Band Director Vs. Bassoon: Can I remember how to play this thing?

[@Avery-o2s]

I’m a bassoonist!!! I love the bassoon sooooo much!!! I’ve marched it before!! Like if you love bassoons!!

[@Kowalski-V12]

I liked and I love bassoons. I also play bassoon

[@averagejoes2884]

i wish i could play bassoon but im a trombone and idk how to get one

[@RookMP4]

you did *what* with a bassoon

[@justHannn]

how did you march with a bassoon?? 😂

[@giawelch1181]

@@Avery-o2s I've marched bassoon too, but only for the spring parade. Winter parade and marching band I played mallets in the pit percussion. I did use a neck strap to match, but it's uncomfortable.

[@angelaflook1271]

#1. I love you. #2. I'm so happy the world knows that I'm your best friend. #3. Sorry, the boot strap is in my reed bag. Also, yes, that's reed looks new because it's store bought which means I never played it. #4. Let's make a video about making reeds. #5. I only said "no" like 10 times during your video, so ... not too shabby on the facts. Lol. Your awesome!!

[@EmmaHancock-n8l]

I play trumpet but bassoons fascinate me. Their sound is so unique and beautiful! I also loved how excited you seemed when you played it, too!

[@Brain_not_braining]

I’m so happy to see one of my instruments being recognised!!

[@Jwellsuhhuh]

what are your other ones

[@Brain_not_braining]

@ violin, piano and ukulele but mostly piano cuz you don’t have to set it up lmao

[@wyatthagerty8966]

Same

[@Jwellsuhhuh]

@Brain_not_braining I hate setting up my piano

[@Fsnrfynts4.t]

I actually play the same brand of bassoon! Currently the only bassoonist in my school

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

You have a nice one!

[@Fsnrfynts4.t]

I do, I never tried any other bassoon though and it’s not my primary

[@tubabaribass7098]

Actually, I'm the other Bassoonist at your school

[@Fsnrfynts4.t]

Crazy

[@aboudreauxtg]

I’d be concerned if you weren’t the only one lol 😂

[@MakenaHilkemann]

As a bassoonist you made my day but showing us a bassoon. 0:48 you can put joints is at the same time or you can put the shorter one in first. 0:58 the longer one is called the long joint. The shorter one is called the wing (or tenor) joint. The pin thing is called the whisper key lock. 2:06 some bassoon will have nine keys instead of just the eight 2:22 it’s better is you hold the top key down when you put the bell on so you don’t damage the connection point. 2:33 if you are sitting down it’s better to use a seat strap and if your standing you use the neck strap. 2:58 glad to see you soaking your reed 3:15 their are different size bocals 0, 1, 2 or 3 lengths. The lower the number, the shorter the bocal and the higher the pitch. Sizes 1 and 2 are the most common. 4:44 you are absolutely correct you need to pick it up by the boot especially if you’re not used to the instrument. Thank you so much for this video!! Edit: I decided to add a story it emphasize the importance of only holding it by the boot. At my school, there were two bassoonists me and one other person. We were about to have a performance and we needed another stand so I gave them my bassoon and I went to the band hall to get another stand. When I got back, they was holding my bell in their right hand, and the rest of my bassoon was on the floor. Thankfully, there was only minimal damage, but let’s just say that bassoons are meant to be held by their boots.

[@aidenmonahan1766]

Quick correction, you said the pin at that connects the wing joint and the long joint is called the whisper key lock but that is found on the boot! The pin on the long joint is just called a lock pin. The whisper key lock usually is on the back of the boot joint and keeps the whisper key pressed without you having to touch it. It is usually operated by your right thumb and is just pushed up when you want the whisper key to lock. It is used when switching between the lowest range (Bb1-Eb2) and middle range (E2-G3). Some bassoons, especially student bassoons, don’t even have a whisper key lock

[@Omi-of9ed]

I would not want to be that kid when the band director found out.

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Thank you for all this!! Fantastic information!!!

[@mypicklebrine]

Im a basoonist in middle school and its so fun to see you try to play a basoon! I love your content too!!!!

[@Connor-wj5ep]

I love seeing this! I've been waiting so long to see you play the Bassoon!

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Thanks, it’s a fun instrument

[@c3ubs]

YESSSS BASSOON!! This is soo cool to watch, I started playing bassoon around a year ago and I love it soooo much!!!!

[@briannawrightson8184]

I am so excited to see some bassoon content!!!!!!! I’m a music ed major and bassoon is my primary.

[@aidenmonahan1766]

HAHA hi Brianna! 👋

[@luiseweber1043]

This was so funny to watch. I am playing Bassoon for over seven years and I am the only one in our orchestra. It's so cool to see someone truly interesting in this (not so beginner-friendly) Instrument. There is a lot you get used to it over time, but seeing someone trying it brings all the struggles back. 😅 (Sorry for my not so perfect English, it's a foreign language for me)

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Glad to see another bassoon player in the world. Keep playing!

