Pucker the lips like you are
whistling or blowing out a match. Focus the corners inward like
closing a draw-string bag. The lips should be fairly relaxed, not tight. Drop
the lower jaw and form an overbite. Put about 3/4ths of the reed
in the mouth. The upper lip should be up close to the bark, and the
lower lip about half way between the tip and the bark. This position
may change as you change registers.
Breathe in an oval to aid in
correct embouchure formation. Say "Ho;" then breathe
in, keeping the lips in same shape.
Common embouchure faults:
1. Biting
2. Under bite or even jaws
3. Rolling lips in over the teeth with little or no red showing
4. Smiling
5. Excessive tension in the lips/chin muscles
6. Puffing the cheeks and/or air pockets between the lips and the teeth
7. Too little reed in mouth
In order to produce the best
sound and achieve maximum volume, the reed must be able to vibrate
as freely as possible. The more pressure you place on the reed,
the more you dampen the vibrations. Many embouchure problems
result from using a reed that is too hard. I recommend soft to
medium soft for beginning bassoonists and medium soft to medium for
advanced players.