Putting the Know in Innovation - My Role in Weisberg Systems for Bassoon
by Robert D. Jordan
Several years ago, just after Arthur Weisberg was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Mr.
Weisberg asked me to completely take over for him in the development and marketing of his
innovations for bassoon. He was particularly concerned about what we now recognize as the
“Weisberg System” for bassoon. Specifically this is the double octave key system that eliminates
the need for “flicking” or “venting” to produce, cleanly and without cracking, the six ascending
chromatic notes beginning with the top line A in the bass clef staff. Those specific notes are the
A natural, B flat, B natural, C natural, C sharp, and D natural just above the staff. Many articles
have been written about these precarious notes on the bassoon, and they remain somewhat
controversial in that there is, as yet, no universal agreement on how to solve the problem with
their response on the bassoon. Some bassoonists build special reeds to alleviate, but not
completely solve, the problem. Others, to varying degrees, use specific keys that assist in the
response of these notes. And, unfortunately, some bassoonists simply live with and ignore the
situation altogether. In the course of my career, I have fallen into each of those categories at one
time or another. I have been very dissatisfied with how primitive the bassoon has remained
throughout its history, and I have looked for answers and ways to help its progress in catching up
with some of the other woodwinds that are a century or more ahead of the bassoon. Like Ron
Klimko, I have traveled to museums around the world looking at bassoons and wondering what
went wrong. It has been, and remains a difficult search. This search led me to the collaboration
that became the team of Arthur Weisberg, James Keyes, and me.
My involvement with Mr. Weisberg began quite a few years before his illness, sometime in the
late 1990’s. It all started when James Keyes contacted me shortly after Mr. Weisberg had called
him to begin working on some ideas to improve the bassoon. Mr. Keyes is a longtime friend and
colleague of mine for over thirty years. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Mr. Keyes was my
first bassoon teacher. I would visit his repair shop, then in Memphis, Tennessee, after school on
an almost daily basis back when I was in high school. My fascination with how the bassoon
worked, or did not work, began at an early age of my development as a bassoonist. At that time,
Mr. Keyes was principal bassoonist of the Memphis Symphony and I was principal bassoonist of
the Memphis Youth Symphony. Mr. Keyes had just launched a repair business, “The Woodwind
Clinic”, with Alvin Swiney. Bassoonists from all over the world were visiting the shop because
Mr. Keyes was quickly being recognized as one the best repairmen in the business. I must say it
was a very neat experience for me indeed to meet various great bassoonists and at such an early
age of my own development.
My life and career in bassoon has been shaped to a great degree by James Keyes. He encouraged
me to go to Louisiana State University (LSU) for my undergraduate degree, and to the University
of Michigan for my master’s degree. I studied bassoon and acoustics at both universities. I was
one of the last students of John Patterson at LSU, and I also studied with William Ludwig
when he began teaching at LSU. William Ludwig, who is now professor Indiana University, was
a former student of Mr. Patterson’s and Mr. Weisberg’s. John Patterson had studied acoustics
with the great acoustician Arthur Benade, bassoon with Sol Schoenbach and Leonard Sharrow,
and repair with Hans Moenig. Mr. Patterson had the most beautiful sound on the bassoon I have
yet heard and have tried most to emulate. You might notice the name Patterson in some of
Benade’s writings pertaining to bassoon, and bassoon measurements. Amazingly, while Mr.
Patterson was at LSU, he taught bassoon, saxophone, acoustics, and percussion.
Hugh Cooper was my teacher at the University of Michigan. Of course everyone in the bassoon
world is, or should be, familiar with Hugh Cooper’s many contributions to the study of bassoon
and bassoon acoustics. I am greatly indebted to both of these men, John Patterson and Hugh
Cooper, for the knowledge and appreciation I gained from them in regard to bassoon and
acoustics. It was during a lesson with Mr. Cooper in the 1980’s that my desire to improve the
bassoon began. After some foiled attempts at flicking, Mr. Cooper told me that the bassoon
really needed two more holes. These two new holes would fix the flicking or venting problem
that we all have, and he pointed to the approximate location of those holes on my bassoon. Mr.
