Bassoon Reeds 101: What Should I Get?? 

I was lucky, my middle school band instructor was a bassoonist and a great reed maker. I spent more than one weekend afternoon at his house learning how to make reeds. It took forever for me to make a good reed, but well worth it.

Bassoon players know exactly which store bought reeds these are 😄

Thank you for speaking out against disgusting reeds! For many years, while I was personally disgusted by what I saw students playing on, I never actually heard of anyone getting sick from playing on a moldy reed. Then, one of these students was hospitalized with a lung infection. I'll probably never know if it was caused by his reed, but the incident lead me to learn more about bagpipe lung, TOTALLY A REAL THING! . P.S. When I was in 5th grade I flavored my sax reeds by soaking them in a mixture of mouthwash, peppermint extract, and sugar. They were bright green and oh-so-minty fresh. The reeds played just fine, but I destroyed several pads on my instrument.

The maintenance bit really called me out. My case is full of old-ass reeds that I keep "for emergencies" despite them being next to useless.

5:26 my absolute favorite bassoon sound ever

As a clarinet player, I do envy the duration of a good bassoon reed. You said if rotated and overall optimized maintenance, a single bassoon reed will last around three months. With rotations and care, I go through an entire box of 10 within two months at best/lucky, it’s closer to a month and a half. I’ve always wondered why is the duration of double reed seems to be much more impressive then that of a single reed, my theory is that the vibration of a single reed puts more stress onto the wood then on a double reed causing the cane to break down faster, but I have no idea other then that. And adjusting a double reed seems to be a much more common and standard practice then on a single reed. There are tools and equipment that can shave off the heart or clip the tip to make it harder, however I have only negative experiences/results from such tools so I just pray the breaking in process goes in my favor. My reeds aren’t cheap either. A single reed from the box I buy is much cheaper then a single double reed of course, however I play on 56 Rue Lepic which is basically a premium grade Vandoren blue box you would find everywhere in any Music Store, and one box costs me around $45. But at the end of the day, I think all reed players can 100% agree on your statement: REEDS SUCK!

Thank you for the funny and very relevant overview. As an amateur bassoonist I do not have the tools to make my reeds from scratch, but my teacher insisted from the second year onwards that adapting reeds is part of learning to play - and old reeds are excellent to test on without making costly mistakes. Nowadays the internet is an excellent source for tutorials on the subject. Why can't plastic reeds not be adapted with the same tools as natural ones?

about the intonation problems on E and F my experience teaches me that instead of cutting the tip and then using the knife to make it thinner, you have to make the loudest sound possible on both notes, if it keeps the intonation then ok, if it doesn't you'd have to tighten the 2 brass wires which can get loss, this usually fixes the intonation for me without having to cut the tip which is a very invasive thing to do on a reed

i love the bassoon and i eventually want to learn it, but everything i learn about it just makes it even more confusing

Impressive amount of editing man! Cool to see you make this type of video, and Imma hold my questions about your reeds until the making reeds video comes :D Super excited!

super high quality video! keep making videos like these, you deserve way more views😊

I finally received my bassoon and I'm looking for reeds, thank you!

Also this man deserves way more views, these videos are fun to watch!

So much good info in this, great work!!

Dude, I have no idea why I just watched a video of this length on making reeds as I play the piano :). But you did a really great job in your content and editing.

This is so helpful! I've been teaching myself bassoon on my own, which probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done since I've never played a wind instrument before. But I can play up to the G above the stave right now. I got my instrument with a lot of extra reeds that I couldn't get to work, so I bought one that did from a bassoonist. Now, I think I might try making some adjustments to some of them to see if I can get a few more operable so that I have some backup reeds. This video is so helpful! I love my bassoon so much, and I'm really lucky to have it. SO, I'm bound and determined to get good at it. :)

As a tuba player, I just finished watching the whole video. Great work & fun to watch! It helped me understand a lot about double reeds! By the way, you look like Tony Leung, a very famous actor in Hong Kong.

I'm sax player and definitely not professional but I have found Fibracell to be my favorite synthetic reed. Looks, feels and plays very much like cane and can be scraped and clipped if needed but lasts a long time, doesn't rot or mould and does not need soaking. Unfortunately I don't think they make double reeds but maybe something like a bass sax reed would have enough material to make a bassoon reed out of? Many like Legere but I have not gotten them to work very well for me.

Ah he’s I definitely need to know this as a clarinet/sax player. Good video, liked and subbed

YASSS! Birthday Suit for the win! 🤘🤘👏👏👏

I almost want to get one of those Legere synthetic reeds just because it looks cool! 😂 May never use it, but amusing anyway…

Omg this was so funny hope to see more soon

I’m originally a clarinet player, and I chose to play the bassoon. It took a little convincing, but my director allowed my to play bassoon. I’m interested in trying to learn how to make my own reeds, and I was wondering if you could do a video on reed making along with the tools needed.

As a trumpet player i see this as an absolute win

How long before playing do you soak the reeds in water? Do you keep more reeds soaking in water while you are playing?

I wanted to ask about Legere double reeds. I primarily play saxophone and I find much more consistency with Legere reeds but I’m not sure if it’s the same with double reeds. Also they cost $130. 🤨

Does anyone know where I can buy double reeds for bassoon online? My teacher told me a place but I didn’t quite catch it I think she said Recks

Jiffy is the way to go

Hi! Do you know how cutting the edges of the opening of the reed changes the sound? Because i have some reeds where the edge is similar to yours, but i also have some reeds where theres a small slanted cut at each side of the opening of the reed

thanks for the video i don't play Bassoon but it's interesting to watch, and why are you so funny?

ETSY is the bomb for finding well made reeds!!

Excellant!

How long should my Reed be?

But You can work on those synthetic reeds, just like the wood ones. Try it!

@bassoondan can u do weber bassoon solo OP .75

The Purple wrap was my ride or die reed before I learned to make my own. The company went out of business in 2000 or so and when they came back I don't know if the company reopened, or someone just bought the name. The quality went way down.

I'm sorry if this is a dumb or annoying question, but any advice on where to get a used bassoon for cheap (sub $500)? Alternative options, good places to look, etc? I'd be a complete beginner. Again, sorry if this is a stupid question...

I don't even play any woodwind and I watched the whole video

Him just casually breaking the reed hurts me 😭

What’s the name of the tool that you use to cut the tip of the reed? (Instead of a guillotine)

my mom got me those in sixth grade they all came extremely sharp or brocken.

Wasn't expected an idubbbs reference 😂

i play basoon, and i always think it sound like freddys nose when you tap it in game 😂

Dan you flashed that veiny arm a little too fast I thought it was something else 😂😂😂

Are singin’ dog bassoon reeds good

flavored reeds are my fav novelty (as a chronic Broken Reed Eater) but i would Never put them on my instrument 😭😭

Y DID YOU DO THAT TO THE SINGEL REED

12:19 "HoW dArE you TrY tO ScAm MeEe AnD mY cHiLd"

Cup-shaped...😬 stares in French horn funneled shaped mouthpiece.

As a beginner bassoon player, seeing those open reeds gives me the creeps

Wow, 3 months max life span for a reed? All my reeds are fine and I have had them for a year!

i have to use music and arts reeds until my director finds a reed supplier 😭😭

most double reeds know the companies

I feel spoiled with my flute rn..