Note numbers refer to the music below.
Ravel, Maurice. Bolero, opening solo. Groeling, Charles R. "Cultivating Bassoonists." The Instrumentalist 47/1 (August 1992): 52. For rapid Bb4-A4 combinations: A4 use Cooper p. 288 and for Bb4 use Cooper p. 291.
Note #2 A4: Note #1 Bb4:
Eb Eb x x x | o o F x x x | x x o F
a c# a c#Ravel, Maurice. Bolero, opening solo. Ledwith, Austin. In Klimko, Ronald. Bassoon Performance Practices and Teaching in the United States and Canada. Idaho: University of Idaho, 1974, p. 66.
Note # 11 Db5: x o o | o o o d
Ravel, Maurice. Bolero, opening solo. Moritz, Frederick. "A Dissertation on the Use of Alternate Fingerings for Some of the High Register Notes on the Heckel and Heckel-Type Bassoons." The Double Reed 8/3 (Winter 1985): 34-37. Readers may find it most helpful to refer to the article itself. Fingerings for bassoons without the G# ring follow in order of first appearance in the solo:
First solo measure:
Note #1 Bb4: Note #2 A4:
Eb Eb
x x x | x x o x x x | o o x
a c# E a c#
Note # 3 G4: Note #4 F4:
Eb Eb
1/4 x x | x o o F x o x | x x o
Note# 6 C5: Note #7 A4:
Eb Eb
x o o | o o o / x x | o o x
b b
Measure four of the solo. Use Bb4 (Note #9) and C5 (Note #10) given above, then
Note #11 Db5:
Eb
x o x | x o x
E
Measure six of the solo. Use Db5 (Note #12) and C5 (Note #13) given above, then
Note # 14 Bb4:
Eb
x x x | x x o
b E
The fingerings for bassoons with the G# ring follow in order of appearance in the solo:
Note #1 Bb4: Note #2 A4:
Eb Eb
x x x | x x o F x x x | o o o F
a c# a c#
Note #3 G4: Note #4 F4:
Eb Eb
/ x x | x o o G x o x | x x
Note #6 C5:
x o o | o o o F
a c#
Measure four of the solo. Use Bb4 given above, then
Note #10 C5: Note #11 Db5:
Eb Eb
x o o | o o o x o x | x o x
b b (E)
Measure six of the solo. Use Db5 (Note #12) and the second C5 (Note #13) given above, then
Note # 14 Bb4:
Eb
x x x | x x o
b E
Measure seven of the solo. Note #15 use second Bb4 then
Note # 16 Ab4:
Eb
/ x x | o o o F