Bassoon & Contrabassoon

Although the bassoon appeared in the 1650s it wasn't until the 1800s that the instrument was developed with a suitable mechanism for controlling the notes and still maintaining the characteristic sound.

Bassoons are made of wood and consist of six pieces including the reed, bocal, tenor joint, boot joint, bass joint, and bell joint.

Contrabassoons or double bassoons are almost twice as long, close to 16 feet, and sound much lower than a regular bassoon.

Bassoons are found mostly in orchestras and concert bands or wind ensembles. They can serve as a solo instrument but usually are part of a section.

Study the image provided and listen to the sound sample of the bassoon to gain an understanding of this instrument.

Listen to a sample of the bassoon: