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Rev 4 - Split - 13

The bassoon family consists primarily of the bassoon and contrabassoon. The bassoon is pitched in C and reads music as written, spanning from Bb below the bass clef up to C above the middle C. It is commonly used in orchestras and concert bands. The contrabassoon is pitched an octave below the bassoon and reads music an octave higher than it sounds. It is used occasionally in orchestras, bands, and double reed ensembles. Both instruments are double reed woodwind instruments.

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30 views1 page

Rev 4 - Split - 13

The bassoon family consists primarily of the bassoon and contrabassoon. The bassoon is pitched in C and reads music as written, spanning from Bb below the bass clef up to C above the middle C. It is commonly used in orchestras and concert bands. The contrabassoon is pitched an octave below the bassoon and reads music an octave higher than it sounds. It is used occasionally in orchestras, bands, and double reed ensembles. Both instruments are double reed woodwind instruments.

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Tom Hart
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The Bassoon Family

The Bassoon
The bassoon family is relatively limited in scope. The primary instrument, the bassoon, is
pitched in C, sounding exactly as written. It is generally written in the bass clef, but the tenor
clef is also used. The range spans from Bb below the bass stave (two octaves below middle C)
up three octaves to the C and octave above middle C. Professional players can achieve notes
up to the G above this. The bottom range can be extended, using the so called 'Wagner bell'.
This is not an attachment, but is part of the bassoon's design, and allows the player to extend
the range by a semitone, down to bottom A, which is occasionally called for in orchestral
works. The best known orchestral bassoon solo is in Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice16.

The bassoon is a standard orchestral instrument. Early variations were a staple of renaissance
and baroque orchestras. The bassoon is also standard in concert bands, but less so in marching
and military bands, as most bassoonists feel the need to sit when they play. Usage outside
these contexts, save for in dedicated double reed ensembles, is rare.

The Contrabassoon
The contrabassoon (or double bassoon) is akin to the bass clarinet or bass oboe, in that it is
pitched an octave below the bassoon. Music for the contrabassoon is written in the bass clef,
an octave higher than it sounds. As with the bass clarinet, it is supported by a stand, rather
than a strap. Its written range and fingerings are exactly the same as the bassoon.

Use of contrabassoon is limited occasional use in orchestras, concert bands and double reed
ensembles. There has been some chamber music written for the instrument. A notable
example of a double-reeded instrument utilised in jazz is the use of a contrabassoon in John
Coltrane's The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings17.

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