How to Create an Effective Bassoon Practice Routine as an Adult Learner

Assess Your Current Skill Level and Set Goals

The first step is to honestly evaluate your current abilities. Then, set specific, measurable goals. You are an adult new to the bassoon. You likely need to work on basics. These include embouchure, breath support, finger technique, and reading bass clef notes. If you played bassoon as a child, you may want to refresh your hand position, posture, and tone.

It’s important to set both short and long-term goals to help structure your development. Here are examples of goals you can set to assess your progress over time:

1 Month Goals

• Learn and memorize 1 major scale and arpeggio sequence
• Increase single-breath phrase length from 8 beats to 12 beats
• Learn basic bass clef note reading up to the top line
• Perfect embouchure set-up and hand position fundamentals

3 Month Goals

• Learn all 12 major scales in one octave
• Comfortably read notes in bass clef up to one ledger line above/below staff
• Increase practice session length from 15 minutes to 30 minutes
• Learn 2 beginner solos like Mozart’s “Allegro” or “Arietta”

6 Month Goals

• Play through all major and natural minor scales in one octave
• Hold notes steadily for 8-10 seconds with good tone and intonation
• Extend comfortable range down to low Bb and up to third-line D
• Learn 5 intermediate solos such as Telemann Sonatas

1 Year Goals

• Perform all major and minor scales over a two-octave range
• Accurately sightread grade 2 band/orchestra repertoire
• Learn and memorize 8-10 new pieces including solos, etudes, excerpts
• Consider joining a local community band or orchestra

Revisit your goals monthly and evaluate your progress. This will reveal areas needing more attention and give you data to adjust your practice routine accordingly. Celebrate achieving each milestone before setting new ones!

Create a Consistent Bassoon Practice Schedule

Adults have busy schedules. They balance work, family, and other duties. Finding time for regular bassoon practice is hard. However regular daily practice is crucial for reinforcing fundamentals and developing muscle memory. Treat practice times like appointments in your calendar. Vigilantly protect that time from distractions and interruptions.

Determine Optimal Practice Times

Pinpoint the 30-60 minute window when:

• You feel most mentally alert and focused
• Phone calls, family needs, etc., are least likely to interrupt you.
• Your energy levels are higher after taking a walk, eating a snack, etc.

For most adults, the early morning is before work or family is awake. It offers the best chance for distraction-free practice. During lunch breaks also works for some. You could also practice after young kids go to bed. Or before making dinner.

Experiment to find the routine that maximizes your focus. Cut the logistical hurdles to practicing . Set phone reminders so your designated time becomes ingrained.

Start Small

When forming a new habit, like regular bassoon practice, start with small goals. They should feel easy. It’s better to set a 15-minute per day goal and hit it. Then, to plan a big one-hour session and quit after a few days because it’s unrealistic.

Increase your practice times as your embouchure strengthens and you establish consistency. Even doubling from 15 to 30 minutes will pay dividends over time. Baby steps forward still constitute progress.

Practice 4-5 Days Per Week

Daily practice is best. But, practicing 4-5 days a week can still lead to big improvement. If you miss one day, pick back up the next day rather than quitting because your streak was “ruined.” Life happens – keep going!

The key is regularity, not length. Even shorter sessions are better. They are very consistent. They will engrain skills better than long, sporadic ones.

Create an Organized, Distraction-Free Practice Area

Having a designated area used only for bassoon practice is essential for productivity. Choose a quiet space away from TV noise, phone ringers, and kids’ toys. Set up your music stand and method books. Also, put your assigned pieces, metronome, pencil, and sound recorder within reach. Also, put any other needed materials within reach.

Choose a Consistent Location

Practicing in the same organized place daily trains your brain. It learns to associate that space with focused work. This primes you for better memory and muscle memory development. It’s better than changing locations.

Avoid spaces with visual distractions like windows or artwork to limit divided attention. Face a blank wall instead while practicing to keep concentrated.

Sound Isolate Your Space

If you can’t have complete silence at home, try to quiet outside noises. For example, from TVs or washing machines. Sound panels, heavy curtains, and carpet help absorb ambient noises while practicing. Wearing headphones while you play connects you better to the bassoon sound too.

Record Your Practice Sessions

Use a smartphone, external mic, or other recording device to tape yourself regularly. Compare recent to older recordings to hear progress over time. Celebrate small wins! Detailed benefits of recording practice sessions are covered later in this article.

By organizing your physical practice environment optimally, you set yourself up for success.

Structure Your Practice Sessions

With limited available practice time, having a plan in place is essential for efficiency. Here are key elements to incorporate into each session:

Warm Up

• Spend 5 minutes on long tones, slowly increasing pitch and dynamics
• Run through 1-2 scales, focusing on evenness between high and low registers

Fundamentals

• Work on 1-2 technique exercises from trusted method books like Weissenborn Practical Method or Rubank Intermediate Method. Focus on posture, embouchure, articulation, tone quality, and breathing exercises.

Repertoire

• Spend the bulk of your remaining time learning and polishing repertoire. Break harder sections into smaller parts and slowly increase speed with the metronome.

