A Guide On How to Buy a Bassoon for Your Child Part Two - Mini, Short Reach or Full Size Bassoon

Buying a bassoon for your child can be a daunting process. Bassoons are high value instruments and whether you are buying a new or second hand bassoon, there are risks involved - not all bassoons are good bassoons, and even a good bassoon won't necessarily be the right bassoon for your child. However, with a little guidance this process can be made simple and your child can look forward to many happy years of bassoon playing. This blog is Part Two in a series written for parents or anyone else buying a bassoon for someone else.

by Artist Gek Tessaro

The Keys to a Successful Bassoon Purchase

Begin by considering the size of bassoon your child needs. How old is your child? What size hands does he/she have? The bassoon is a large instrument that requires relatively large sized hands to play (note that there are also many adults with relatively small hands so the same advice applies). This is partly due to the large size and weight of the bassoon, but also due to the large stretch between keys and open holes for fingers. In order to facilitate those with smaller hands bassoon manufacturers have designed bassoons and key work to fit people with different hand sizes, from very small to large. 

For those with small hands the options are:

- Mini bassoon / tenoroon (roughly half sized) up to the age of about 9 or 10. The Ludlow Mini-Bassoon is in the key of G and has a brighter sound than a full sized bassoon. It is a fantastic tool for getting your child started at a very early age on the bassoon. It's tiny size and key work mirroring that of a full size bassoon make it a great instrument to start a child on. The mini-bassoon has been utilized with great success by bassoon teachers at schools for some time now and has become something music services cannot do without

- Short reach bassoon - often ages 10 to 13 - these are full sized instruments but with extended key work for those with smaller hands. Short reach bassoons have been around for quite some time with just an extra key for the left hand third finger (the traditional open hole can be hard to reach), but these days there is a lot more help than just one extra key. This help comes largely in the form of 'stretched' or elongated key work that falls within easier reach of the fingers, in particular the left hand thumb.

For those with larger hands the option is:

- Full size bassoon - This is the standard size bassoon for adults and young people with larger hands. Usually once most children have reached the age of twelve or thirteen they are beginning to outgrow the short reach bassoon they have been using. Upgrading to a full size bassoon is then necessary to allow the fingers to spread out so they can keep playing comfortably. 

The best way to decide which size bassoon is most suited to your child is to let your child have a go on his/her teacher's bassoon or alternatively speak to us.

Consider your Budget - New or Second hand. Once you have decided which size bassoon your child needs, your next step will be to consider your budget. Buying a second hand bassoon can cost you significantly less but you need to know what you are doing. In our next blog in this series (Part Three) we will discuss the 'dos and don'ts' of buying both new and second hand bassoons. Follow our advice and you won't go wrong! Part Three coming soon

Ludlow Mini-Bassoon in G Arrives for Budding Mini-Bassoonists

It's arrived! The recent development of the mini-bassoon is revolutionary. This little bassoon is making a big difference by allowing children as young as six and seven years old to learn the bassoon, at last putting the bassoon on an equal footing with the other woodwinds of the orchestra.

Ludlow Mini Bassoon

Historically young people have had to wait until roughly the age of twelve before they could have their first lesson on the bassoon due to the bassoon being too large for smaller children to handle. For a seven year old the finger holes are unreachable and the bassoon is too big and unwieldy (the full size bassoon is taller than most seven year olds!) This has resulted in the bassoon, one of the most beautiful instruments in the orchestra, being one of the rarest. 

Not only did the bassoon player have to wait until roughly the age of twelve (depending on their size) before taking up the bassoon, but they then had to catch up with players of other orchestral instruments who had been playing since the age of seven. This has inevitably put countless children off starting to learn the bassoon.

The recent development of the short-reach bassoon (a full-sized bassoon with modified key work) has allowed young people to start bassoon lessons a couple of years earlier, at the age of about ten years old. But short-reach bassoons are still too large and unwieldy for six to nine year olds.

So what is special about the Ludlow mini bassoon in the key of G?

• Plays in the key of G, five notes higher than a full-size bassoon - bassoon like in sound but naturally brighter
• Suitable for age 7-11, until ready for a full size bassoon
• Almost identical key work to a full size bassoon makes for easy progression
• Accurate intonation and tuning
• Special dense ABS plastic resin body has highly resonant acoustic properties, just like maple. Requires no maintenance; rot-proof, crack-proof and very tough
• Durable nickel silver plated keys and mechanism
• Unique high register vent key which allows the instrument to sing in the top register
• Strong, light hard case half the size of a standard bassoon case
• Comes with everything you need to get started
• Can be used with full size bassoon reed or special mini-bassoon reed

Is there music for the mini-bassoon in the key of G?

Yes! Take a look at the specially written music at Anselma Music . Many teachers also like to transpose music for the mini-bassoon so it can play in ensembles alongside full sized bassoons. More and more music is being written for mini-bassoons as their place in the bassoon curriculum is being universally recognised. In lessons though, the Ludlow mini-bassoon can play standard bassoon music. It plays a fifth higher but as long as your keep it a 'mini-bassoon' lesson it works a treat and the transition to full size bassoon is smooth.

The mini-bassoon is designed as a way into bassoon playing for children from the age of seven. The Ludlow Mini-Bassoon retails at £1,450 and can be trialled through the Double Reed Ltd. website here:

http://www.doublereed.co.uk/index.htm