Almost every issue that arises in wind playing can be traced back to problems with the air support or embouchure. This actually makes perfect sense when we stop to think about it, since sound cannot be produced without the air from our lungs, and the point where the air from our lungs enters the instrument is at the embouchure.¹ Every note, in every passage, is sound that is created at a particular pitch, length, and dynamic. Each additional feature added to the note, such as articulation or vibrato, is an ornamentation of this sound that is produced with the air. Waterhouse describes the fundamental role the airstream plays in all aspects of wind playing:

This, to the wind player, is what bowing is to the string player. Such basic elements as tone production, control of nuance, phrasing (especially in slow tempi), tone quality, intonation, projection all depend on the quality of our breath and how we use it.²

Likewise, McGill adds that “all musical inflections are controlled by the abdominal muscles, which manipulate that crucial supporting air in the bottom of the lungs.”³

During this process of controlled exhalation we should commence by activating the muscles at the very base of the abdomen just above the groin; these we normally involve in such actions as carefully coughing up a bone lodged in the throat, or when we attempt to excrete. As exhalation proceeds, the point of control will appear to rise up towards the base of the ribs. We may compare with to [sic] the squeezing of toothpaste out of a tube by starting from the very bottom.⁴

[…] speak beyond the capacity of your lungs, continuing until you feel you absolutely must take a breath. As you reach your limit it becomes ever more obvious by their intense tightening that the abdominal muscles are responsible for pushing air out of the lungs. But they go into action without conscious effort.⁵

Before breathing in, first exhale the air already in the lungs with a “cleansing breath.” This breath should also originate from the abdomen and is intended to help begin the process of a relaxed, tension-free inhalation. Opinions differ on whether the act of inhalation should create a sound. Weait says that we should “inhale quietly. Noisy inhalation is slow and indicates obstruction of the gateway.”⁶ Weisberg, on the other hand, believes that the intake of air should be audible:

A great deal of energy is used when breathing through the mouth and the breath enters so rapidly that we can actually hear the rush of air. Too many players avoid making this kind of noise. Perhaps they feel that it is impolite, but if politeness is our main goal, then music is the wrong choice of profession.⁷

I think the undesirable “noise” that Weait is concerned about is caused by the closing of the throat during inhalation, not by the sound of the air itself. He is correct—the throat and oral cavity should not be allowed to close or tighten during the breathing process. It is also important to note that the intake of air should end with a natural taper of sound, not with an abrupt cutoff caused by closing the glottis. I recommend forming a “Ho” syllable when both inhaling and exhaling, which acts to keep the passageway open and to prepare the player to start the first note with an open voicing and sufficiently low pitch.⁸ A great way to find this open feeling comes from my teacher, William Ludwig, who recommends doing your best Johnny Cash impersonation: “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.”

By keeping the upper lip on the reed, and by dropping the lower lip, the pressure of the upper lip is not disturbed in any way, it stimulates the relaxation of the lower jaw (which also discourages the bite action on the reed), and no movement of the head occurs.⁹

Many younger players inadvertently raise their shoulders while playing the bassoon, but this should not be allowed at any point, and especially not when taking in a breath. The only movement that should occur on some occasions actually involves moving the shoulders downward, which can be incredibly useful when playing softly in the lower register.¹⁰ Raising the shoulders during inhalation not only moves the action away from the lower abdominals, but can also cause the aforementioned tightness and closure in the throat.

Once full and open breathing has been established, the next important step is to develop a proper embouchure. Remember, the need for a quality airstream always comes first—a textbook embouchure is of no use with an improper airstream, but an improper embouchure will inhibit even the best airstream. Our airstream is entirely dependent on our embouchure to travel into and through the instrument, and a helpful reminder of the embouchure’s vital importance is to remember that the French word emboucher literally means “to flow into.”¹¹ To form a correct bassoon embouchure, the lips should be drawn back slightly over the teeth, and the jaw should be pulled back just enough to create a slight overbite. The most important aspect of a good bassoon embouchure, though, is the quality of “roundness.” Jooste explains this roundness as the shape the mouth has when blowing through a straw or giving someone a quick kiss. ¹² Waterhouse adds:

We should have the image of our embouchure functioning like the drawstring of a purse, with equalized 360^o lip support, rather than a jaw-grip clamping from above and below like a carpenter’s vice.¹³

This drawstring shape is created by the orbicularis oris muscle, or, as it is more commonly referred to, the “corners.” Engaging the corners keeps the upper and lower lips from clamping off the vibrations of the reed; since this jaw pressure is less tiresome to maintain than pressure from the orbicularis oris muscle, players have the tendency to rely too heavily on this top and bottom pressure in their embouchure. This pressure becomes more pronounced after playing for extended periods of time when the corners have become exhausted. Even if the abdomen is actively engaged and proper breath support is being supplied, clamping down with the top and bottom lips will cut off the vibration of the reed, leading to a number of problems in our playing.¹⁴ Waterhouse explains:

[…] over-dependence on the embouchure may be considered as being symptomatic of insufficient breath-leading skills… A tight embouchure—the almost inevitable consequence of insufficient abdominal support—will tend to keep the jaws comparatively closed and throat tight, resulting in an impoverished tone quality. Building up the abdominal support will enable the embouchure to become more relaxed, allow the jaw to open, maximize the oral cavity and the tonal resonance.¹⁵

¹ This philosophy extends to all aspects of bassoon playing; for example, an excellent reed cannot make up for a poor air stream, but proper breath support can minimize the affects of a mediocre reed.

² William Waterhouse, The Bassoon (London: Kahn & Averill, 2003), 69.

³ David McGill, Sound in Motion: A Performer’s Guide to Greater Musical Expresssion (Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2007), 165.

⁴ Waterhouse, 74.

⁵ McGill, 163-64.

⁶ Christopher Weait, Bassoon Strategies for the Next Level (Worthington, Ohio: Christopher Weait, 2003), 75.

⁷ Weisberg, 89.

⁸ This is the same “Ho” syllable that I advocate using in the abdominal exercises above.

⁹ S.J. Jooste, The Technique of Bassoon Playing: An Evaluative and Methodological Study (Potchefstroom, South Africa: Central Publications Department, Potchefstroom University, 1984), 28.

¹⁰ See Brahms's Violin Concerto.

¹¹ Weait, 79.

¹² Jooste, 30-31.

¹³ Waterhouse, 110.

¹⁴ For specific examples of problems caused by poor embouchure support from the corners, see Brahms's Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony.

¹⁵ Waterhouse, 86-87, 110.