- Does Bb3 crack when you don’t use the speaker (flicking) key? If so, refine the tapers in this area according to desired intonation and resistance. The taper from the spine to the rails should be straight, not rounded. Be very careful not to weaken the reed too much.
- Is the difference in intonation between Bb3 with the full fingering and Bb3 with the false fingering severe?
If so, refine the tapers here according to desired intonation and resistance. Again, the taper from the spine to the rails should be straight, not rounded.
Result of These Steps: weaker, flatter, more responsive, more free blowing
The material in this learning module comes from The Banana of Life: Peeling Away the Mysteries of Reed Making for the Bassoon by Rian Craypo and has been edited for clarity by Jessi Vandagriff. Please do not share or distribute this information to those not using the decision-based learning model. Used with permission. Fingering and note diagrams were generated using the free resources from Bret Pimentel.