Taking care of your bassoon is very important.
Your bassoon is made out of wood and can fall apart rather quickly if you don't care for it.
Thankfully, taking care of your bassoon is quick and easy. You just have to build a habit of doing it.
Thankfully, taking care of your bassoon is quick and easy. You just have to build a habit of doing it.
Every time you put the instrument away.
1. Swab the wing joint and boot joint. Every time. No excuses.
Your instrument can grow nasty stuff in it and the wood can literally rot if you leave moisture in there.
You'll need two separate swabs for your instrument. The bigger one with the chain weight on it is for the boot joint. The thinner one is for the wing
joint.
If you don't have a set of swabs, these will work well.
2. Clean the bocal. You can blow out the moisture by blowing through it from the cork end, but you still need to clean it with a bocal brush.
3. Wipe any junk off the reed, dip it in water, wipe the water off, and put the reed in a case. This will extend the life of your reed.
You don't absolutely need a fancy case for your reed, just something that will protect it and is breathable, like an altoids tin with a paper towel in it.
Don't store your reeds in the vials some reeds come in. They'll get moldy if the container can't breathe.
If your reed is getting mold on it, change what you store it in.
Your instrument can grow nasty stuff in it and the wood can literally rot if you leave moisture in there.
You'll need two separate swabs for your instrument. The bigger one with the chain weight on it is for the boot joint. The thinner one is for the wing
joint.
If you don't have a set of swabs, these will work well.
2. Clean the bocal. You can blow out the moisture by blowing through it from the cork end, but you still need to clean it with a bocal brush.
3. Wipe any junk off the reed, dip it in water, wipe the water off, and put the reed in a case. This will extend the life of your reed.
You don't absolutely need a fancy case for your reed, just something that will protect it and is breathable, like an altoids tin with a paper towel in it.
Don't store your reeds in the vials some reeds come in. They'll get moldy if the container can't breathe.
If your reed is getting mold on it, change what you store it in.
Once a month
Vacuum out your case. Bassoons like a clean house.
The little stuff that can accumulate can get stuck in the bore and the pads.
The little stuff that can accumulate can get stuck in the bore and the pads.
Once a year
Take your bassoon to a qualified bassoon technician... not the guy at the local guitar store.
Have a bassoon specialist look it over and make sure it's in tip=top shape.
Have a bassoon specialist look it over and make sure it's in tip=top shape.