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Bassoon Learning Methods

The best way to learn the Bassoon

Our ‘Beginner’s Guide To Learning The Bassoon’ collection is built to support you with your desire to learn a new musical instrument. We are here every step of the way, and this section focuses on the types of learning methods that are available.

Bassoon Learning Methods

Primary ways for Bassoon Learning Methods

All people learn in a different way. Lots of people can recall telephone numbers easily, though others may not even have the capacity to read. We’re all special and unique. It’s because of this that we can confidently say that there isn’t one perfect approach to studying a musical instrument.

We have four obvious methods of learning. They are:

  • Traditional, face-to-face, one-to-one learning
  • Traditional, face-to-face, group lessons
  • Video Tutorials
  • Apps 
Whatever your individual circumstance, one of these four choices are going to be ideal for you.  We just need to find out which one…
Bassoon Learning Methods

Traditional, face-to-face, one-to-one lessons

If you think of bassoon lessons, your first image is probably something like this….

Having private, one to one lessons is probably the most sought after method of learning the bassoon and can be an incredible experience if you find the right teacher. There really is no substitute for being able to absorb all of the knowledge of your teacher, and for having tailor-made lessons.

There is a problem though:

Not every teacher is a good teacher – and not every amazing player is a good teacher.

In fact, the scary thing is that to become a music teacher, you don’t need any qualifications at all. Nothing. Zip. A complete novice could take money from people, and pass themselves off as an expert. This, dear reader, is the downside to a traditional teacher.

Quality control.

Get a good one though, and it can be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever experience.

You need to find an experienced teacher who you really connect with. This person will understand your needs, your learning style will make you laugh and is someone you look forward to seeing every lesson. This person wants to go on a journey with you and not just to impart information and get paid. They want to celebrate your achievements with you and inspire you.

Such teachers as these are rare, and as the bassoon is one of the less commonly played instruments (for now!), these teachers are even less easy to find. Good news though, the bassoon community is small and friendly, and recommendations are the way forward!

Out of all of the options on this page, this is the most expensive. However, the bassoon is an instrument that you can’t just sit down and play, like a piano. It requires individual tailoring of reeds to you, just to get a sound! And reeds – being made out of cane – change all of the time, particularly with the weather and temperature.

Your teacher will educate you on how to adjust and manage your reeds, based on how they respond, sound and feel. This is something that is difficult to do without being there in person, at least in the early days. It takes experience to be able to make minute adjustments with a range of specialist tools, both from teacher and player.

Bassoon Learning Methods

PROS

CONS

Conventional, face-to-face, Class sessions

Bassoon Learning Methods

Based upon your geographical area, you might be able to find group sessions.  The ethos is just like one-to-one trainings, though the price is reduced since the trainer has to split their time between every one of the students.

For orchestral musical instruments, like violins, group lessons are quite a smart idea to begin with.  Virtually all professional violinists in fact end up as one of many violins inside an orchestra.  The Bassoon will be slightly different, however.  It is very much a solo instrument.

How often have you seen pianists playing together in a group? Thought not…

PROS

CONS

Video Tutorials

Free Courses

Youtube Ted'S List

YouTube is needless to say the global superpower with regards to movie content.  There is a significant amount on this platform for Bassoon Lessons and it’s not possible to review all of them.

Like many things in life, 95% of the material you’ll stumble upon is rather dreadful, with the other 5% being absolutely incredible. The secret to success is to discover 5%, and that may be easier said than done.

For online tutorials, we really like Play With A Pro Academy  for learning alongside having a physical teacher. Specific topics, masterclasses and general advice are available, from some of the best bassoonists around!

For those who would rather not spend your money, and to use the totally free content material on YouTube, you’ll need to spend a decent amount of your energy finding a well-respected teacher that you like.

Paid Courses

Paid Video

You will discover 100’s of paid bassoon programs on the web.  Yet again, like YouTube, it’s not possible to review all of them.  Suffice to say, the two most widely used platforms are:

 

Udemy is popular the world over for online learning in thousands of different disciplines. It can provide beginner, intermediate and advanced bassoon tuition, with an average cost of approximately £49.99 for a course of lessons.

Bassoon Learning Methods

This is a great site, catering from beginners to professionals – there’s always something to learn! The credentials of the teachers are second to none, and the list available is made up from players in orchestras all over the world, as well as teachers from renowned Conservatoires. 

You can set your requirements and the system matches you to the best teachers for them. The lesson rate is set by the teacher, but most of them offer a free “meet the teacher” session so you can chat before you buy.

Teachers are available for any budget, and with duration and regularity of lessons by mutual consent – even one-offs!

PROS

CONS

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Zoom Lessons

Music Lessons Online

If you’re looking for that one-to-one setup, but don’t want to trek around to a teachers house every week, then online lessons can work really well.

There are A LOT of companies out there that do lessons over Zoom, so you have to be ultra careful the quality is up to scratch.  But the service we have found that has consistently great feedback is www.lessonwithyou.com.  We like that they offer a half-hour lesson completely for free so you can try out the service and that they offer flexible scheduling with no contracts.  They have teachers from Julliard, Berkeley, and Johns Hopkins – so the standard is high.  Lastly, we LOVE that they don’t as for your credit card details for the trial lesson.

Bassoon Learning Methods

Bassoon Learning Methods - Summary

Playing the bassoon needs some human interaction, whether face to face or online.

If you want to progress quickly, face to face teaching is the best option.

Video tutorials and apps are a fantastic complement to having a teacher.

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