[Mr. Plaster, who has provided IDRS with some important insights into the problems of all contrabassoonists, studied bassoon at the Juilliard School of Music with Simon Kovar. After playing with the U.S. Army Ground Forces Band in Washington, D.C., he played in the New York Woodwind Quintet, and since 1952 has been a member of the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. He is a faculty member at Boston University, the Boston Conservatory and the New England Conservatory. Also attached to this article was Mr. Plaster's statement, "By way of acknowledgment I should mention my debt to Franz Groffy and the Heckel firm, Ferdinand Del Negro and Lou Skinner." ]
Contrabassoon fingering -- The manufacturer's chart, such as that below, is the point of departure. To it must be added variants for facility, pitch, etc. The variants are as numerous for contrabassoon as for bassoon and other instruments. Briefly, the variants I find most useful are: C# to g' = F to C (overblown twelfths). High b and c' are fingered the same as high b' and c" on the bassoon, except that the ring key to open the d# hole is missing. A minor point is that the C# key can serve as an octave key for C#, d' and d#' as twelfths of F, G, and G#. This is another reason for having an extra lever or plate on the O key between C# and U.
Contrabassoon reed dimensions--These are from the soft sheet metal patterns I use for shaping the cane (The patterns are placed on the back side of masking tape, the tape is cut around the shape exactly then is stuck to the bark side of the cane piece to be shaped). The wire placements are as indicated, and the thicknesses of typical blades are given. These patterns are actual size. They were cut out on the shapers and are accurate. The center line taper is logarithmic--
Squeak (fundamental reed sound) (piano) ranges from about f# to a#. I test the seal but not the sound of the reed on the crook. However, an A-flat usually results from sounding the reed on the crook alone.
"Plaster's Law." The same principle, I notice applies to the reed charts of Franz Groffy (reproduced below). My cane is gouged .050" or .055 (1.27 or 1.40 mm), the same as most bassoon cane. However, since the contrabassoon reeds are wider it is more important for the cane to stay thick out toward the edges so that the reed edges will not be made in the hard, yellow bark. Wire may be #20 or #22 soft brass, two turns of the former or three turns of the latter. A Stanley punch awl #7a can be used as a mandrel, and a #4 taper pin reamer can be used.
Numbers at left are from the profiler; those in the center are extra amounts removed by hand -- suibtract to get thichnesses of the blades.
Care of the Contrabassoon -- Generally, the care of a contrabassoon is similar to that of other woodwinds in that it must be kept clean and dry and protected from heat (such as radiators and autos in the hot sun) and from freezing (such as on baggage trucks on tour in the winter). Beyond those general conditions, though, the contrabassoon is more vulnerable to damage from carelessness, thoughtlessness and abuse than are smaller, lighter instruments. The keys, which are long, bend easily. The many joints are easily damaged due to the combination of weight and the leverage applied to the joints by the great length of the instrument. There must be a hard case with strong, well fitted blocks so that the instrument cannot move about in the case. For traveling, this case is put into a larger trunk in which thick foam (at least three or four inches) holds the case securely. On stage there must be a stable stand so that the instrument is not stepped on, tripped over, or knocked down, and so that no water runs onto the bare wood of the wing joint.
To lubricate the key mechanism and to (hopefully) quiet the sound of the key action I have used the following lubricants and aids, in order of increasing thickness and quieting action: automobile motor oil, the well known lubricant for autos: "STP," automotive grease, "silicone stopcock grease" (used in scientific labs), and - if there is too large a "play" in the keys - cork or leather washers (these are flexible enough to adapt to the expansion and shrinkage of the wood during the course of the seasons).
Besides mechanical damage, there is the problem of keeping the five tenons and sockets airtight, because in December or January when the heat comes on the wood shrinks, causing leaks. The locking screws have to be removed and the metal bands shaken by hand to see whether they are still tight. If they wobble, take them off carefully, protecting the wrappings of the tenons. Remove any burrs at the screw holes. Wrap a few turns of silk or nylon thread where needed, and coat lightly with clear lacquer to help hold the thread in place. After a few minutes of drying, grease the thread lightly and reassemble. This may take thirty to sixty minutes every year or two. Don't trust the claims about caulking products that "never harden, crack or shrink." I believe the thread is safest and best in the long run, and contrabassoons are for the long run.