Bassoon

(Updated 11 February 2020)

On this page you will find our stock of bassoon books, CDs, and Play Along CDs. Bassoon Music now has its own page. Please check out our new (and new to us) books. We welcome recommendations of books to add to these. Don't forget that if you are an author or publisher of books, CDs, or Videos for any woodwind instrument, or if you have used items to sell (including music) click on the Sell to Us button.


Notice!

Our server has detected that you do not have Javascript turned on.

Here are instructions for enabling Javascript: Javascript Help.

If you have an old browser, you might consider a new one.
The Mozilla Firefox browser is highly recommended:
Get Firefox!
If necessary you can navigate using our Site Map.

You may search for a title, author, composer, or any other text on this page by using the
Edit menu Find command (shortcut Ctrl+F or Mac Command+F).

Books marked "New!" in gold type are new publications.  Books marked "New!" in teal type are new to our stock.

Bassoon Books 

B001: The Art of Bassoon Playing by William Spencer, revised by Frederick Mueller. Summy-Birchard Inc., SS, 72 pages. This book was originally intended for woodwind generalists who have bassoon students but is a valuable reference for anyone with an interest in the bassoon. Chapters include the instrument, the reed, tone production, articulation, innovations, and selected literature and discography (the most recent references are 1967). SALE price. The current price is $14.95.
12.95
B032: Bassoon by William Waterhouse. Kahn & Averill, 2003, London, PB, 256 pages. This book adds significantly to the available material relating to bassoon playing, giving detailed and authoritative guidance on the mastery of this rewarding instrument. This practical manual, illustrated with diagrams and musical examples, offers beginner and expert alike a thorough and systematic treatment of every aspect of performance.
19.95
B007: Bassoon Bibliography by Bodo Koenigsbeck. Musica Rara, 1994, PB, 613 pages. A massive listing of bassoon music that will also be of great value to other woodwind players looking for instrument combinations which include the bassoon. Introductory information is in French and German as well as English; the listing use standard English abbreviations. There are two principal sections of the book, one listing works by composer and the other by combinations of instruments.
45.95
B028: Bassoon Reed Fixing by William Spencer. Emerson Edition, 1982, SS, 8 pages. This brief pamphlet by the author of the Art of Bassoon Playing contains a significant amount of information on adjusting bassoon reeds. It includes guidance on testing the reed and adjusting the wires and scrape.
Free Media Mail shipping on this book to US, IF ordered with another item.
(Except other items with free shipping.)
4.95
B015: Bassoon Reed-making A Basic Technique by Christopher Weait. McGinnis & Marx, Third Edition, 2000, SS, 34 pages. An excellent book on the basic techniques of reed making featuring sharp photographs and clear diagrams. Subjects covered include preparation, tools and equipment, assembling the reed, finishing, tuning and adjustment techniques, and solving reed problems. A Spanish translation of this book is also available.
14.95
B125: Bassoon Reed Making: An Illustrated Basic Manual by Christopher Weait. Christopher Weait, 2008, SS, 46 pages. This book describes and illustrates a basic method of bassoon reed making that is ideal for players who are just beginning to play or those who which to know more about making, adjusting and finishing reeds. Lavishly illustrated with over 150 photographs to demonstrate every step. A reed is made from gouged, shaped and profiled (GSP) cane. No expensive tools or complex machinery are required.
28.95
B002: The Bassoon Reed Manual - Lou Skinner's Theories and Techniques by James R. McKay, contributing authors Russell Hinkle and William Woodward. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 2000, PB, 116 pages. This is a very attractive book, well illustrated with photos (including color plates of reeds) and diagrams. Chapters include theoretical principles and concepts, essential tools for reed making, the straight taper reed, the tip taper reed, variation to the tube, variations to the gouge and the inside of the blades and tubes, variations to the outside of the blades, special reeds and processes, a comparison of Mechler and Knochenhauer reeds, and the contrabassoon reed. We no longer carry this Book. You can order it here from Amazon.
B024: Bassoon Strategies for the Next Level by Christopher Weait. Christopher Weait, 2003, SB, 185 pages. This is a book of practicing and performing strategies for bassoonists and other wind instrumentalists developed during the author's forty year teaching career. It includes instruction in scales and etudes, physical matters, breathing and tone, dynamics, tuning articulation, rhythmic accuracy, fingerings, technique, repertoire, and reference information.
29.95
B116: A Bundle of Joy, A Practical Handbook for the Bassoon by Maarten Vonk. FagotAielier Maarten Vonk, 2007, PB, 120 pages. A beautiful new book for bassoonists, full of useful and interesting information, photographs (many in color), and diagrams. The books covers such topics as the development of the bassoon, bassoon makers (with serial number lists), acoustics, breathing, embouchure, reeds, bocals, ergonomics, maintenance, a fingering chart and problems notes, and more. Every bassoonist will want this book in their library.
44.95
G131: Circular Breathing: a Method by Robert S. Spring. Windplayer Publications, 2006, SS, 31 pages. This book presents two alternative introductory methods of circular breathing. It also features exercises and advice from seven contributing experts for flute (Robert Dick), clarinet (Robert Spring), saxophone (Donald Lefevre), bassoon (Jeffrey Lyman), oboe (Martin Schuring), trumpet (Josef Burgstaller), and low brass (Samuel Pilafian), including recommended repertoire for each. Note:  We are out of this book. The publisher's website which we used for ordering is still there but not functioning.
B046: Construcción de Cañas de Fagot: Técnica Básica by Christopher Weait translation by Eduardo Adrián Rodriguez and Fernando Traba. Christopher Weait, 2004, SS, 47 pages. Spanish translation of Bassoon Reed-making A Basic Technique.
15.95
B026: The Contra-Bassoon, A Guide to Performance by Cornelia Anderson Biggers. Elkan-Vogel, 1977 (2000 Edition), SS, 46 pages. An extremely valuable book for those taking up the contra bassoon. It covers posture and equipment, fingering, tone production, reeds, quality and repair, performance problems, and a fingering chart.
17.95
B003: Essentials of Bassoon Technique by Lewis Hugh Cooper and Howard Toplansky. Howard Toplansky, HB, 370 pages. This book is an encyclopedic presentation of bassoon fingerings and their usage. It is meant to be utilized by teachers, serious advanced students and artist performers. These fingerings represent the accumulated technical knowledge acquired during twenty-five years of professional playing and teaching experience. Because of the weight of this book, Media Mail shipping charges will be based on the actual cost of postage.
69.95
B012: The Illustrated Bassoon Reed Handbook by Laine Bryce. Laine Bryce School of Music, SS, 12 pages. This book is a brief but well illustrated introduction to the fundamentals of reed making technique. This book is intended as a guide to accompany reed making lessons and is not intended to replace the teacher. It servers as a reference to the steps required for a student to make reeds independently. A page on reed adjustments is also included.
9.95
WW179: The Woodwind Player's Cookbook edited by Charles West. Meredith Music, 2008, PB, 178 pages. Subtitled Creative Recipes for a Successful Performance, this valuable collection of quick-to-read yet deeply insightful strategies is like finding expert trade secrets all placed in one convenient source. With outstanding records of performance, workshop clinics, recordings, research, composition, leadership and teaching, the 57 authors provide their favorite “recipes” that range from overviews of successful programs to specific topics that will inspire all levels and types of ensembles and performers. Sample “recipes” include: Developing Facility on the Bass Clarinet (J. Lawrie Bloom), Breathing Demystified (Leone Buyse), Recipe for Preventing Play-Related Health Problems (William J. Dawson, M.D.), How Should I Test a Saxophone Mouthpiece? (Eugene Rousseau), and many more. Click on the cover image to view Table of Contents.  Use your browser's Back button to return.
24.95
Bindings:  HB: Hard Bound, PB: Perfect Bound (paperback with square spine),  SS: Saddle Stitch (paper, folded and stapled), SB: Spiral Bound (plastic or metal)


