Experiences of Bassoonists with Small Hands
Janet Polk
I started with the bassoon when I was in 7th grade. I had achieved my full height by the time I entered Junior High School, but my hands had stopped growing around the age of 10 or 11. Luckily, no one looked to see the size of my hands. I had been studying piano for several years and knew that I had trouble stretching an octave, but I didn’t ever think about that when playing bassoon. Only years later did I realize that I might be at a disadvantage….read Janet’s story
Ellen Barnum
When I first started playing bassoon in the early 1990’s, short reach bassoons were not common, so I began playing on a “standard” bassoon. This would not be an issue for many people, but I am only 4’11” and while my hands are fairly wide, my fingers are short and my pinkies both bend inward at the top joint, a condition known as Clinodactyly. This makes reaching the lower right hand front f# and a-flat keys a huge challenge…read Ellen’s story