[@dvdjoe8739]

I recently joined a youth symphony on Bassoon and I really love the instrument.

[@sdiprimeo3615]

Yay, bassoon!! Congratulations on getting it together and playing!! As a bassoonist - a couple notes - I'd recommend (especially for students) holding with one hand on the bottom of the boot and the other hand supporting on the back of the tenor (wing) and long joints, making sure not to put pressure on the whisper key. That said, I've seen a few different methods of holding, just make sure you - or your student - doesn't attempt to pick up the instrument by the bell. Also, I find it best to hold the key on the bell shut so that the lever doesn't get caught on the lever at the top of the long joint - just another instrument safety tip. Best wishes to you and your bassoonist, it's such a fun journey!

[@Poison_Ivy-74]

I play the bassoon! Im so glad it's getting some recognition! Your content is so relatable!

[@scottledbetter7212]

Very cool ! Always loved the sound of a bassoon! Beautiful instrument 😊

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

It is a very cool instrument.

[@SweeperGT]

Bassoon has 9 upper thumb keys actually, that isn’t a Collegiate level bassoon because it doesn’t have a high d key which is used fairly commonly.

[@Kowalski-V12]

I play bassoon and saxophone!! not to hate on saxophone players I like the bassoon more

[@Avery-o2s]

YESSSSSS!!!!

[@midwestvoice5583]

I'm in the first stage of puberty and your helping me get through it, how? Well you are calm and funny and your the best!

[@giawelch1181]

Tenor joint (the one the bocal goes in) and the long joint. Please put them in separately so you can twist them if needed. Neck straps are horrible and uncomfortable for bassoon. Use a seat strap or harness if standing. Whisper key closes the whisper or bocal vent. If the bocals had different numbers, with Fox it refers to its length (3 is longer and flatter in pitch than 1) and the letters deal with its bore, material, and what registers and qualities it improves on the horn. And, this bassoonist's final comment- do not use cork grease on tenon (string) wraps. Plain paraffin wax is best. ♥️ I hope your bassoonist gets years of joy from the instrument.

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Thank you so much for this helpful advice! I'm really trying to learn!

[@WilliamThomas-m8p]

Yep he’s All right

[@jenthayer6500]

There is usually a score mark on the Renard's tenor joint and the boot to line it up properly before you point the long joint in. Not doing so properly can damage the instrument. Also, please teach any bassoonist you get to hold the instrument by the boot when moving around with it.

[@DoubleAA06]

SHE FINALLY MADE A BASSOON VIDEO! Best band director on YT!

[@dominickbruzzese6932]

I am a band student in my elementary school, And i've always wanted to play the bassoon! You're so lucky! it must be so nostalgic! 🌸🌸 P.S. Hot cross buns is also so nostalgic!

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

It’s a really cool instrument

[@Jimmy_Duckk]

Im a trombonist but i love the bassoon and the sound it makes so much that i begged my parents for one (i never got one)

[@KatieQB-ul3eh]

So happy to see a bassoon on this channel!! :D

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@Spritethebassoonist]

I love playing bassoon! I’m the only one is the school and one of two in my region.

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Glad they have you!

[@BenMcC53]

"Can you hold my bassoon for me?" 😂 4:25

[@MrManInACan-1]

as a French horn I have no idea what it is happening but I’m glad I could watch it

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Thanks for watching!

[@jeopardy60611]

I am thinking about scouting out a local bassoon teacher so that I can try playing a bassoon. I have always loved the bassoon parts in the musical interludes on Sesame Street ever since I watched the show at 3 years old, and it would be so cool to replicate those on a real bassoon. I play piano by ear, and I tried clarinet when I was a kid, so I'm confident that once someone shows me a few fingerings, I would be able to replicate the stuff from Sesame Street. They would often end Ernie & Bert's skits with punchline music that includes a bassoon, and many puppet skits include a foghorn sound that is done with a bassoon.

[@dev_theysleader3184]

I play the bassoon for my band, I learnt it in less than half a year and now I play quite well for my band

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Nice!

[@NCF8710]

I install the wing joint into the boot joint first. Fox instruments have a reference mark on the wing joint that matches up with one on the boot joint. If yours doesn't have these reference marks, rotate the wing joint so that the curve of the wing joint is concentric with the large hole where the long joint goes. Be sure to apply paraffin wax to the threaded ends before assembly. Insert the long joint into the boot joint and rotate it until the metal stop just touches the wing joint. The body lock should now be in alignment at the top of the wing joint. Install the bell joint onto the long joint while holding down the Bb pad to avoid damage to the connecting rod. Rotate it until the connecting rod and the Bb key shaft are in alignment. Lastly, insert the bocal. Apply cork grease sparingly to ease insertion. Grasp the bocal only by the large curved portion.

