The Modern Day Bassoon

Information on these pages was collected and compiled by Icel A Kendrick, professional bassoonist for 30 years. The bassoon (French: "basson", German: "fagott", Italian: "fagotto", Spanish: "fagot") is a musical instrument with a history behind it of over four centuries. It is the principal tenor and bass instrument of the orchestra woodwind family which also includes the flute, the oboe and cor anglais or English horn, the clarinet, the bass clarinet and the contra bassoon. Its narrow conical bore leads from the curved metal crook or bocal onto which the double reed is placed down through the wing joint or tenor joint to the bass or boot joint. The bore then doubles back up through the long joint and finally through the bell which is located at the top of the instrument. The instrument, which weighs about seven pounds when assembled, is supported and stabilized either with a neck strap which allows the player to stand or with a seat belt. Sound is produced by sealing the lips around the double reed made of cane and blowing air against and through the two blades causing them to vibrate against each other at a certain frequency or pitch. The bassoon, which is pitched in C, has slightly more than a three-octave range starting from the Bb below the bass staff up to the treble E. This is the range most commonly played and written in the repertoire. Although rarely used, additional fingerings have been developed that allow it to play up to, almost, an octave higher. Its rich, dark, sonorous range coincides with the bass and tenor voice while at the top its tone is expressive and plaintive reaching into the lower range of the soprano voice. In the orchestra the bassoon is the woodwind equivalent of the cello in the string family and the trombone in the brass family. Besides having its place in the symphony orchestra, it is used extensively in opera and most recently in the contemporary musicals of the 20th century, television, and movie soundtracks. Innumerable composers have written for the bassoon, particularly during the 18th century, and the repertoire includes impressive parts in orchestral scores, woodwind ensemble music and many bassoon solo concertos.