First Book of Bassoon Solos: Bassoon & Piano Book

Hilling's collection moves beyond exercise books by pairing genuinely musical pieces with graded technical demands. The breadth of styles and composers means students encounter everything from Bach to folk traditions, building cultural literacy while they build chops. The piano part is written to support rather than overshadow the soloist, making this genuinely playable in a lesson setting.

The music spans from intimate minuets and pastoral dances to spirited folk traditions and elegant baroque forms. Early pieces have an unpretentious charm; as difficulty increases, the repertoire opens into richer harmonic territory without losing the clarity that makes beginning solo work rewarding. There's a genuine sense of playing real music rather than exercises designed only to build technique.

Beginning bassoonists who are ready to move beyond purely technical study and need a steady supply of legitimate solo literature. This collection is ideal for students in their first or second year of study who can handle keys and ranges confidently but still benefit from carefully sequenced difficulty. Teachers working with beginners will appreciate the pedagogical thought behind the ordering and the performance-ready arrangements.

• Record yourself playing each piece and listen back with attention only to intonation and tone quality. The early pieces are simple enough that technical focus can shift entirely to sound.
• Find the character of each dance form before drilling the notes. A Czech Dance and a Waltz demand different physical approaches; let the rhythm section anchor that feeling.
• Work through the collection sequentially rather than cherry-picking advanced pieces. The earlier arrangements build habits in phrasing and style that make the later works more idiomatic.
• Practice the accompaniment as carefully as the solo line. The piano part often establishes harmonic context that clarifies intonation challenges in the bassoon part.

Pull individual pieces for student recitals and informal performances throughout the year, moving through the book in order so each student has fresh material quarterly. The collection also works beautifully for studio classes or community concerts where you want to showcase mixed ability levels without creating awkward programming gaps. Folk and dance pieces particularly suit informal school concerts or family events where accessibility matters without sacrificing musicality.

• Consistent tone production across the bassoon's range
• Reading multiple key signatures and baroque clefs
• Shaping melodic lines with intentional dynamics and phrasing
• Maintaining steady rhythm and alignment with a supporting instrument
• Stylistic awareness of baroque, classical, and folk idioms
• Intonation awareness through sustained and scalar passages