Cooper said that in his vast experience of listening to bassoon recitals, and many concerts with
bassoon, most of the mistakes that were made could be reduced to two specific areas, poor halfhole technique and the misuse, or non use, of “flick” keys. He then gave me a complete history
of venting on the bassoon. He went on to say that manufacturers would not embrace the idea of
adding two more holes to the bassoon because of the costs in re-tooling the factory. As was the
case of so many things Mr. Cooper said, he was proved absolutely right. Before his death, Mr.
Cooper did tell me that he was very much impressed with the work that Arthur Weisberg, James
Keyes, and I had done. In any case, it was on that fateful day in Ann Arbor that my odyssey of
searching for more holes to make on the bassoon began.
It was my own knowledge of acoustics and my relationship with James Keyes that led me to join
Arthur Weisberg in this pursuit. I have been in total agreement with its acoustical validity from
day one. When Mr. Weisberg asked me to complete the journey that we began, I did not hesitate.
I told him that I would do my absolute best to continue his legacy. In typical Weisberg fashion,
he responded by saying that if I continued with this, it would be my legacy too. I was simply at
the right place at the right time. To put it more accurately, I was at the right place for a long time.
My first role as member of this team was to provide feedback and ideas on improvement. One of
my bassoons was among the very first to have this system of keys added to it. At that time I was
also teaching at the University of Dayton where I held an annual Bassoon Day. For five years,
Mr. Keyes would attend as my guest and together we would demonstrate the progress being
made on the system. In 2003, Mr. Weisberg was a guest at my Bassoon Day as well. Mr. Keyes
and I both felt that the initial bassoons with the system on it were really prototypes, and it was
too soon in the process to be showing it. But the exuberance for this revolution and evolution
was too much to resist and early versions began to make the rounds at conferences, camps and
bassoon events. Much of the misinformation and apprehension that some bassoonists still hold
today is based on their memories of trying an early version of the system. It is important to know
that the system we are making today is different from what was being made ten years ago; we
have made several important changes since then. Those changes have been in place for the last
three years.
Some of these changes include:
1) The pads and pad cups for the new vent holes are smaller.
2) The new keys are much closer to the body of the instrument.
3) There is a connecting mechanism on the right hand third finger key (G key) to cancel out the
system on certain notes. This allows for the option of playing the E flat and E natural above the
bass clef staff with or without the E flat or “resonance” key. It also alleviates the necessity in
keeping the whisper key down for select notes in the primary register, specifically low F, low F
sharp, low G, and low G sharp.
4) The angle and placement of the right hand first finger ring key is at a more comfortable and
natural feeling position.
5) The closure of the vents is now based on a rocker system rather than two independently
sprung keys. This reduces the possibility of future adjustment problems.
6) The elimination of many adjustment screws that were involved with the previous system of
vent closure.
7) There is a more secure way of closing down the system for producing the F natural above the
staff.
8) There are looser tensions in springs and better connections in various mechanisms which
provide a lighter feel for pressing and releasing keys, thereby duplicating the same touch and feel
as is in bassoons without the system.
Additionally in this article, I’d like answer some questions that have been asked as I have taken a
Weisberg System bassoon around for demonstrations at various conferences, and bassoon related
events.
FAQ’s about the Weisberg System
1) Will I need to learn new fingerings?
No, this is the most common misconception with the Weisberg System. However, you do need to
adhere to the correct standard fingerings. For example, the correct standard fingering for the F
above the bass clef staff requires the use of the left hand low E flat or “resonance” key. This key,
the E flat or “resonance” key, has an attachment which cancels out the Weisberg System vents in
order for that particular F to respond cleanly. The option of playing both the E flat and the E
natural above the staff without the use of the little finger E flat or “resonance” key remains in
place. The right hand third finger (G key) has a link that cancels out the Weisberg System. You
will need to keep the whisper key down for the A natural, B flat, B natural, C natural, C sharp, D
natural, E flat, E natural, and F natural that are in the primary range, or written bass clef staff
range, of the bassoon. You should already be doing this regardless. A little finger whisper key is
now a standard feature included on every Weisberg System that we install. This left hand little
finger whisper key is helpful for some passages where it may be difficult to keep the whisper key
down, or the whisper key lock on. Mr. Weisberg did invent another key mechanism for operating
the closure of the whisper key with the left hand little finger, but this is not a standard
configuration on the Weisberg System.
