!"#$%&'%() +),-./01 2.34 5$( 36%00.

/0 7') 6),-
Pave you ever gone back sLage afLer a LheaLrlcal performance Lo greeL Lhe acLors? ?ou may noLlce how
groLesque Lhey look wlLh Lhe sLage makeup sLlll on. uue Lo Lhe facL LhaL humans are naLurally near-
slghLed lL ls necessary Lo exaggeraLe cerLaln feaLures of Lhe face wlLh makeup Lo convey characLer and
expresslon from Lhe sLage Lo Lhe seaLs.
1he same holds Lrue for muslcal performances. 1hose who heard Lhe greaL vlollnlsL !ascha PelfeLz up
close sald Lhere was a surprlslng amounL of non-muslcal sound ln hls playlng assoclaLed wlLh bow and
lnsLrumenL nolse. Powever, Lhls was noL noLlced ln Lhe seaLs.
lor Lhe bassoonlsL, performlng a marcaLo arLlculaLlon ln a large audlLorlum may requlre whaL up close
sounds llke an exaggeraLed, heavy arLlculaLlon. Llkewlse, execuLlng an exuberanL "sfz" aLLack ln Lhe low
reglsLer may requlre an embouchure loose enough LhaL a small amounL of alr leaks aL Lhe beglnnlng of
Lhe noLe. An accompllshed bassoonlsL wlll Lake care LhaL none of Lhls exLra efforL or nolse ls noLlced by
Lhe llsLener. Powever, leaklng alr by hablL around Lhe embouchure can deLracL from Lhe effecL of a
performance.

89 :)4&(.37.$/ $5 7') 3($#6)"
1he audlble leaklng of alr around Lhe embouchure ls a common problem for bassoonlsLs. Powever,
leaklng alr around Lhe embouchure whlle playlng ls mosLly unnecessary and can be very dlsLracLlng for
Lhe player and llsLener.

Some fallacles abouL embouchure leaklng:
1."lL can'L be heard pasL a few feeL."
2."lL helps me geL a full Lone."
3."lL proves l'm uslng good breaLh supporL."

Some bassoonlsLs are so used Lo leaklng LhaL Lhey do noL even hear lL! When, by chance, Lhey do noL
leak Lhey ofLen feel someLhlng ls mlsslng from Lhe sound. lL ls a blL llke Lhe bassoonlsL who has become
so used Lo a nolsy key mechanlsm LhaL, afLer quleLlng Lhe key acLlon, feels Lhe sound ls now smaller.
1hey have goLLen used Lo Lhe nolse and no longer flnd lL ob[ecLlonable.
Lmbouchure leaklng ofLen beglns ln Lhe hlgh school or early college perlod. lL can colnclde wlLh a sLage
ln whlch Lhe player ls Lrylng Lo sLop blLlng and uslng Lhe [aw Lo hold Lhe reed ln Lhe mouLh. AL Lhls polnL
Lhe muscles of Lhe llps are ofLen noL developed enough Lo subsLlLuLe for Lhe holdlng wlLh Lhe [aw.
1herefore, Lhe muscles Llre qulckly and collapse, causlng alr Lo escape.
AnoLher cause of leaklng ls Lhe lack of lnvolvemenL of Lhe corners of Lhe mouLh ln maklng a seal around
Lhe reed. ulllng Lhe corners back or rolllng Lhe llps ln Loo much over Lhe LeeLh can resulL ln leaklng.
Leaklng can also be caused by an exaggeraLed overblLe. 1he llps may noL acLually meeL near Lhe corners
of Lhe reed, causlng a breach. Slnce mosL people have a naLural overblLe, lL ls noL usually necessary Lo
affecL one. Many young players overdo Lhe overblLe because Lhey've been Lold LhaL's correcL on Lhe
bassoon. 1hls can lead Lo a dull, leaky Lone.
Slmple over-blowlng can cause leaklng. lloodlng Lhe reed wlLh Loo much alr wlll noL resulL ln a blgger or
more pro[ecLlng Lone. ln facL, Lhe opposlLe can be Lrue. 1ry a crescendo on a C# ln Lhe sLaff. 1hls noLe ls
especlally senslLlve Lo over blowlng. AL a cerLaln polnL ln Lhe crescendo Lhe Lone wlll acLually geL smaller.
1he player musL use Lhe amounL and speed of alr LhaL ls approprlaLe for Lhe demands of Lhe muslc, no
more, no less.

