The fingering for upper D is almost the same as the middle D you already know.  The difference is that the left thumb moves from the whisper key up to the high D key.

Matching Pitch

Upper D is a very flat note. Play through Matching Pitch on Upper D to figure out what you need to do to play upper D in tune. Use very fast air and your best breath support.

  tuningdrones.com

To raise the pitch of this typically very flat note:

1. Hear the D reference tone and sing it in your head.
2. Use a cold and very fast air stream.
3. Press the high D speaker key.
4. Raise the back of your tongue to voice an “ee” vowel.
5. If you are still flat, add just a little upward push from the center of your bottom lip.

Note: The least expensive student-model bassoons do not come standard with a high D speaker key. This key is worth the price if you can afford the upgrade. If you do not have a high D key, use very fast air along with a slight increase in support from the embouchure (especially from center of lower lip) on this note.

Speaker Key Exercise on D

 

G minor scale segment

Etude #14 is in the key of G minor which has the same key signature as Bb major BUT there is an F-sharp to make G sound like the most important note (tonic). Practice this scale segment before playing the etude to get used to the sound of the minor scale. If you play an F-natural instead of f-sharp in bar 5, the G after the F will sound less like an arrival.  The F-sharp makes the G sound like the “home note” of the key.

Belwin Mills Intermediate Etude #14

I started with this method book, and #14 was one of my favorite tunes.

Note: The original upper Eb in bar 11 has been changed to a C in this version to keep the tune within the player’s current range.

 

Belwin Mills Intermediate Etude #15

Sonata No. 1 in A minor

Sonata No. 1 in A minor by Johann Ernst Galliard is a wonderful work in five short movements. It was first published in 1733. Below is the first phrase of the fourth movement. The rest of the movement includes notes not yet covered. The last note of the first phrase has been raised an octave to fit the current range.

Reminder: Half-hole G# is fingered the same as half-hole Ab from Lesson 11.