Woodwind Clinic

Bassoon Repairs
By Elizabeth Rusch Fetters

ood preventive maintenance can keep a bassoon out of the repair shop and save hundreds of dollars. Students should know how to assemble and clean a bassoon correctly. Players should have a boot joint swab with a long chain on the end and a wing joint swab with a drop weight. Throw away any long, skinny swabs on a handle because these are often old and impossible to clean, and they do not fit the entire way into the wing or boot joint. Rotted wood and destroyed pads are two common problems caused by water left in the instrument. Many bassoonists who started on other woodwind instruments learned

to lay their instrument in their laps. This approach is fine for flutes but creates a risk of damage on bassoon. It should be held up at the side and brought to the front of the body when the conductor steps on the podium. When a bassoon is laid on its side inevitably the instrument will hit something or the arm of a nearby student will break the reed. Also, water can seep into the unlined side of the instrument or into the pads. After consulting with several experts, I learned that basic repairs of keys, cork, and pads are the same on all woodwinds. There are just a few repairs that are unique to bassoon. Because

your local repair technician maybe be less familiar with the bassoon, there are some facts that you should share. Wood bassoons are made of maple, a much softer wood than the grenadilla used to make oboes and clarinets. Screws will pull out of maple. When reattaching key guards, a body lock, or anything else to the body, do not use a large size screw, which could destroy the hole or come through the other side into the bore. Between the two joints there should be a body lock to hold the joints and tendons together and protect against stress. The hell ring should be on the bassoon to guard against cracking caused by an impact.

In residence at Stony Brook University

Emerson String Quartet
Eugene Drucker, Violin Philip Setzer, Violin Lawrence Dutton, Viola David Finckel, Cello

The quartet joins an internationally recognized faculty, plays a central role in the Stony Brook Chamber Music Program, and directs the Emerson Quartet International Chamber Music Workshop.

Chamber Music Faculty includes

Elaine Bonazzi Colin Carr Joseph Carver Kevin Cobb Christina Dahl Pamela Frank Daniel Gilbert Philippe Graffin Gilbert Kalish Soovin Kim Eduardo Leandro Timothy Long Frank Morelli Kathryn Murdock Michael Powell William Purvis Stephen Taylor Chris Pedro Trakas Carol Wincenc For more information, visit our Web site www. stony brook, edu/music or call (631)632-7330.
Stony Brook University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity Educator and employer.

STSNY BRCV^K
46

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

THE INSTRUMENTALIST / MARCH 2008

Bassoon tendons should have string, not cork, because wrapped string is stronger than cork and helps protect the tendons from cracking. Cork makes assembling and taking apart a bassoon almost impossible during humid weather, but a player or repair person can add or remove string so the tendons fit securely in any season. The U-tube at the bottom of the bassoon's boot joint is covered and may be an overlooked cause of leaks. A quick look at the cork, once the Utube is removed, will show if it is leaking. A spot on the cork between the two bores indicates that water has leaked in and the cork is probably not sealing. It also does not hurt to replace it with a slightly thicker cork. Although most repairs on bassoons are similar to those on other woodwind instruments, it is important to remember that not all bassoon tone holes are flat. Some pads on the bassoon are so large that they actually transverse the curve of the instrument, resulting in convex pad seatings. The pancake key is the most difficult pad to seat. The BI> key on the back of the boot is also interesting, with three tone holes under it. This pad ought to cover and seal all three holes.

Repair technicians do not all agree on the best pads to use on a bassoon. If the bassoon is not too old, try ordering replacement pads from the manufacturer to guarantee that the replacements will fit properly. Some believe that pads on the bassoon should be

cupped and stitched in the middle and the stitch filled with wax. This is a laborious process, but some repair technicians believe that if the pad is not stitched it will eventually fall into the tone hole, causing a faint buzzing sound. The material used for modern

A World- Wide Music Community On The Web Private Instruction by The World's Finest Musicians

piano, organ, wind, brass, strings, voice, theory, history, jazz and classical

muc ny
Join the Music Community: Membership is free.

MARCH 2008 / THE INSTRUMENTALIST

47

Address Changes - Subscription Renewal - Questions & Comments www.instrumentalistmagazine.com or call 888-446-6888

Denis Wick Mouthpieces & Mutes

For the Best Prices and Availability Visit www.dfmusicinc.com

pads prevents this problem and makes stitching unnecessary. Ultimately it does not matter what type of pad is used as long as these seat properly. All agree that kid-skin pads made of goat hide are best for wood bassoons because the softer, more flexible material makes seating the pad easier. Cow-leather pads do not work on bassoons because they are too stiff. Saxophone pads can work in a pinch, hut some may have a small rivet in them that will destroy the pad and wood on a bassoon. Clean the pad seat before reseating the pad because dirt can build up. If the tone hole looks particularly bad, it can be treated with linseed oil to seal and protect the wood. When working with keys on the boot joint, be careful not to lose the push-through rods that go through the instrument. Consult with a qualified bassoon technician before attempting any work on the bore or tone holes on a bassoon. Some tone holes are drilled at an angle; some in the boot are drilled through to the other bore. This will not typically be a problem for someone who works primarily on school instruments. There is no easy answer for repairing bocals. Dents can be taken out of a bocal but it will never play the same

Or Call 630-267-9828 Fax 630-357-7593

The Largest Selection AH Models and Sizes Now Available

OF MUSIC m, me.

If Music is your passion, and performing - a dream.

Elizabeth Rusch Fetters teaches sixth grade general music and chorus for Harford County Public Schools in Bel Air, Maryland, She has been teaching bassoon and oboe privately for more than five years. She has a master of music degree in bassoon performance from Kent State University and a bachelor's degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
48 THE INSTRUMENTALIST/ MARCH 2008

again, Recorking a bocal is simple, and cracked bocals should probably be sent to a specialist. If you have tried everything you can think of and the instrument still plays terribly, try cleaning out the bocal. This step is often overlooked, but bocals can collect a great deal of debris. Some manufacturers make poor bocals, but a terrific bocal can make even the worst bassoon sound good. CH Steve Wendelken, Pete LaVictor, and Brody Roshenberger shared their bassoon repair experience for this article.

.S**0

Cadenza by Leblanc
Conn-Selmer offers the Cadenza clarinet line for high school players making the transition to college playing. Just like more advanced Leblanc clarinets, the Cadenza offers the highest quality grenadilla wood, silver-plated keys, and two ringless barrels in cocobolo and grenadilla for flexibility of sound and pitch. The instrument also comes with a compact backpack case and a hard rubber mouthpiece with a Bonade inverted silver ligature and cap. (www.conn-selmer.com)

DEPAUW UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF Music

LudwigMasters Publications
The Ludwig Music Publishing Company, Great Works Publishing, and Masters Publications have been consolidated in the newly formed LudwigMasters Publications. The new company will continue to carry all catalog items and the same prices. LudwigMasters will continue to distribute works of Maecenas, SDG, Stone, Brook, Masters, and Great Works. (800-434-6340)

DEPAUW

FOR MORK INI ORMATION:

MARCH 2008 / THE INSTRUMENTALIST

49