Page 21 - Embou-Sure Book Series

PRODUCING THE FIRST TONE
Do this on each side of the reed
1. Slur Low F to Middle F to High F-softly.
2. Notice how the middle and high F want to sag or go flat.
3. Whichever side of the reed has the most sag is the bad side. Play
the other side up.
Blowing air through the blades of the reed produces the crow sound-the multi-pitched sound that is made up of low/middle/high tones. The crow rep- resents the complete overtone system. A crow with an over abundance of low sounds will not have the proper overtones in the sound.
Assuming that the reed is correctly constructed and is capable of producing the proper crow sound, note the following examples on the tape:
#1-CORRECT CROW SOUND
SOUND EXAMPLE #1
#2-CROW TOO HIGH-TOO FEW SOUNDS
Embouchure is too tight/too pinched. Perhaps reed needs to be freed up. SOUND EXAMPLE #2
#3-CROW TOO LOW
Needs more support to “dampen the reed” or reed needs to be adjusted by making slightly shorter or more narrow.
SOUND EXAMPLE #3
Play the low F.
Usually, the sound that will come out will be slightly flat and raucous.
#4-CORRECT SOUND OF LOW F
SOUND EXAMPLE #4
#5-UNSUPPORTED SOUND ON LOW F
Low F with no support from the bottom jaw or air column support from the diaphragm.
SOUND EXAMPLE #5
#6-CORRECT-UNSUPPORTED-CORRECT
Low F slurred to unsupported low F and then slurred back to correct low F SOUND EXAMPLE #6
Low F is used because very little lip pressure is needed on that note from the bottom lip/jaw. The rule on the bassoon is this: The fewer fingers that are used to finger a note, the more support needed from the bottom lip/jaw. Start- ing the student on a low F will give time for the bottom lip/ jaw to develop for the notes that use less fingers.
Embou-Sure – 24