Bassoon Videos


DVD014: Improve Your Bassoon Reed by Christopher Weait. Christopher Weait, DVD, 16 minutes. For new bassoonists, music teachers and bassoon parents! Christopher Weait shows you how to make your store-bought reed play better with simple tools and techniques.
9.95


Bassoon CDs

CD SALE

25 percent discount $10.00-49.99 CD retail price total.
50 percent discount $50.00 and up CD retail price total.

Conditions:
    1. Limited to CDs in stock.
    2. Only items IDs starting with “CD” (music CDs).
    3. We will apply the discount when processing your order.
    4. Other items may be ordered at the same time but will not receive the CD discount.

CD382: Primavera: Music for Bassoon and Piano by Bassoonists. Michael Burns bassoon with Ināra Zandmane piano. Mark Masters, 2009. Michael Burns is Associate Professor of bassoon at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. John Steinmetz Sonata, Michael Burns Two Aotearoa Sketches, David Kirby Reverie and Dance, and Ron Klimko Sonata for Bassoon and Piano [For Irmgard]. You may listen to audio samples from this CD here. We no longer have this CD. You can order it here from Amazon.
CD224: Music by Paul Hindemith. Rebecca Henderson oboe and English horn, Arthur Grossman bassoon, contrabasson and Heckelphone, Peter Mack piano, and Roxana Patterson viola. Centaur, 2001. Paul Hindemith: Sonata for Oboe and Piano, Sonata for English Horn and Piano, Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, Sonata for Contrabasson and Piano, and Trio for Viola, Heckelphone and Piano Op. 47.
16.00
CD339: Crusell Concertante Wind Works. László Hara bassoon, Anna-Maija Korsima-Hurst clarinet, Ib Lanzky-Otto horn with the Tapiola Sinfonietta conducted by Osmo Vänskä. BIS, 1990. Bernhard Henrik Crusell Introduction and Swedish Air Op. 12 for clarinet and orchestra, Concertino in B flat major for bassoon and orchestra, and Sinfonia Concertante Op. 3 for clarinet, horn, bassoon and orchestra.
16.95
CD261: The Music of Elliott Carter, Volume 5. Bridge Records, 2003. All compositions by Elliott Carter. Steep Steps Virgil Blackwell bass clarinet, Two Diversions Charles Rosen piano, Oboe Quartet Speculum Musicae with Stephen Taylor oboe, Figment No. 2 (Remembering Mr. Ives) Fred Sherry cello, Au Quai Maureen Gallager viola and Peter Kolkay bassoon, Of Challenge and of Love Tony Arnold soprano and Jacob Greenberg piano, Figment No. 1 Fred Sherry cello, Retrouvailles Charles Rosen piano, and Hiyoku Charles Neidich and Ayako Oshima clarinets.
17.95
CD052: Romantic Masterworks. Lieurance Woodwind Quintet: Frances Shelly flute, Willa Henigman oboe, W. James Jones clarinet, Nicholas Smith horn, Nancy Lutes bassoon and Andrew Trechak piano. Summit, 1997. Carl Nielsen Quintet Op. 43, August Klughardt Quintet Op. 79, and Ludwig Thuille Sextet in B-flat Major Op. 6.
16.00
CD096: Duos. Christopher Millard, bassoon with Rena Sharon piano, Desmond Hoebig cello, Salvador Ferreras percussion, and Camille Churchfiield flute. Summit, 1998. A collaboration of bassoon in duet with four diverse instruments and instrumentalists. Lubos Sluka Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Sonata in B flat K. 292 for Bassoon and Violoncello, Henri Tomasi Le Tombeau de Mireille, Oskar Morawetz Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, Pierre Max Dubois Petite Suite for Flute and Bassoon, and Henri Busser Porrtuguesa for Bassoon and Piano.
16.00