Review and Set Goals

• Conclude each session by revisiting problem spots and outlining 1-2 achievable goals for the next practice.

This session structure ensures you warm up. It also enforces the fundamentals. You will learn new songs and progress step by step. Now let’s explore each of those elements in more detail.

Warm Up Exercises

Warming up before diving into repertoire or technique exercises is crucial for avoiding injury and priming your embouchure, air support, and fingers. Here are the go-to warm-up exercises:

Long Tones

• Set your metronome to 60 BPM
• Play a comfortable mid-range note like middle G
• Use steady airstream and vibration from your diaphragm
• Crescendo and decrescendo over 8-10 beats
• Move up by half or whole steps. Repeat across the full range.

Focus on the consistency of your tone, vibration, and pitch accuracy. Keep supporting air moving through the entire long tone without letting the sound taper out.

Flexibility Exercises

• Play a five-note scale segment, slowly accelerating each repeat
• Use legato articulation between each note
• Increase speed until you reach your limit while retaining control
• Repeat starting on different scale degrees

Start at a modest tempo that allows clean articulation. Muscle memory develops through daily repetition.

Air Capacity

• Take a full breath using your diaphragm
• Play a comfortable mid-range note like middle G
• Hold the pitch steadily without vibrato
• Sustain the tone as long as possible with good quality
• Repeat several times, aiming to increase the duration

Use a tuner or recording device to ensure your pitch stays centered without wavering sharp or flat as you run out of air.

Scales

• Play one major scale through the full range of your instrument
• Use even, moderate articulation between notes
• Focus on smooth transitions between registers
• Pay attention to problem intervals like the transition from G to A

Use a tuner to listen for inconsistent pitches. Take each scale slowly at first.

Fundamental Technique Exercises

After warming up, spend time on posture, embouchure, and finger dexterity. Also work on articulation and other basics. Mastering these core techniques makes learning repertoire much easier down the road.

Here are recommended exercises drawn from the Weissenborn Practical Method for Bassoon text:

Posture

• Stand with both feet firmly planted shoulder-width apart
• Hold your bassoon at a 45-degree angle from your body
• Keep head and neck aligned without tilting
• Shoulders should be relaxed and elbows lose
• Grip the bassoon gently with just enough pressure to support it

Have a teacher observe and adjust your posture early on to avoid bad habits.

Embouchure

• Form an “O” with your lips as if saying “Hoot”
• Pull corners of mouth gently back towards ears
• Ensure lips cover teeth fully but jaw remains loose
• Avoid pressing the bassoon reed hard into embouchure

Practice forming embouchure away from the bassoon by buzzing lips together. Learn the proper “feel”.

Finger Dexterity

• Keep wrists straight and fingers curved
• Use finger motion from knuckles, not flat fingers
• Lift fingers just above tone holes, don’t pull them away
• Apply only necessary pressure to seal holes
• Practice finger patterns slowly, then accelerate

Repeated daily practice with a metronome will increase finger speed and accuracy.

Tenuto Articulation

• Play a comfortable mid-range note
• Use diaphragm to begin note cleanly
• Hold pitch steady without wavering
• Crescendo then decrescendo before releasing
• Rest 2 beats between each note

Listen for clear starts/stops and dynamic shaping through each note.

Intervals

• Slowly play notes moving between intervals like thirds
• Pay close attention to half-hole patterns
• Use a tuner to listen for accurate pitches
• Gradually increase tempo with a metronome

Accurate half-holing takes daily reinforcement to become automatic.

These fundamental exercises from just one method book offer enough material for weeks of practice. Seek out additional exercises to continually build new skills.

Learning and Polishing Repertoire

The bulk of your practice time should focus on learning new solo, etude, excerpt, and ensemble repertoire and polishing existing pieces. Here is an effective step-by-step process:

1. Slow Play-Through

• Sightread a new piece from beginning to end at a languid tempo
• Don’t stop for mistakes initially – focus on continuous forward progress
• Determine the key, time signature, style, and your basic approach
• During a second read-through, pause to take more detailed notes

2. Small Sections

• Divide harder parts into 1-2 measure segments
• Increase metronome tempo gradually as each segment becomes comfortable
• Repeat 3-5 times before moving ahead

3. Link Sections

• Chain-mastered segments together into longer sections
• Use the metronome to ensure rhythm accuracy
• Confirm sections have consistent tone, intonation, articulation

4. Full Pieces

• Run through the full piece from start to finish
• Identify any remaining tricky spots needing isolation
• Consider recording yourself to listen back critically

5. Performance Prep

• Practice performing the piece from memory
• Focus on stylistic elements like dynamics and phrasing
• Move the metronome slightly faster than the final tempo
• Record and listen back again before polishing further

This deliberate segmenting, rehearsing, and reintegrating process allows efficient mastery of new repertoire.

Review and Set Goals

Conclude each practice session by revisiting the problem spots you flagged during the session. If you don’t have time to smooth them out further, make notes in your music so you remember what to focus on next practice.

