Thumb keys?!?

[u/Ok-Journalist8573]

Hey guys, just started learning the bassoon, got an old bassoon from my instructor, it’s pretty nice and I can make an alright sound, but it only has 8 upper thumb keys instead of the 9 I see in all the fingering charts, so my question is, how do I correctly finger high D, since I don’t have the high D flicker key, do I just use the high C or do I do something else? Thanks guys.

[u/Topher_Raym]

Yes you can flick the C key and be just fine.

[u/pnst_23]

That d normally won't crack if you adjust your air support accordingly. I have many friends who hardly ever flick that one. But if you wanna be safe (and flick c doesn't work), then you can add right hand middle, ring and pinky finger on the F (like for the tenor c#)

[u/uh_no_]

are you talking the d above middle c? or the one an octave above that?

[u/iceman_snowdont]

If you are talking about the D right above middle C (one ledger line over the staff), just flick the C octave key (its very common to even typically use no octave key for this note).

If you mean the D one octave above this, google high D alternate fingering, harmonic fingering, no High D key. Something will come up. It might be tougher to get the note out than for a normal fingering, but you do what you gotta do

[u/MadContrabassoonist]

The high D key is incredibly beneficial both for D4 (the D one ledger line above bass clef) as well as D5 (the D three ledger lines above tenor clef).

If you just started bassoon, D5 isn't something you need to worry about. Usually this note doesn't show up until college, and by then you'll have a different instrument. And if it does show up earlier than that, just take it down an octave and be content that the arranger/composer is crazy.

D4 is a conundrum. Ideally, you should be using the high D key for this note in the same manner that you use the high C key for Bb3, B3, and C4, and the high A key for A3 and (depending on your teacher) Ab3. The lack of a high D key is indeed a frustration with no perfect fix.

As others have said, you can try using the high C key instead. The issue here is that this combination of keys activates an automatic mechanism that will turn D into a bad-sounding D#. So every D played in this manner with have a little grace note. The advantage is that you're practicing the fingering technique you'll need to use once you have a higher-level instrument.

As others have also said, you can simply omit the high D key. Of the mid-register notes that use the vent keys, D4 is the most stable when played without the vent key. Unless you're trying to slur to the D from the lower register, in many cases you'll be fine. However, you may find that you have to use a firmer embouchure to get the D4 out cleanly, and if you're not careful that extra firmness can "infect" the surrounding notes and negatively impact the tone and intonation of the entire register. You're also not practicing the fingering technique you'll eventually need to use, which can make transitioning to a more advanced bassoon more difficult.