• • • • • Mini-Bassoon PLUS+ Borough Haveringof & London Borough ofBarking &Dagenham Paul Harris - Freelance playerBassoon and specialist for London bassooniststomorrow.” of teachers, music schools and education authorities across the country to begin training the enable will potential and huge has smaller instrument quality, high a introductionof “The HOWARTH MINI-BASSOONPLUS+ Weightis 30% offull instrument bassoon full-size as fingerings Same Suitable from 6 or years7 old Lined fingerholes bore down and above full5th instrument Pitched For furtherFor details andprices please contact our bassoon specialist WilliamRing London in or at the ManufacturingWorkshops. Manufacturing Division: Manufacturing HOWARTH TENOROON Web: Web: Tel: +44 (0)20 7935 Fax: 2407+44 (0)207224 2564 Tel:(0)1903 +44 Fax: 239219 +44(0)1903 232233 www.howarth.uk.com www.howarth.uk.com Head Office: Head Office: Howarth ofLondon Ltd 19 Buckingham Rd, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1TH 1TH BN11 Sussex, 19 Buckingham West Worthing, Rd, 31 Chiltern London,31 7PN St, W1U E-mail: E-mail:

• • • • • • Tenoroon Weight is35%of full instrument ensemble wind beusedCan as tenor instrument in bassoon Same fingerings as full-size years from9 Suitable or 8 old Lined fingerholesand down bore above 4th fullPitched instrument [email protected]

All images & text © T W Howarth & Co Ltd. Howarth MB+ & Tenoroon info sheet 04/08 ensembles are not deprived of that essential element. bass note of the chord or texture, it is clearly important that children’s instrument. Given that classical harmonyis defined by reference tothe remains the problem thatensembles ofyounger players lack a true bass still There solution. partial a only is bassoon the to them transferring Startingyounger children on another wind instrument, and later bassoon is suchone instrument. children - they are just too largefor small hands tomanage. Clearly the further handicap that they are literally “outof thereach” of smaller partly attributable tothe decline in funding.Bass instruments have the W Howarth Mini-BassoonPLUS+ Howarth

instruments arenow alarmingly under-represented mayonly be orchestral fact certain But that the circles. education in music abassoonist? I here can find

REAL BASSOONS FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN Howarth TenoroonHowarth

That is often the the cry That ofconcern often is

What is the answer? What is the difference?

To help increase the The Howarth Mini-Bassoon PLUS+ number of children sounds a fifth above the full-size starting the bassoon, instrument. The Howarth Tenoroon Howarth of London have plays a 4th above. introduced the Mini- The layout of the thumb keys Bassoon PLUS+ and its Each instrument fulfils a slightly slightly larger cousin the Tenoroon. They have been designed by a different role: The Mini-Bassoon leading maker in Germany to mirror the standard instrument exactly, PLUS+ is an excellent instrument to start The unique hand rest allowing easy upward progression. The key systems parallel that of the primary school children as young as 7 or 8 years old. To reap the greatest full-size instrument, and the fingerings are the same up to the highest benefit from the Mini-Bassoon PLUS+, it should not be thought of simply register. as small bassoon, but as a new form of wind bass instrument for small children’s ensembles, thus making a wide repertoire and choice of Are they built to last? ensembles possible.

The bodies are made from traditional maple, stained and finished in a The Tenoroon is more suitable for 9-10 year olds, who are still too small durable modern lacquer, and the mechanism is silver-plated for durability; to comfortably manage the full-size instrument. Teachers are finding that the instruments are then checked and the Tenoroon is a better stepping-stone to the finished in our own manufacturing full size instrument than the short-reach workshops in Sussex. The down-bore is bassoon. The Tenoroon is also suitable as ebonite-lined like the full-size instrument, tenor instrument in a wind ensemble. offering a refined tone. The wooden up- bores are unlined, but have been specially The favoured option for both instruments is treated to prevent water damage. The five for the player to read the bass clef, using finger-holes are also lined with ebonite, as normal bassoon fingerings. The teacher/ on the full-size bassoon. accompanist needs to understand the transposition when arranging for ensembles Howarth’s unique hand rest fitting is including non-transposing instruments. designed for small children to manage However, with the increasing availability of easily and to allow for the growth in relatively cheap music-writing computer players’ hands. The instruments are The Mini-Bassoon PLUS+ software, this need not be an insurmountable supplied with one crook, and the case has in its case - easy to carry! barrier. two straps so that it can be carried over the shoulders, rucksack-style. What music is available?

The Howarth Mini-Bassoon PLUS+ and We have written a Tutor book with music arrangements specifically for Tenoroon can be played with a normal these instruments. There is an increasing amount of material available bassoon reed. through the internet, in particular www.minibassoon.com and www.fagottino.de. Because the fingering is like the full-size bassoon, much of the repertoire for that instrument is also appropriate. Tenoroon