The Bassoon

The bassoon is a double reed instrument of the woodwind group. It is pitched in C, but has a fully chromatic range of nearly three octaves, though it is generally reserved for the tenor and bass registers. This range roughly corresponds to the same occupied by the cello of the string section and the trombone in the brass family. The timbre is described as warm and thick in the lower registers yet ethereal and mysterious in the upper. Although the bassoon is occasionally seen in jazz ensembles it is predominately seen in symphony orchestras and wind ensembles. As well as playing distinctive solo passages in orchestral works it is also blends extremely well with all of the other instruments.

Bassoon Design

The most distinguishing feature of the bassoon is its two parallel tubes connected by a U joint, giving it the appearance of being folded back upon itself. The total sounding length of the instrument is just over 8 feet, but since it is folded in half it's actual length is just under 4.5 feet. The folding of the bassoon accomplishes two things. First, an instrument that is 8 feet long would be very difficult for a player to manage. Second, since tone holes are placed along the entire length of the bassoon, doubling the instrument back allows the player's fingers easier access to them.

The bassoon is constructed in six parts. The reed is attached to the bocal, which is a curved metal tube jutting out from the wing joint. This wing joint extends down to the boot joint, which curves 180 degrees. The other end of the boot joint is attached to tenor joint, which extends upward until it meets the bell, from which the sound is projected. Most bassoons are made of maple and either stained or dyed, although lower-priced models are sometimes made of plastics or ebonite. Like the oboe, the bassoon has a conically shaped bore.

Bassoon History

Because of their many physical similarities, the dulcian of the renaissance era is considered to be the bassoon's ancestor. However, the bassoon was not a simple modification of the dulcian, but instead was most likely an intentional design in its own right. Most attribute its invention to the Hotteterre family, famous for their woodwind instruments in the 17th century. The initial difference between Hotteterre's bassoon and the dulcian was that the former was designed in four pieces rather the single-piece dulcian. This provided better precision when machining the bore of the instrument. Additionally, two keys were placed on the bassoon, which extended its range down to B flat. Eventually, by the 19th century, greater demands from composers and artists alike spurred further refinements that resulted in the two chief bassoon systems that are in use today.

The most popular of these is the Heckel system, named after the German maker Johann Heckel. It's design stems from the work of Carl Almenrader, who in the early 19th century undertook a thorough redesign of the instrument. He increased the diameter of the bore and rearranged the placement of tone holes, which altered the instrument's tone color and improved intonation. He also developed an improved key system consisting of 17 keys, which made it much easier to play the bassoon's entire range. Throughout the 19th century slight improvements were by Almenrader's partner, Johann Heckel, finally resulting in the 22-keyed model that we see today. This type of bassoon became so successful that it became the standard most other contemporary makers followed.

The French school of bassoon making, which culminated in the Buffet system, approached the instrument very differently. While the Germans were overhauling the instrument, French makers perferred to keep the form of the classical instrument intact, making only minor and necessary improvements along the way. Therefore, the Buffet bassoon has retained the narrower bore of the classical era, giving it a distinctive tone quality that many believe surpasses that of the Heckel bassoon. The key system remains simpler and thus more difficult for players, requiring numerous fingerings for different notes.

Bassoon Acoustics

The success of the Heckel system is probably due to its logical key system and its ability to produce a powerful and uniform tone throughout the instrument's entire range. The Buffet system requires much more from the player in the way of reed control to produce the same uniformity of tone. However, most agree that the Buffet bassoon offers the player more expressive control over the tone, whereas the the Heckel bassoon can often sound monotonous and unvaried. Much of these differences are due to reed type and size.

Types of Bassoon

Similar to the bassoon in design and technique is the contrabassoon. Its range extends one octave lower and produces some of the orchestra's lowest pitches. Fingering technique is generally the same, but the reed is considerably larger. Its sounding length is almost twice as long as the bassoon, requiring the tubing to be folded back three times instead of two. It's weight and size also require it to be rested on the floor, balanced on an end pin.