;9 <$") <$6%7.$/4
Slmple awareness may be Lhe easlesL way Lo solve Lhe problem. LlsLenlng Lo a recordlng of your playlng
can be reveallng -- a blL llke dlscoverlng you have bad breaLh! ?ou'll never wanL Lo sound LhaL way agaln
and wlll do whaL lL Lakes Lo correcL Lhe problem.
Some sLudenLs aren'L resourceful enough Lo be able Lo sLop leaklng on Lhelr own. lor Lhem l suggesL Lhe
followlng:
-racLlce arLlculaLlng a shorL, loud noLe ln all ranges. lsolaLlng a slngle noLe should allow Lhe sLudenL Lo
focus on seallng Lhe reed compleLely wlLh Lhe llps. LlsLen for any escape of sound. 8e careful noL Lo over-
correcL! uon'L accepL a choked Lone! use only Lhe amounL of embouchure pressure necessary for a good
seal for a plLch LhaL ls ln Lune and sounds good.
-uo Lhe same Lhlng wlLh a susLalned Lone. WaLch for Lhe good characLerlsLlcs llsLed above. Cradually
add more noLes, a scale, a phrase, eLc.
-lor Lhose who Lend Lo blLe Lhe reed, long Lones provlde a greaL opporLunlLy Lo bulld Lhe llp muscles
lndependenL of Lhe [aw or larger faclal muscles LhaL ofLen subsLlLuLe durlng blLlng.
-1o bulld greaLer awareness of Lhe role played by Lhe corners of Lhe mouLh ln seallng Lhe llps around
Lhe reed, Lhe player can Lry Lo play wlLh Lhe reed LwlsLed on Lhe bocal 90 from normal. ln oLher words,
Lhe edges of Lhe blades should polnL up and down lnsLead of lefL and rlghL. AlLhough uncomforLable, Lhe
player wlll have Lo brlng Lhe corners way ln [usL Lo seal enough Lo geL a sound ouL of Lhe reed ln Lhls
poslLlon.
1he Leacher and sLudenL can also examlne Lhese aspecLs:
-Look Lo see lf Lhe overblLe ls excesslve. 1he lower [aw should sLagger under Lhe upper wlLh llLLle or no
exLra efforL from Lhe player.
-1he amounL of red showlng on boLh llps when maklng Lhe embouchure can be wrong for Lhe sLudenL.
1he skln of Lhe llps provldes a unlque frlcLlon LhaL, lf poslLloned on Lhe reed correcLly, need noL be
accompanled by much embouchure pressure Lo make Lhe seal. Check Lo see lf enough llp ls conLacLlng
Lhe blade of Lhe reed or lf Loo much llp ls rolled over Lhe LeeLh. 8emember LhaL each person's llps are
shaped dlfferenLly, so whaL looks good Lo Lhe Leacher from a dlsLance may noL always be correcL for LhaL
parLlcular sLudenL. 1here ls no "LexLbook" embouchure from a vlsual sLandpolnL.
-A reed LhaL ls Loo llghL or Loo heavy ln scrape, or a Llp LhaL ls Loo open or Loo closed can cause leaklng.
1o a lesser exLenL Lhls can be Lrue wlLh equlpmenL LhaL ls Loo responslve or Loo sLuffy. 1he player should
encounLer a pleasanL reslsLance when playlng Lhe bassoon.
ln concluslon, Lhe bassoonlsL musL conslder aL all Llmes how performance ls percelved by an audlence
elLher real or lmaglned. We play muslc for oLhers Lo en[oy, afLer all. 1he lnLegrlLy of Lhe producL ls all-
lmporLanL. When glven a cholce, audlences, audlLlon commlLLees, colleagues and Leachers wlll choose a
sound LhaL ls beauLlful ln lLs purlLy and rlchness, unencumbered by exLraneous nolse.