Bassoon

The bassoon is a low-register double-reed woodwind with a folded conical bore. Its long air column produces a wide range of notes through a curved metal bocal and a double reed.

Double reed: A mouthpiece made from two bound pieces of cane that vibrate against each other when blown. The bassoon’s reed creates its sound through the vibration of two cane blades.
Woodwind instrument: An instrument that produces sound by directing air through a tube, usually with a reed or an edge. The bassoon belongs to this family despite being made chiefly from wood.
Dulcian: A Renaissance double-reed instrument with a folded conical bore, often carved from a single block of wood. It is the bassoon’s principal historical predecessor.
Orchestral bassoon: The bassoon’s role as a low woodwind voice and character instrument in the orchestra. Orchestral writing uses its range for bass lines, counter-melodies, and solo effects.
Oboe: A high-register double-reed woodwind with a narrow conical bore and a piercing tone. The oboe shares the double reed but occupies a much higher register.
Bocal: A curved metal tube that connects a double reed to a bassoon’s main body. The bocal positions the reed and carries its vibration into the instrument’s bore.
Bassoon family: The group of instruments built around the bassoon, including the contrabassoon. The family includes a larger instrument that extends the bassoon’s range downward.
Baroque bassoon: An early bassoon design used in Baroque music, with fewer keys and a lighter construction than modern instruments. Its sound and keywork reflect the instrument’s earlier stage of development.
Bassoon concerto: A concerto featuring the bassoon as soloist with an accompanying ensemble. Concertos showcase the instrument’s agility and lyrical range.
English horn: A lower-pitched double-reed woodwind, also called the cor anglais, with a pear-shaped bell. It is another orchestral double reed, but its sound and range differ from the bassoon’s.

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