the tenor clef
The tenor clef is sometimes found in bassoon music. It's really helpful to know how to play it because it shows up a lot, often for only a few measures, or maybe an entire piece! On the tenor clef, the fourth line from the bottom, or in other words the second line from the top, is middle C. Bassoon players often use tenor clef when playing in the higher region of the bassoon's range. This is better because it's easier to distinguish one note from the next, rather than sometimes having to count ledger lines above the staff. Below is a picture of the tenor clef and the notes labeled.
flicking
What's flicking? Flicking is a technique used at one time or another by most bassoonists, but is especially helpful for beginning players. Flicking is when a key is lightly pressed and immediately let go of at the beginning of a note. Bassoonists use flicking to help certain notes speak out.
Keys for flicking are used by the left thumb, mainly the three top keys on the right side of the back of the bassoon, as you can see in the picture below.
Keys for flicking are used by the left thumb, mainly the three top keys on the right side of the back of the bassoon, as you can see in the picture below.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/9/5/26957432/696415976.jpg?321)
The notes most bassoonists flick are the A, Bb, B below middle C, middle C, and the D directly above middle C. You can probably already tell by the name that the A key in the left hand is used to flick the A. However, the C key is used to flick Bb, B, and C.
The D key is different. All bassoons have the lower four keys on that side, but some bassoons don't come with the D key. You can use it, but I've found through my experience that it doesn't help a whole lot. It's also extremely difficult to reach, especially for players with smaller hands.
The D key is different. All bassoons have the lower four keys on that side, but some bassoons don't come with the D key. You can use it, but I've found through my experience that it doesn't help a whole lot. It's also extremely difficult to reach, especially for players with smaller hands.
tips
A lot of times when I'm playing, a note might not sound right. There could be a hundred different reasons for this. A lot of it has to do with figuring it out for yourself and what to change for yourself in order to sound better. Other times, there's a universal way to help a note sound better, and these tips might help you with that.
1. When playing lower notes, it's sometimes helpful for the note to speak when you drop your jaw and take less reed in your mouth. Dropping your jaw produces a lower sound, which, when playing lower notes, is usually what you want.
2. Flicking really does help. I don't know about other bassoonists, but flicking my A especially makes it come out cleaner every time. When I don't flick A, it makes a nasty sound and sometimes will come out as a squeak.
3. As you get older and play the bassoon for more time, hopefully your air support will get stronger. The more air you use, the better and more stable your tone will be. I don't mean forcing more air through the instrument. Backing up your air means to keep it steady in your lungs, and keep blowing at a constant rate. This doesn't just help improve your tone though. It also can eventually help your notes speak better, so you don't have to worry about flicking as much later on.
4. If you're having a hard time making sound, your instrument could be clogged up. If you never dump out the inside moisture or swab it out, the spit and water will build up and could cause problems when you're playing.
5. It's a really good idea to soak your reed. At the beginning of play, it's harder to force sound out of the instrument if your reed wasn't soaked in water. Also, it improves your tone. And if you haven't noticed by now, tone is an extremely important aspect of the bassoon since it can change so much so easily.
2. Flicking really does help. I don't know about other bassoonists, but flicking my A especially makes it come out cleaner every time. When I don't flick A, it makes a nasty sound and sometimes will come out as a squeak.
3. As you get older and play the bassoon for more time, hopefully your air support will get stronger. The more air you use, the better and more stable your tone will be. I don't mean forcing more air through the instrument. Backing up your air means to keep it steady in your lungs, and keep blowing at a constant rate. This doesn't just help improve your tone though. It also can eventually help your notes speak better, so you don't have to worry about flicking as much later on.
4. If you're having a hard time making sound, your instrument could be clogged up. If you never dump out the inside moisture or swab it out, the spit and water will build up and could cause problems when you're playing.
5. It's a really good idea to soak your reed. At the beginning of play, it's harder to force sound out of the instrument if your reed wasn't soaked in water. Also, it improves your tone. And if you haven't noticed by now, tone is an extremely important aspect of the bassoon since it can change so much so easily.