Setting concrete goals for your next session based on what you just worked on will help structure your improvement. Having defined goals not only keeps you on track but also motivates a sense of progress.

Here’s an example practice session goal:

• Work on measure 16 Bb-C trill transition in Vivaldi Concerto 1st movement. The goal tempo is quarter note = 92 bpm. Currently shaky at 80 bpm.

Treat yourself to a small reward like a favorite snack or social media break after completing each practice session. Celebrate meeting daily goals, no matter how small. Progress takes patience and self-encouragement!

Supplement with Music Theory Study

While essential, pure bassoon practice only gets you so far. Supplementing your skill development with music theory and musicianship study will greatly accelerate your overall musicality and ability to sightread bassoon repertoire. Understanding key signatures, chord progressions, cadences, and other musical concepts provides context that aids quick orientation within new pieces of music.

Here are music theory and related skills to methodically build:

Note Reading Fluency

• Memorize note names and positions on bass clef staff
• Drill note identification daily with flashcards
• Work through progressive note-reading workbooks

Fluency takes daily repetition – don’t rush this critical foundation.

Rhythm Study

• Understand relationships between note durations
• Internalize the feeling of different time signatures
• Speak/clap out rhythms before attempting them on the bassoon
• Practice rhythms separate from pitches at first

Rhythm accuracy is crucial before introducing finger coordination.

Music Signs and Terms

• Memorize meanings of articulation markings
• Learn definitions of common tempo and dynamic markings
• Study differences between major vs minor tonalities
• Test your knowledge with flashcards or apps

Fluency with notation equates to less cognitive load reading music.

Intervals

• Listen to and sing various intervals to understand their sound
• Learn interval distance names (minor 3rd, major 6th, etc)
• Reinforce interval recognition across the bassoon

Intervals form the basis of melody and harmony.

Chords and Chord Progressions

• Study triad and seventh chords (C major 7, E minor, etc)
• Learn the sound and feel of different chord qualities
• Improvise progressions on the bassoon using good voice leading

Harmonic context aids musical expression.

Scales and Scale Degrees

• Understand the pattern of whole steps and half steps that comprise scales and modes
• Memorize key signature sharps/flats associations
• Improvise across various scales to internalize their sounds

Scales are the building blocks of melody and improvisation.

Form and Structure

• Study common musical forms (binary, ternary, sonata, etc)
• Learn to identify phrases, periods, and cadences
• Analyze bassoon pieces to understand their architecture

Grasping musical form aids memorization and interpretation.

Ear Training

• Practice singing back melodies and rhythms by ear
• Transcribe recordings of bassoon pieces or solos
• Use apps or software for melodic and harmonic dictation

Strengthen the connection between your inner ear and your bassoon playing.

Composition and Improvisation

• Write your own short pieces or études for bassoon
• Improvise over chord progressions or backing tracks
• Explore creating countermelodies or harmonies to known tunes

Consistent daily practice is key for internalizing music theory concepts. Aim to dedicate at least 15-30 minutes per day to focused theory study, in addition to your regular bassoon practice. Over time, you’ll find yourself recognizing patterns more quickly, hearing bassoon parts in context, and expressing yourself more fluently through your playing.

Conclusion

You should focus on practicing bassoon technique and music. But, you should also add in music theory, ear training, and musicianship. These will greatly speed up your development.

Fluency in reading is critical. So is internalizing rhythm and mastering chords and scales, and other related skills. They help you orient yourself within new pieces of music. Approach your supplemental study with the same diligence as bassoon practice. Do frequent, focused sessions with flashcards, workbook drills, and listening. These will ensure steady learning over time.

A good training plan is balanced and methodical. It covers the technical and theoretical sides of music. You can quickly advance on the bassoon with it. Trust in the compounding benefits of your layered skill building.

FAQ

How long should I practice bassoon each day?

Start with 15-20 minutes daily and gradually build up to 30-45 minutes as your embouchure develops strength. Remember that regular daily practice trumps longer sporadic sessions.

What if I can’t practice bassoon every single day?

While daily practice is ideal, aim for consistency 4-5 days a week. Pick back up the next day if you miss one session. Regularity matters more than length when establishing habits.

Should I invest in private bassoon lessons?

Even monthly or bi-monthly lessons from a qualified teacher provide invaluable feedback on embouchure, technique, and assignment progress. Lessons plus self-directed practice are best.

What should I look for in a new bassoon?

Prioritize an instrument with comfortable, responsive keywork, rich tone in all registers, and solid intonation. Consider using professional models around $3,000-5,000 to start.

What music theory concepts should I study?

Start by memorizing bass clef notes, rhythms, articulations, intervals, scales, common chords/progressions, and other musical terminology. Fluency accelerates sightreading.

How can I stay motivated as an adult student?

Set small, achievable goals each week while acknowledging wins. Join local ensembles for performance opportunities. Reconnect with your “why” for learning.

What should I listen for when recording my playing?

Critically analyze tone, intonation, note accuracy, articulation, rhythm, phrasing, and musicality. Compare old and new recordings to hear progress over time.