CD075: Orchestral Excerpts for Bassoon. David McGill,  bassoon. Summit, 1994. Key excerpts from the symphonic repertoire with spoken commentary. Mozart Marriage of Figaro; Beethoven Symphonies No. 4, No. 9, and Violin Concerto; Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique; Rossini La Gazza Ladra; Donizetti Una furtiva lagrima; Tchaikovsky Symphonies No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6; Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherezade; Strauss Till Eulenspiegel and Ein Heldenleben; Ravel Bolero, Alborada del Grazioso, Rapsodie Espanol, and Piano Concerto in G; Stravinsky Firebird and Rite of Spring; Bartok Concerto for Orchestra; and Shostakovich Symphonies No. 1 and No. 9.
16.00
CD077: Mélange, French Music For Bassoon. Christopher Millard, bassoon with Kenneth Broadway piano and Camile Churchfield flute. Summit, 1992. Gabriel Pierné Solo de Concert Op. 35, Henri Dutilleux Sarabande et Cortège, Paul Jeanjean Prélude et Scherzo, Paul Jeanjean Sonatine, Charles Koechlin Sonata Op. 71, Henri Sauguet Un Soir à Saint-Émilion, Paul Bonneau Caprice en Forme de Valse, Henri Busser Cantilène et Rondo Op. 75, Alexandre Transman Suite, Gabriel Grovlez Sicilienne et Allegro Giocoso.
16.00
CD182: Carl Stamitz: Clarinet Concertos Vol 1. Kálmán Berkes, Tomoko Takashima clarinets with Koji Okazaki bassoon and the Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia conducted by Kálmán Berkes. Naxos, 1995. Carl Stamitz Concerto for Clarinet No. 1 in F major, Double Clarinet Concerto in B flat major, and Concerto for Clarinet and Bassoon in B flat major.
8.95
CD232: The English Romantics. Victoria Soames clarinet, Laurence Perkins bassoon and John Flinders piano. Clarinet Classics, 1998. Charles Harford Lloyd Trio for clarinet, bassoon and piano; Herbert Howells A Near Minuet for clarinet and piano and Minuet: Grace for a Fresh Egg for bassoon and piano; and William Yeates Hurlstone Trio in G Minor for clarinet, bassoon and piano and Four Characteristic Pieces for clarinet and piano.
17.95
CD302: Paul Hindemith: Chamber Music. BIS, 1993. This CD contains a variety of Hindemith music for wind instruments. Morgenmusik for brass (Malmo Brass Ensemble), Sonata for Bassoon and Piano (Knut Sonstevold bassoon with Eva Knardahl piano), Sonata for Saxophone and Piano (Pekka Savijoki saxophone with Jussi Siirala piano), Sonata for Trombone and Piano (Christian Lindberg trombone with Roland Pontinen piano), Sonata for Trumpet and Piano (Edward Tarr trumpet with Elisabeth Westenholz piano), Sonata for Bass Tuba and Piano (Michael Lind bass tuba with Steven Harlos piano), Recorder Trio from "Plöner Musiktag" (members of the Musica Dolce Recorder Quintet).
17.95
CD163: The Virtuoso Bassoon. Knut Sonstevold bassoon with Eva Knardahl piano, Lucia Negro piano, Gunilla von Bahr flute, and Eva Nordwall harpsichord. BIS, 1992. Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Trio in G major WoO 37, Alexandre Tansman Sonatina for bassoon and piano, Roger Bountry Interferences, Malcolm Arnold Fantasy Op. 86, Karl-Birger Blomdahl Liten svit, Erland von Koch Monolog 5, and Jan W. Morthenson Unisono.
16.95
CD140: Bach and Bassoon. Arthur Weisberg, bassoon. Crystal Records. Works of J.S. Bach performed on the  unaccompanied bassoon. Partita for flute in A minor, BWV 1013; Partita No. 2 for violin in D minor, BWV 1004; Suite No. 2 for violoncello in D minor, BWV 1008; and Suite No. 3 for violoncello in C Major, BWV1009.
16.95
CD041: Mozart: Clarinet Concerto / Oboe Concerto / Bassoon Concerto. Dietmar Zeman, bassoon with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Karl Böhm. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra in B-flat Major KV 191 (186e); Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in C Major KV 314 (285d) with Gerhard Turetschek, Oboe; and Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A Major KV 622 with Alfred Prinz, Clarinet. We no longer carry this CD. You can order it from Amazon.



