll notice a nicer tone quality as well as lower pitch.
C-sharp
The regular left-hand only C-sharp fingering is quiet and flat. Use either:
c#xxx/BbxxxF
or
c#xxx/oxxF
to make the tone quality fuller and to bring the pitch up.
D
The D above the staff is often flat. You might try: xxo/oxxF for a louder, sharper note. Also, try to support and don't let your embouchure sag.
F-sharp
Can be sharp, especially with the wrong fingering. The best pitch is: oxxEb/Bbxxo
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