Prioritize the following to avoid damaging the bassoon:

1. Careful assembly and disassembly

Taking extra care when putting the bassoon together and taking it apart will make the most difference in the health of your bassoon.

1. Avoid pushing against or bending any key. If your hand or fingers need to make contact with a key or pad-cup, fully depress the key or pad-cup and keep it pressed down while inserting the joint.
2. Pay attention to the keys that extend beyond the joints.
   • Whisper-Key Pad: this extends above the top of the wing joint. Bumping this pad against the nub on the bocal (or anything else) can tear the pad or cause it to fall off. A torn or missing whisper-key pad will make it nearly impossible to play notes on and below the bass staff.
   • Alternate Whisper Key (Wing-Boot Bridge Key): this metal ‘finger’ extends below the bottom of the wing joint and rests on a metal foot at the top of the boot joint.  Allowing this finger to hit against the mechanism at the top of the boot joint (or anything else) will bend the key or cause it to break off. Proper alignment of the alternate whisper key bridge mechanism is crucial for notes below the bass staff. Keep an eye on this metal finger when inserting the wing into the boot.
   • Low Bb bridge key: the low Bb key connects to the low Bb pad-cup via a bridge key between the long joint and the bell. The pad-cup arm extends down from the bell and rests on top of the low Bb key that extends up from the long joint. Hold the low Bb pad-cup (found on the bell) down when sliding the bell onto the long joint. This will raise the pad-cup arm and allow it to slide over top of the low Bb key on the long joint. Avoid letting the two parts of the bridge key hit together during assembly.

2. Swab After Every Use

Removing all moisture will help your bassoon have a long and happy life. Even plastic bassoons need to be swabbed.

1. Pads: thoroughly swabbing the boot and wing joints every time you play the bassoon will allow pads to maintain good seals on the tone holes. If pads stay damp, they will swell and harden creating leaks at the tone holes.
2. Wooden Body: removing all moisture by thoroughly swabbing the boot and wing joints will prevent damage to the body and tone holes. If water is allowed to remain in the instrument, the wood will swell, crack, and eventually rot.
3. Health: germs grow in warm, moist environments. Keep your bassoon clean by thoroughly swabbing the boot and wing joint after every use.

Dusting/Polishing the Exterior of the Bassoon

1. A clean, dry, soft cloth can be used to wipe down the exterior of the bassoon as needed.
   • AVOID using any type of furniture polish and/or polishing cloth on the bassoon. If the bassoon’s exterior needs attention beyond wipe-down with a dry, soft cloth take it to a bassoon repair specialist.
   • AVOID letting students use any type of silver/metal polish and/or polishing cloth on the bassoon keys. While removing tarnish with a dry polishing cloth can improve the bassoon’s appearance, it is dangerously easy to bump one of the many corks and felts on and between the keys. If any of these corks are felts are displaced or knocked off, the bassoon will not play properly. Save polishing the keys for the bassoon’s annual maintenance by a qualified repair specialist.
2. A soft-bristled brush can be used to gently remove dust from around the keys, posts and springs. If you work with young students, save this step for the repair specialist.

Oiling the Keys

Save this for the annual maintenance by the repair specialist! While this is not a difficult task, you need the right materials. The keys generally need to be removed and cleaned before they are oiled. It is too easy to create a new problem by knocking off a cork, felt, or pad, and using too much oil can make a big mess and damage the pads.

Cleaning the Bocal

1. Use a bocal swab instead of a bocal brush. Check for and remove any knots in the chain/string/fabric before inserting the swab.
2. I recommend doing this once a month and after any illness.
3. Use hot water and dish soap (antibacterial hand soap after any illness) along with the bocal swab.
4. Dry the bocal cork gently but thoroughly.

Joint Instrument Checks

1. Long Joint:
   • There is a mechanism under the low C key that allows it to also hold the low D key down when the C key is pressed. Press the low C key and make sure it fully closes the pad on the low D key.
   • There is a mechanism under the low B key that allows it to also hold the low C key down (which then also holds the low D key down) when the low B key is pressed. Press the low B key and make sure it fully closes the pads on the C and D keys.

2. Alternate Whisper Key:

• • The bassoon needs to be fully assembled for this instrument check. When you close the low E key on the boot, it should press the whisper-key pad tightly against the nub on the bocal.
    • Check the alignment of the wing joint in the boot joint. See Chapter 57 About the Low E Key for additional information.

Any leak will make playing these lowest notes impossible. If there is any give or leak in the low D, low C, or alternate whisper key, you will need to take the instrument to a repair specialist for adjustment.