DS off to camp next week followed by two weeks in America! He won't pick up is bassoon for over 3 weeks and given he is nine and borderline G3 level how difficult will it to get back into it? He is near perfect with his songs, we shan't discuss the scales , but I am worried he will find it difficult to blow a reed again.

Ok, so I probably sound stupid but don't mock the Nit Wit please!

It will be absolutely fine, don't worry.

If he can think through his pieces while away that will be good but it's not essential.
Maybe he could write down his scales??

(I have 5 sons. I know about boys and scales)

I find that if I take a break from clarinet I tire more easily and can't practice for as long. I imagine there might be a similar effect with the bassoon.

Breaking practice into shorter sessions over the course of the day helps until my embouchure strengthens again.

As for the pieces and scales, often a break can be beneficial. Sometimes things just sort themselves out while you've not thinking about them, unlikely as that sounds.

Ho ho, once upon a time, I used to believe my sons' teachers when they said that it was IMPOSSIBLE to go for a week without practice. I diligently lugged violins and guitars hither and thither. They practiced, but scarcely with unbridled joy.

Son Viohazard returns from over 3 weeks in the US tomorrow...he e-mailed to say that he's missing his violin (poor thing, he's only had access to piano and guitar while away).

I actually think that's a Good Thing. Never taking a day off means that he never gets the chance to imagine what life without violin would be like.

More practically, there is a lot that can be done by just taking (a photocopy of - I'm not completely crazy) the sheet music - singing it, identifying same or similar motifs or rhythms, etc.

This site is so great, thanks guys! I wish I could impart some knowledge - maybe one day!



Mmmm...somehow I think DS would happily imagine life without his bassoon but hey, who knows!

Goodness, ours have regulalry gone the whole summer without practising. Maybe I'm a very slack parent but I think some time without practice hanging over you is an unparralled good. If they want to practise that's fine but I'm happy to let things ride a bit in the holidays.

it's fine to take a break

....although I really cannot imagine how anyone would wish to, I can't imagine not playing my violin, it is STUCK to me wherever I go in the world (well.....Europe )

Your post has made me think it's time I dusted off my banjo and leanrt how to play it, while it's the holidays. Cheese wires, here I come!

Three weeks?

Oh dear.

He will lose all his aural skills, forget all his repertoire, lose the skill of reading music, and take months to recover sufficient strength to make an embouchere. When he starts again he will make the mistake of trying to coax music out of a member of a troupe of ground-dwelling Old World monkeys.

What's wrong with taking his bassoon to America or Camp with him?
Pianists are the ones we should feel sorry for. Good luck getting one of those in your suitcase!





(Tom, you just won my vote as "Most Entertaining Poster" in the forum awards!)

I went for 10 years without playing the bassoon more than a handful of times. When I knew I had a chance to orchestrate again I decided to work back up to standard by doing 20 minutes a day of Weissenborn, starting from the beginning of the first book. After a fortnight I was having physio... as would your average 9 yr old if he had to lug a bassoon on holiday ;-)

HOWEVER... DS1 discovered earlier this year that not playing the trumpet for 5 days meant it was much harder when he next picked it up.
HOWEVER again, though, that didn't apply today when he did a 2 octave C major arpeggio as soon as he got the thing out of the case with the most beautiful tone, after several days without practice.
Go figure but don't worry - we had 10 days away 3 weeks before his G1 piano and he got 136!

Like the people posted before, I think it maybe more positiv to have a break from practicing.

I just finished a period of not looking at my exam pieces for three weeks (ok I played something else and went on practicing), and in the end it showed up, that they stabiliesed themselves.

Maybe you will recieve some suprises when son will be back and taking up his bassoon.

Taking a break is beneficial for the brain, i have realised that when i take breaks then i remember the pieces better and gain confidence.

So we got back from holiday and had a couple of practices. I was expecting this wonderful playing as it is supposed to click after a break. Well, no! He seems to have gone back three months, especially with his pieces which were near perfect. We were looking forward to his teacher being wowed because he'd put in so much practice but ala it is not to be. I am now nervous for his December exam!

Don't panic - three months is a long time, especially if he had already pretty much nailed the pieces.

He's got a while, I'm sure he'll be okay-plus you can use this as an excuse to get him to do even more practice