2) Can you still use the flick keys?
Yes, you can still use flick keys, but it defeats the purpose of the system. However, if you do use
the flick keys those notes will be slightly higher in pitch than normal if those said keys are left
open. This is not much different than what usually occurs on a bassoon without the Weisberg
System, only to a slightly greater degree. At the same time, it is very comforting to know that
you can continue to use the flick keys as you wean yourself off of them. Many bassoonists still
have the misconception that the Weisberg System completely negates the use of vent keys. That
is simply not the case. It’s pointless to continue their use, but it does not negate them.
Furthermore, if for any reason, you would like to disengage the Weisberg System, it can be done
simply by covering the new vents with tape, and you have your old bassoon back.
3) Will it improve my high register?
If you consider the bassoon high register to be the notes in the opening of Stravinsky’s Rite of
Spring or the bassoon solo in Ravel’s Bolero, then the answer is no. The Weisberg System has
no effect on those notes. The Weisberg System does improve the six notes, A natural through D
natural, just above the bass clef staff. If you consider the six notes above the bass clef to be in the
high register of the bassoon, then the answer is yes. There is a key system also invented by
Arthur Weisberg that does greatly simplify the high range, but that is another innovation
altogether.
4) Will I lose any alternate fingering?
No, is the short answer with some exceptions. If you run across a non standard alternate
fingering that is not responding then you simply need to add the whisper key, the left hand little
finger whisper key, the E-flat “resonance” key, the third finger of the right hand, or otherwise
close the newly created vents by some other means to get that particular alternate fingering back.
Any of these maneuvers will close the newly created vent holes on the Weisberg System. The
book Hugh Cooper co-authored with Howard Toplansky, Essentials of Bassoon Technique, is
considered by many to be the very best source for alternate bassoon fingerings. I can tell you that
any lost alternate fingering that the Weisberg System might interfere with as described in
Essentials of Bassoon Technique, can be restored by one of the methods described earlier in this
paragraph. One might find an alternate fingering that does not work well with the system, but
again, it can easily be recovered by one of the means described above. If you needed to
temporarily shut down the Weisberg System vents for a particular passage, then by all means do
so.
5) Will I lose any multi-phonic fingering?
To the best of my knowledge the answer is no. Arthur Weisberg wrote one of the definitive
books on the interpretation of 20th Century music, Performing 20th Century Music, a Handbook
for Conductors and Instrumentalists. Certainly, he would have noticed that the system he created
detracted from a technique that is such an integral part in performing some 20th Century music.
6) Who is using the system now?
There are now well over twenty people performing on bassoons with this system. They range
from members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, former members of the New York
Philharmonic, university professors, and amateur bassoonists. This system has something to offer
bassoonists at every level of playing ability.
7) How long will it take me to adjust to the system?
The answer varies with the individual. I picked up a bassoon with the system two weeks prior to
my recent performance at the 2009 IDRS Conference. I had prepared for this performance prior
to that point on a bassoon without the system. Other people may want to have a month or longer
to get used to it. If you are in a high profile position, principal bassoon in a major orchestra for
example, you may want to live with a Weisberg System bassoon for a little while. That’s exactly
what we did with Dennis Michel of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Dennis did get to the
point where he felt that he had to have the system on both his Fox bassoon and his Heckel
bassoon. He now performs exclusively on a Weisberg System bassoon. We are working through
a similar situation with David McGill. David McGill has told me that he intends to record all 50
of Ludwig Milde’s Concert Studies for Bassoon with his newly written piano accompaniment,
and that he believes several of them cannot be played cleanly without the Weisberg System.
8) How long does it take to install? Why?
Currently, I do not schedule completion of the installation for less than six weeks. It can be
completed in four weeks, sometimes less, if you do not want the new keys to be plated. You can
schedule a separate time for the plating to be done if that is more convenient for you.
Outsourcing of metal plating is the industry standard and typically takes two weeks to
accomplish. It is what both the Fox bassoon company and what the Schilke trumpet company
does. Metal plating is an art in and of itself. My father worked as a metal finisher and I can tell
you from firsthand experience that it is something best left to specialists in that line of work.