Play Along CDs
Music Minus One and other play along CDs provide the bassoonist the opportunity to play with accompaniment. All of the albums include printed music and a CD.

Christmas Memories MMO CDG M1203: Christmas Memories. Music Minus One. A collection of seasonal favorites arranged for all vocal or instrumental ranges with sumptuous accompaniments. Step in and take center stage with such all-time classics as Joy to the World; It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; O Come, O Come, Emmanuel; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; O Holy Night; O Come, All Ye Faithful; O Little Town of Bethlehem; Silent Night; The Twelve Days of Christmas; Jingle Bells; and Auld Lang. Includes a music book containing solo parts for vocals/C instruments in both treble and bass-clef versions; B-flat instruments; E-flat instruments; and F instruments; plus a compact disc containing complete versions of each tune with full vocals; followed by accompaniment versions minus soloist. Limited supply.
14.95
WW072: Six Ragtimes for flute or clarinet or bassoon and piano by Scott Joplin edited by Dieter H. Förster. Kunzelmann, 1979, with play-along CD. Six familiar Joplin rags: Original Rags, Elite Synchopations, The Entertainer, The Favorite, The Chrysanthemum, and The Ragtime Dance. Includes a CD of the piano accompaniment.
34.50
M4601: Solos for the Bassoon Player. Janet Grice, bassoon with Harriet Wingreen piano. Music Minus One. This collection of classic pieces, scored for solo bassoon with piano accompaniment, covers a huge span of time and musical styles, from Bach (Bourrée I and II) to Dukas's Sorcerer's Apprentice. Includes selections from Carmen, L'Elisir d'amore, Pictures at an Exhibition, and many, many more! Includes a high-quality printed solo part and a compact disc containing a complete performance presented in split-channel format, with the piano accompaniment on the left channel and bassoon soloist on the right channel. This affords the player the ability to easily dial in or out the reference solo part. (Note that due to publisher's restrictions there is no printed part included for the two Grice selections.)
19.95
M4607: Vivaldi Bassoon Concerti. Noga Yeshurum, bassoon with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nayden Todorov. Music Minus One. Antonio Vivaldi Concerto for Bassoon, Strings and Cembalo in E minor F. VIII No. 6 (RV484) and Concerto for Bassoon, Strings and Cembalo in C major F. VIII No. 17 (RV472). Includes a high quality printed music score and a compact disc containing a complete performance with soloist, then a second version with the orchestral accompaniment, minus the soloist; and a second compact disc containing a special -20% slow tempo version of the accompaniments, to aid you as you learn the piece.
19.95