Always play with your best breath support, regardless of the dynamic.

• Using your best breath support will help keep the tone and intonation stable.
• Dynamics do not change your breath support.
• Dynamics are created by the volume of air released into the bassoon.
• Loud comes from more air and soft comes from less air being released, but both require full breath support.
• The loudest dynamics require a slight relaxing of embouchure to allow reed to vibrate as much as possible.
• Soft can be helped by a slight firming of the embouchure to mute the vibrations and close the tip opening.
• Changes in volume of air and embouchure affect intonation. Adjust voicing to compensate.

Playing long tones is the best way to develop control over these elements and parameters.

• Choose a note that is comfortable for you. Play with a drone to highlight pitch tendencies at various dynamics and in all registers.
• Sustain dynamic for 16 beats.
• Crescendo for 8 beats, Decrescendo for 8 beats.
• Decrescendo 8 beats, Crescendo 8 beats.
• Crescendo 16 beats
• Decrescendo 16 beats.

Choose different notes for your long tone practice each day and gradually add long tones on some of your less comfortable notes.