Bassoon Factsheet Bell Joint This is where the sound Measurements comes out! The average bassoon is around 135cm in length, but the length of the Crook tubing inside is actually This curved tube is where around 254cm! the air you blow enters the main instrument. This little piece is super important, and every one is unique. Different designs can change the sound of the instrument. Strap Ring Bassoons are quite heavy instruments, so most players use a strap which goes around their upper body, and clicks in here. Reed This is the ‘mouthpiece’, which you blow through to make the sound. The two pieces of bamboo, tightly woven together, need to Boot Joint vibrate for a sound to This houses the u-tube, happen! which sends the air all the way back up to come out of Hand Rest the bell! You rest your lower hand here! FUN FACTS The word ‘bassoon’ comes from the French ‘basson’ or Italian ‘bassone’, but in lots of European languages the instrument is known as ‘fagot’, which in Old French means a bundle of sticks! � Bassoonists have to painstakingly make their own reeds from scratch, which can take hours! ✍ The Bassoon comes in two sizes, the one we’ve shown above, and the contrabassoon. This is considered to be the lowest orchestral instrument! � To play the bassoon, you have to use all of your fingers, and your thumbs too! The lef thumb alone controls 10 different keys!! � There are lots of different ancestors of the Bassoon dating back to the 1500’s, but the modern Bassoon was invented in the 1700’s! ⏳ Bassoons can come in both French and German designs, the German being most commonly used. � � Did you know a metal version of the bassoon, called the ‘Sarrusophone’, was developed in the 1800’s as a rival for the Saxophone! � Want to hear more of the Bassoon? LINKLINKLINKLI LINKLINKLINKLIN NKLINKLINKLIN KLINKLINKLINKLI KLINKLINKLINK NKLINKLINKLINK LINKLINKLINKLI LINKLINKLINKLIN Click to WATCH KLINKLINKLINKLIClick to LISTEN.