Overall, it is a very labor-intensive job to make and fit new keys for a specific bassoon. Although
the end product may not look particularly complicated, there are well over fifty parts that are
fitted together that go into the making of a Weisberg System. So far, all of the bassoons
completed were retro-fitted, which is to say they left the factory without the system on them.
This makes it especially difficult, because great care is taken to perfectly match what already
exists on the instrument.
Another time consuming factor is that until very recently, only one person was qualified to do
the work. We now have a second person and former student of mine, Sara Garing, trained and
assisting in the process. Sara just graduated from Indiana University with a Master’s degree in
bassoon performance. She also studied violin making with Thomas G. Sparks at Indiana. She has
apprenticed with James Keyes for the last two summers, and all of her free time in between. She
made and fitted most of the keys on the new bassoon that I played at the 2009 IDRS Conference.
We have installed the system on many makes and models of bassoons, and we have kept
meticulous records and blueprints for each one. Every bassoon is different and those differences
often mean that the key placements need to be altered. This necessitates the making of special
tools to work on each instrument. We now have specific tools and plans saved from previous
installations for use on future installations of the Weisberg System. Unfortunately, there is no
“standard” bassoon. Even in a particular bassoon company, changes are made from model to
model, and oftentimes within the same model from one serial number to the next. Fortunately we
are at the point where we have done enough different bassoons that the process is much more
under control and predictable than it was at the beginning. Still, there are glitches that occur
when a manufacturer has made a change in design, or if an existing trill key is in the way. E flat
trill keys and the right hand first finger G sharp trill ring key are particularly difficult, but not
impossible, to work around. Problems do occur, and those problems sometimes require extra
time to solve.
9) Are there any manufacturers interested in the system?
Yes, we have just negotiated a licensing agreement with Stephan Leitzinger of Leitzinger
bassoons. He will have the Weisberg System available on his bassoons in 2010. Additionally, the
owner of the American Bassoon Company, Barry Trent, offers the Weisberg System on select
models of new Fox bassoons.
10) Why does it cost so much?
Refer back to question eight for most of the answer on this one. The other reason for the
seemingly high cost is that a little finger whisper key is included in the price. The price of the
system was grossly underestimated when this adventure began. When I took over from Arthur
Weisberg the first thing I did was to look at the time, material, and level of expertise that was
involved to install this system. By the way, it is still very much under priced from what a leading
expert in the bassoon industry recommended that we charge. Another fairly good comparison can
be made between the Weisberg System and the Fast System for contra bassoon. Acoustically
they do very similar things, and they are both labor intensive to complete. The price difference
between a Fox contra and a Fox Fast System contra is over ten thousand dollars. The Weisberg
System is less than half as much. Again, they are two different instruments, but the concept and
result, acoustically, are very similar.
11) Is it really worth it? Why?
Of course my answer is going to be yes, but that depends only if you want to play the bassoon
better. It not only simplifies the bassoon technically, it improves it acoustically. Consequently, in
my opinion, it gives us the opportunity to play more musically.
To better understand its value, let’s make some simple equations to see what physically happens
in a passage of notes that require a vent key. Then we will compare them to what happens when
we use a different way to solve the same equations. In each of these equations 0 will represent
either the starting position of the left thumb pressing down the whisper key, or the neutral
position of our left thumb. Positive numbers will represent actual movement of our left thumb.
When we flick or vent a two note grouping from a position of being on a note with the whisper
key down, for example, the first space A of the bass clef, to a note where a flick key or vent is
needed, such as the bass clef top line A, our left thumb moves to several different positions.
Here is what physically happens with our left thumb in this particular two note grouping:
0 left thumb is in starting position pressing the whisper key down
1 left thumb releases the whisper key
2 left thumb moves or lunges toward an appropriate vent key
3 left thumb presses down an appropriate vent key
4 left thumb releases said vent key
Let’s now suppose that we had a different two note combination moving from a note where the
left thumb is already off of the whisper key, and we are moving to a note that requires a vent key
to be pressed down. A good example of this is the downward perfect fifth slur between the F
above the bass clef to the B flat on top of the bass clef.
