Intonation is largely viewed as a "bonus" for young bassoonists, but, more often than not, major intonation issues are indicative of bigger fundamental problems with setup. Consider the following common scenarios:
  1. You have a bassoonist who plays loudly but flat. "More air" does not seem to do anything except increase dynamic, and the student is compelled or instructed to generically "support" more or "lip up" the pitch.
  2. You have a bassoonist who sounds generally quite nice but plays consistently sharp in notes printed above bass clef and demonstrates a limited dynamic range.
In these cases, both Bassoonist 1 and 2 have minor pitch issues that, left untended, will likely develop into major issues navigating the support balance among reed, air, and embouchure. With a harder reed, Bassoonist 1 would be able to maintain a relaxed embouchure and active voicing shift to "ay" or "ooh" as their range increases, thus avoiding biting. By releasing embouchure pressure and increasing aural cavity space by voicing lower than "ee," Bassoonist 2 could lower the pitch and increase dynamic range by substituting the biting support with more air speed. As a true "bonus," both Bassoonists 1 and 2 would be at a significantly lower risk for muscle fatigue and related injuries such as TMJ.

The chart below explores what mechanisms of bassoon production are "high note signals" versus "low note signals" to guide pitch adjustment and assist with extreme register response, as well.


​Check-In:

Explain the correlation between intonation and each of the following:
  • reed strength
  • embouchure grip pressure
  • air speed
  • voicing