Bassoon
History
The bassoon is a double-reed instrument, and like the oboe, it is descended from the 13th century shawm. Adaptations to the shawm were made in the 16th century to reduce the size of the instrument, transforming it into what was known as a dulcian or curtal. The early bassoon consisted of four sections: wing joint, boot, long joint and bell, and the main change made to it over the course of the 18th century was primarily the addition of new keys. The contrabassoon (or double bassoon) sounds an octave lower than the bassoon.
Facts & Features
The bassoon is one of the largest members of the woodwind family and operates in the tenor and bass register.
Bassoons are commonly made out of maple or pear wood, however some bassoons are made from a hard rubber that is known as ebonite.
The bassoon has long, conical tubing that measures almost 8 feet (2.4 m). This U shape allows the bassoon to differ in sound from the oboe.
The bassoon can be extremely tricky to play because it is one of the few instruments that requires all ten fingers to be used.
There are two models of bassoon: the more widely used German ‘Heckel’ and the French ‘Buffet’. The Heckel bassoon consists of 24-27 keys and 5 open finger holes whilst the Buffet bassoon has 22 keys and 6 open finger holes.
Famous Players
Etienne Ozi - (1754-1813)
Archie Camden - (1888 – 1979)
William Waterhouse - (1931-2007)
Arthur Weisberg - (1931-2009)
Judith LeClair - (1958-)
Music To Listen To
Devienne - 3 quartets Op. 73 for bassoon and string trio, 1800
Mozart - Sonata B-flat major for bassoon and cello, K. 292
Osbourne - Rhapsody
Ravel - Boléro
Tchaikovsky - 4th, 5th, 6th symphonies
Find Out
What are the key differences between a bassoon and a contrabassoon?
What does the whisper key do on a bassoon?