Here is what physically happens with our left thumb in this particular two note grouping:
0 left thumb is in neutral position off of the whisper key
1 left thumb moves or lunges toward an appropriate vent key
2 left thumb presses down an appropriate vent key
3 left thumb releases said vent key
If either of these maneuvers happened perfectly we should indeed be commended. It was a
physical act of Olympian proportions, especially if that particular two note combination was a
fast one.
Now let’s look at the same equations if we were to use a bassoon with the Weisberg System
which automatically does the venting for us.
In moving in octaves upwards from the bass clef first space A to the bass clef top line A, here is
what happens physically with the left thumb:
0 left thumb is in starting position pressing the whisper key down
1 left thumb releases the whisper key
In moving downward by a perfect fifth, as in the case of the F above the bass clef staff to the B
flat on top of the bass clef staff, here is what happens physically with the left thumb:
0 left thumb is in neutral position off of the whisper key
0 left thumb is still in neutral position off of the whisper key - no movement necessary
When we compare the first equations of upward octaves, we save three steps thereby reducing
the number of steps from 4 to 1, which is a 75% increase in efficiency. When we compare the
second equation of a downward fifth we reduce the number of steps from 3 to 0, which is a 300%
increase in efficiency. At the same time we, hopefully, have been able divert our attention away
from something totally technical, flicking or venting, on to something totally musical interpreting a musical line.
12) Here’s my own FAQ to the bassoon world: What is good?
This is a question borrowed from my friend, teacher, and mentor, James Keyes. I find it really
helpful in quantifying music, craftsmanship, and excellence in all that we do or attempt to do.
When we, as bassoonists, produce any of the six notes, A through D, located just above the bass
clef staff without cracking, the usual and appropriate response from our teachers or fellow
musicians is “That’s good.” Now, let’s listen, look, and think about what just happened. The
chances are very good that we used a flick or vent key to make this achievement happen. We
may have even truly flicked or tapped the appropriate and carefully selected vent key to let that
key close quickly enough to hide the noise or flaw in the sound that is sometimes produced when
we use a vent key. We may have left that key open and adjusted our embouchure, throat position,
or air pressure to force an otherwise problematic note into a position of fitting, or almost fitting,
into the notes around it. If we are lucky, we will have had in our possession a bocal, a reed, or a
bassoon that made all of this just a little bit easier. It’s equally likely that we are very proud of
what we just did. After all, we spent years, sometimes decades trying to master this difficult
maneuver. What we failed to realize, because we have probably never heard it, is the particular
flicked note did not resonate like it should. Acoustically speaking, it is impossible for the note to
resonate properly without an appropriate vent hole on the bassoon. It also may not have blended
very well into the notes around it, but it was close. It was, as we all too often say. “Good
enough.” Now, I would challenge anyone to compare that same little passage that involved a
flicked note to do the same thing with a bassoon equipped with the Weisberg System. Then ask
yourself, “What is good?”
Robert D. Jordan is a bassoonist with the United States Air Force Bands, where he presents
chamber music recitals, master classes, and is a frequently featured soloist on Concert Band tours
throughout the United States and Europe. He also currently performs with the Saint Louis
Philharmonic. Prior to joining the Air Force, he performed with the Atlanta, Baton Rouge,
Columbus, Dayton Philharmonic, Fox Valley, Milwaukee, Opera Columbus, Savannah,
Springfield, and West Virginia Symphony Orchestras among others. He holds degrees from
Louisiana State University, the University of Michigan, The Ohio State University and a
Performer's Certificate from UW-Milwaukee Institute of Chamber Music. His major teachers
include L. Hugh Cooper, James Keyes, William Ludwig, John Patterson, Robert
Thompson, Christopher Weait, and Robert Williams. He also studied with Leonard Hindell,
K. David Van Hoesen, Stephen Maxym, John Miller, Sol Schoenbach, Milan Turkovic’,
Charles Ullery, Arthur Weisberg, and William Winstead. His teaching appointments have
included the University of Dayton, Denison University, Heidelberg College, The Ohio State
University, Tiffin University, UW-Milwaukee, and Sinclair Community College. Presently he
teaches at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE). For five years he served as Vice
President and competition chair of Chamber Music Yellow Springs. Dr. Jordan is the CEO of
Weisberg Systems where he coordinates the further development of innovations for bassoon
inspired by Arthur Weisberg.