[@wyatthagerty8966]

As a Bassoonist It’s nice to see a bassoon recognized. I also play horn.

[@_Dayspace_]

As a hornist who is sort of known for idolizing the bassoon, I agree.

[@wyatthagerty8966]

@_Dayspace_ I also play horn as well.

[@Gio_Does_Everything]

Hi Mrs Allen you are funny I watch you all the time 😂🎉

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Thank you so much!!

[@Gio_Does_Everything]

@ THANK YOU FOR REPLYING YOU ARE THE BEST 😁

[@Space.Panda1805]

Mrs. Allen: EIGHTT keyss!!! Sooo many. Piano: Only eight keys?? What? How do you play music with soo few keys?? 👀

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

8 keys with one thumb!

[@Hiawsomeness-qu4rp]

Just got my bassoon today thanks!!

[@TheeeNsayn1-sj8sv]

If you do the correct fingering and embouchure (idk how to describe it sadly) you can make the bassoon sound like it's glitching and playing a B flat but blowing from the tip of the reed with a bad enough embouchure can sound like a car beep. I love playing bassoon it's my favorite instrument out of all the ones I can play! I named my bassoon Bert :D

[@aidenmonahan1766]

I think you are referring to multiphonics, multiphonics are a ton of notes stacked on top of eachother to sound like a weird glitchy growl! You can look up all kinds of different multiphonics for most wind instruments!

[@narutouzumaki-gu7lg]

Mrs. Allen double reed content! I'm an oboist and when you said it was a Fox Renard I said out loud, "I have a Fox Renard!"

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Twinsies!

[@999Reverse]

hi your vids are always funny thanks for entertaining me

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! 💜

[@alexanderdavis1836]

This was so fun! Thank you for this!

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

I had a blast making this!

[@christophercruz5891]

I love your videos. Hoping to be able to meet you one day (I say hat to all of my favorite youtubers, and i've met and am still good friends with one of them)

[@AngryLuigiMSM]

Bassoon is such a cool instrument to play!

[@tubabaribass7098]

I started learn bassoon about 3 months ago and its so fun!!

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

That’s awesome!!

[@jauch0]

At least you had some experience playing the bassoon in college. I'm convinced that some of my former colleagues (I'm retired now) never held a bassoon in their hands during their training. The same goes for oboe and French Horn. Not all BA's in music education are made equal.

[@CathyMcD]

My son is an 8th-grade bassoonist. Bassoons do not march because the bocal can get damaged easily. He'll be in the front ensemble for marching band.

[@Altitude.Aviation]

I’ll come back to this video in ten years. At that time I’ll be a famous composer and I’ll be messing around with a bassoon and will remember this video😂

[@fabbroanna]

This is so fun! I also play bassoon and I'm 2nd chair

[@Deleted_Cat]

Thats not even good, there are normally 2 bassoons soooooooo

[@fabbroanna]

@Deleted_Cat we have 6 in our band sooooooo

[@aidenmonahan1766]

@@Deleted_Cat Hey stay positive, the music community can’t thrive if the people within it hurt eachother. Music should be accessible and loved by all, chair placement should not deter people from being proud in their music!

[@AmandineClaireDubois]

I play sax, and I was partying at my friend's house when his parents were gone during college. His sister plays bassoon. I tried to put it together rather inebriated. I don't think I damaged it, I never heard anything. It's probably a good thing I didn't get it together, since I probably would have forgot to swab it.

[@nightside424]

I’m a first year bassoon player on high school (and in wind ensemble too), but also technically you’re not supposed to march with it since they are fragile instruments ❤❤

[@StinkiLinky]

FINALLY SOME BASSOON LOVE❤️ Context: im a tuba player and am gonna start taking bassoon lessons soon, man i love bassoon, such a weird and quirky instrument

[@ChrilledGeese]

You should do a bari sax video. I am dying to see one

[@SlayPookie42]

Since it has string it means that it is not a professional model. But since it is a fox ranard it means that it is an intermediate model

[@Deleted_Cat]

Its not really that great, the fox 222 is better and about the same price (give or take 1000)

[@Connor-wj5ep]

​@@Deleted_Cat I'm fairly certain this bassoon is a fox 222

[@Deleted_Cat]

@Connor-wj5ep fox 222 has a high D key, if you look closely, it only has 8 keys.

[@Bassocontinued]

@@Deleted_Cat not necessarily. This is a 222 for sure. The 222 standard model comes with no high D, BUT you can have it added on. At that point the model name/number would read “Fox Renard 222D”. Also, thread isn’t exclusive to only student/intermediate models. Since the instrument itself is made of wood, it’s like a sponge and expands and contracts with the climate. If you live in an area that has dramatic temperature changes, thread is the best bet because you can remove or add thread to ensure the joints fit snuggly, regardless of the time of year. Also, I noticed a few things in this video that made my former bassoon performance major soul leave my body lol…. Don’t put in the wing joint and long joint together into the boot at the same time, especially with that lock. Also, never grease the Bocal cork… it can easily slide out of position with the whisper key pad as you’re playing, it can bend more easily if it’s being moved around all the time while in the instrument. Plus, it’s really quite hard to un-grease without damaging the cork. If the Bocal cork is too stiff/tight, I usually breathe warm air onto it to warm/soften it up. Also, never march with the bassoon HAHA. In the pit with a polypropylene bassoon, perhaps 😝

[@Deleted_Cat]

@@Bassocontinued on the fox website, it says and i quote, “The Renard Model 222 is the entry-level, all-maple, long bore bassoon manufactured by Fox. Designed for young players to be easy to play, with good intonation and a warm tone, the Model 222 is a durable wood bassoon. Now made standard with a high D key, this bassoon is a great choice for players just beginning through high school.” Notice the “Now made standard with a high D key”

[@alexanderdavis1836]

Do this with oboe and other hard to play instruments!

[@Negative_1014]

I like Mrs Allen and her videos but a director knowing so little about bassoon is really scary

[@ko1187]

I took band 7th all the way to 12th grade and out of all those years no one ever played the bassoon. Now it was a small high school ie there was high school band and middle school band and that was it. Things I never gotten to experience in band No concert solos No concert duets or trios No band competitions No band award banquet No performing at halftime on the field No trying out for what part you’ll get Etc. Every year was a rebuilding year. Tbh idk if my former school even had a bassoon. (I graduated over a decade ago so forgive me)

[@bluegillie]

Bocals are also very expensive, if i remember correctly

[@deloriesh]

i was crashing out so bad

[@williamvanseeters]

Amazing video! (aslo I'm pretty sure marching bands don't have bassoons, would be shocking if they do)

[@littlepreppyrat]

I play flute but the amount of thumb keys scare me

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Right? So many!

[@EmuOtori-h3s]

You should do oboe next❤❤

[@camrynmuhahah]

2:24 i don’t play bassoon and i was scared of it hitting the wall😭💀

[@Solidcash1160]

You sould do bass clarinet 🥺

[@Kinza-e1x]

Oboe next pls

[@確-13]

0:10 Foreshadowing……

[@Bruce147]

AAAUUGH!!! You do one piece at a time. The wing joint first. That's the shorter piece. We bassoonists normally use a seat strap - you sit on it and there is a cup that holds the bottom of the boot. The whisper key pad covers the vent on the bocal. Hardly anybody marches with bassoons, but occassionally it happens. Bad idea. They are not loud enough for anyone to hear them over those 76 trombones and 110 cornets. You actually got sound out of it, which is impressive. The bassoon is a horrible instrument - nasty intonation issues, many bad sounding notes, crazy expensive, the never-ending search for a "good" reed, and the most lovely tone of any instrument. More range than a clarinet. Learn to play the bassoon and you will always be in demand, because no one else wants to do it. You do the best videos. Thank you for another gem. 😁

[@Pink_Flowers123]

slayyyyy gurlllll

[@SenõrBeatdown2025]

Saxophone rn😂

[@DonnyTGOALAP]

That looks so complicated😭I’m good with my flute and cello lol

[@Solidcash1160]

Nice

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Thanks!

[@ItzMeLivDuh]

Lmao you can put the smaller one that connects to the bocal first then the one that connects to the bell you don’t have to have to do them at the same time

[@n0th1ng_72]

"Don't use a saxophone neck strap guys" so uhhhhhhh

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

Saxophone neck strap

[@RookMP4]

pancake key is there a maple syrup key?

[@_Dayspace_]

bassoon is superior

[@juicyfruitsofficialchannel]

ur lucky u tried the basoon.

[@merrouge7233]

is that a truck ? i heard the truck horn

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

😂

[@KyleighMaddox-v1e]

I think the basoon needs cork grease or something

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

I’ve learned that you can’t put cork grease on the strings

[@Regular_humanBeing]

Crocodile

[@RookMP4]

what

[@Regular_humanBeing]

@ alligator

[@KyleighMaddox-v1e]

Also in marching band a bassoon cant march

[@Mrs.Allen.81]

But some schools do!

[@Deleted_Cat]

@@Mrs.Allen.81we used to do it until i tripped Blood, splinters from the reed, and 8 grand of the schools cash gone.

[@TacoAlligator]

Your districts marching band has bassoons? That has to look so goofy with them running around 😭

[@allie.g246]

First! Pin? 📌 ❤