The Role of 1st Vs. 2nd Bassoon in Ensembles

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In this video, I discuss the different roles and responsibilities of 1st and 2nd bassoon in any type of ensemble.
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00:00 Intro
01:10 Playing 1st Bassoon
14:51 Playing 2nd Bassoon
🙎🏼‍♀️ About Natalie:
Dr. Natalie Law is an active bassoonist and educator based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As an orchestral musician, she has most recently performed with the the Lansing Symphony, the Grand Rapids Symphony, and West Michigan Symphony. Natalie is a founding member of the Lansing-based woodwind quintet, Pure Winds, which was recently named a finalist for The American Prize and released an album under the Orpheus Classical music label. She has toured the United States as a performing artist and clinician at numerous institutions and conferences such as the Midwest Clinic and the International Double Reed Society Conference. Natalie received her DMA from Michigan State University, where she also obtained her Master's degree in bassoon performance. She completed her Bachelor's degrees in both bassoon performance and music education at the University of Montana. Her primary teachers have included Michael Kroth, Dorian Antipa, Elizabeth Crawford, and Jennifer Cavanaugh.
Natalie is passionate about teaching bassoonists. Having grown up in a rural area without a bassoon teacher for hundreds of miles, she understands the need for high quality and accessible online resources. That's why she founded and created Building a Bassoonist: to help students feel confident, successful, and enjoy learning this unique instrument!
💌 Want to get in touch? Shoot me an email at info@buildingabassoonist.com

Опубликовано:

22 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 10

@carolandcindyjamroz433 11 месяцев назад

To me, this sounds a bit formal and aimed at an auditioned, professional, paying gig. Our local college has an all volunteer, non-audition orchestra comprised of both college students and old retired folks like me. I started on second chair when the original 2nd moved on. I did follow the first chair almost as much as following the conductor but I never felt like I was taking direction from her, the conductor has no problem with talking (or shooting a look :)) at individual players. If I really liked the 1st chair part on a particular selection, she would switch with me, it was very informal. We did take on another bassoon so I doubled on second chair for awhile and then I purchased a contrabassoon so now I consider myself as third chair, doubling on contrabassoon and bass clarinet as needed. These videos are all excellent but I think this one is aimed at groups well above what most of us experience. Also, when I am on contrabassoon, I tend to follow more of the trombones and tuba that are usually sitting right behind me.

@BuildingaBassoonist 11 месяцев назад

You’re absolutely right that these guidelines are more formal and the norm in higher level groups. I still encourage students I work with to strive to incorporate some of these ideas into their ensemble playing regardless of their level. I think being able to lead in a 1st bassoonist position and being able to support in a 2nd bassoonist position (along with the other responsibilities I mentioned) are valuable assets to any ensemble. Certainly the conductor can step in as needed, but they aren’t capable of managing every single detail of every single player. Thanks for your thoughts!

@DwainRichardson 11 месяцев назад

In the nearly three years of bassoon playing, I have flip flopped between first and second bassoon chairs depending on conductors’ choice or personal preference. Up to now, I have played in amateur ensembles. Walking into these ensembles, I already had an idea of what the first bassoon role would entail. Consequently, I felt I wasn’t up for the job. As I gained more confidence and experience, however, I have been asked to fill the first bassoon chair. So far, I haven’t felt the need to make final decisions about finger patterns or communicate with other intstrumentalists, as a) bassoonists I have played with up to now have had a few years of playing under their belt, are capable of figuring out which finger patterns work depending on context, and are generally good at knowing where intonation suffers and b) conductors are the ones who keep all sections in check when it comes to intonation. In contexts where I filled the second bassoon chair, I have indeed felt like I had greater responsibility to tune to lower brass (and lower strings in an orchestra setting) because I was often playing the root of each chord with these sections. No small feat, I tell you! Again, aside from taking personal initiative to listen to other sections, conductors kept us all in shape when it comes to intonation. I have yet to take a stab at a third/fourth bassoon or contrabassoon chair. Whether or not that happens in an amateur setting is yet to be seen. As I continue to gain more experience and confidence, I’m gradually considering performance opportunities with higher-end amateur or semi-professional ensembles. Surely, the pointers brought up in this video will be extremely helpful. I am grateful to Dr. Law for sharing her experiences and advice with us. (-:

@9sebitas941 10 месяцев назад

I know it is not related to the video, but I have a question: I have to play my chromatic scale at 120 in sixteenth notes and I wanted to know if I needed double-tonguing for that or if I could use another easier technique to get to that speed. Thank you!

@BuildingaBassoonist 9 месяцев назад

I wouldn’t recommend trying to double tongue your full chromatic scale because low notes are quite difficult to double tongue. Practice slowly and build up the metronome speed gradually over time. This is really the only way to improve your overall speed

@juananaaa 11 месяцев назад

Hey Natalie. I’m currently a Saxophone student and I am interested in learning Bassoon because I want to perform in more orchestral settings compared to that of Jazz. (Saxophone doesn’t offer that as much). Would it be wise to make a switch to Bassoon as a primary or should I just make it a secondary?

@carolandcindyjamroz433 11 месяцев назад

My name is Cindy and I started on clarinet in middle school and migrated to bassoon in high school. I am still a reasonably good clarinetist and I sometimes double on bass clarinet in our local orchestra but I consider my bassoon to be my primary instrument. I also play bari sax in a local jazz band. Bassoons are unique to all other woodwinds in that both of your thumbs are put to quite a bit of work, all the way up and down the relatively extensive range of the bassoon. Bassoon reeds are quite a bit more complicated and temperamental than what you use on your sax so you will probably need to give your bassoon a bit more attention and practice than your sax. It may sound silly but you will kind of bond with your bassoon and you will eventually consider it to be your primary instrument. One major bit of advice I have is to have your bassoon looked at by a good repair shop to make sure it is in good shape. A poorly done repair or the damage they can suffer from school use can cause them to be difficult to play.

@BuildingaBassoonist 11 месяцев назад

I would suggest giving bassoon a try regardless and seeing where it goes. You may find that you love bassoon, or you may find that you really prefer saxophone. It’s not impossible to pursue opportunities and a career as a classical saxophonist, but you’re absolutely right that it has it’s own challenges and limitations (as any instrument does). See how quickly you pick up the bassoon and if you enjoy playing the type of music we play. Can you envision yourself doing this all the time, or only some of the time? It’s totally dependent on you and your goals. Best of luck!

@quimiorlando 11 месяцев назад

I don't know how plausible it is for a bassoon player to play the contrabassoon. I play bassoon and once I tried a contrabassoon and I couldn't get a sound.

@carolandcindyjamroz433 11 месяцев назад

You might have had a reed issue. Also, since a contra sits a bit differently than a bassoon, it might have been hard for you to orient your mouth and body to the reed and bocal. Once you spend some time with a contra, it is fairly easy to make sounds but overall, the instrument is quite different than a bassoon. Many of the keys are shaped a bit differently and there are no open tone holes. Contras do not have a whisper key so at first, I found myself mashing down on the C# key since it is located near where a bassoon’s whisper key would be. Although the basic fingering pattern is similar from a low Bb to open F, the spacing and different shape of some of the keys takes some getting used to. Above the open F, the fingerings begin to change from a bassoon and above a C# just above the staff, a contra is very different from a bassoon. Still, if you ever get a chance to play on on a regular basis, you will have a lot of fun!