IDRS Commissioning Committee
Skills List for Intermediate-plus Double Reed Players

A Guide for Composers

Composers: Write a piece that opens the door to 21st colors and extended techniques.

Intermediate-plus double reed players can:

1. Play the notes: Oboe C4-F4, Bassoon Bb1-Bb4
2. Play with vibrato
3. Perform slurred passages at:
   1. Quarter notes= 170bpm
   2. Eighth notes= 170bpm
   3. Sixteenth notes= 112bpm
4. Perform single tongue passages at:
   1. Quarter notes= 140bpm
   2. Eighth notes= 140bpm
   3. Sixteenth notes= 95bpm
5. Whole and Half Step trills
6. Play in all Major keys
7. Play in all minor keys
8. Play downward slurs up to Major and minor ninths
9. Play ascending slurs up to Major and minor ninths
10. Play at the f, mf, mp, and p dynamic in all registers
11. Extended Techniques:
    1. Roll tone based on bottom b flat
    2. Multiphonics
    3. Tremolos
    4. Bisbigliando
    5. Quarter tone (one additional finger)
    6. Glissando=
    7. Bassoon: Overblowing low notes, under blowing high notes
    8. Harmonics
    9. Timbral Trills
12. Play Major scales in ascending and descending stepwise, 2nd, 3rd and 4th motion.
13. Consistently perform clearly differentiated versions of sfz, fp, and accents
14. Consistently perform “hair pin” dynamics from (p to f) and (f to p)

Intermediate-plus double reed players are working toward:

1. Playing at the ff and pp dynamic in all registers
   1. Oboe: pp in low register, ff in high register
   2. Bassoon: pp in low and high register
2. Quarter tone trillsPlaying at the ff and pp dynamic in all registers
3. Play quarter tones using two or more additional fingers
4. Double Tonguing
5. Play downward slurs greater than Major and minor 9ths
6. Play ascending slurs greater than Major and minor 9ths
7. Playing to and from niente
8. Advanced Extended Techniques