The Bassoon Wind | Woodwind | Double Reed Aerophone Listen to the Bassoon Bassoon and the Contra Bassoon are my biggest love. I had the most wonderful time studying at school and music college, and I went on to play with some of the most prestigious players and ensembles in the world. The Bassoon makes a wonderful deep, mellow sound. A big sound from a big instrument, an incredible three-metre-long tube, it's doubled over though, so that it is manageable. It can often be a handful but it’s well worth it. ​ The Bassoon has the lowest pitch in the woodwind family and an enormous range of three octaves. You could think of the Bassoon as a bass oboe, having a double reed and a conical bore. ​ A vital part of the orchestra since the 1700s, nearly all orchestral scores feature the Bassoon. Mozart wrote a bassoon concerto, as did Vivaldi, and Telemann wrote two Bassoon Sonatas. ​ One of the most well known Bassoon parts is "In the Hall of the Mountain King " from Grieg's Peer Gynt suite. Followed by the fabulous Sorcerer's Apprentice by Dukas. Notable pieces that feature the Bassoon: ​ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Bassoon Concerto Edvard Grieg – In the Hall of the Mountain King Paul Dukas – The Sorcerer's Apprentice Camille Saint-Saëns – Sonata for Bassoon and Piano Heitor Villa-Lobos – Ciranda das sete notas Paquito D'Rivera – Lauro for bassoon (Five Venezuelan Waltzes for Solo Bassoon) Ludwig Milde – Fifty Concert Studies, Opus 26 Jeff Scott – Elegy for Innocence for Bassoon & Piano Vernon Elliott - Ivor the Engine ​ Back to Woodwind Section If you are thinking about learning to play an instrument, or you’ve decided, but aren’t sure which one, let me help you choose. We can chat, and you can have a go at different instruments, to see which one would suit you best. If you leave your email, or ask your mum and dad to, I will get back to you, or your parents, with more information.

The Clarinet Wind | Woodwind | Single Reed Aerophone I moved on to the Clarinet from the Recorder. It was a new challenge, a single reed to deal with and different fingerings. Based on its predecessor the Chalumeau, the Clarinet is generally accepted to have been invented by Johann Christoph Denner in the early 1700s. ​ The Clarinet has a mellow, woody sound, very different to the recorder. Learning to play the Clarinet gave me the opportunity to play in the beginner band at school. I made new friends and had a great experience. ​ A favourite of classical composers, with many concertos to choose from. The Clarinet is also a key player in Big Band and of course Jazz. A single reed aerophone, the B♭ soprano clarinet and A soprano clarinet are the most popular. Listen to the Clarinet Notable pieces that feature the Clarinet: ​ Aaron Copland - Clarinet Concerto Carl Maria von Weber - Clarinet Concerto No. 2 Johannes Brahms - Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E flat Leonard Bernstein - Sonata for Clarinet & Piano George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue Claude Debussy - Premiere Rhapsodie Malcolm Arnold - Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano Gerald Finzi - Clarinet Concerto Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5 Francis Poulenc - Sonata for Clarinet &Piano ​ Back to Woodwind Section If you are thinking about learning to play an instrument, or you’ve decided, but aren’t sure which one, let me help you choose. We can chat, and you can have a go at different instruments, to see which one would suit you best. If you leave your email, or ask your mum and dad to, I will get back to you, or your parents, with more information.