The bassoon is a double-reed woodwind instrument. It has almost 8 feet of wooden tubing, bent into a narrow U-shape. The reed is secured in a curved metal tube. Bassoons are the largest woodwind instruments in the orchestra - except for the contrabassoon, which is even bigger and plays a whole octave lower than the bassoon!

Composer: Prokofiev Piece: Peter and the Wolf Orchestra: The Chamber Orchestra of Europe Conductor: Abbado

	Take a look at our bassoonist, Sammy, and how he holds the instrument. Because his bassoon is so long, he has to hold it to one side, next to his knee. He blows into the reed in the same way an oboe player does. The weight of the bassoon is usually supported by a seat strap, which the player hooks on to the lower end of the bassoon and sits on - so you can't see it here!
Playing the bottom notes of woodwind chords is one of the most important jobs of the bassoon. Bassoons have a rich and mellow sound. One poet compared the bassoon's deep, dark tone to the sound of a sea-god speaking. A contrabassoon is so low in pitch that it seems to "buzz." It can sound very comical! But playing it is no joke. It takes a lot of breath to play a contrabassoon.