The name “bassoon,” used in the English-speaking world, also
drives from a French word, “basson
.” Basson is a term used for a musical instrument similar to the earliest fagotto that also offered a low pitch range, and which started being referred to as the fagotto from the latter half of the 17th century.
What was the bassoon originally made of?
Early bassoons were made out of
harder woods
, but the modern instrument is typically made of maple. One of the precursors to the bassoon, the dulcian, was made out of a single piece of wood. A double reed is used to play the bassoon, which is made out of a cane called an arundo donax.
Which country invented the bassoon?
The French term fagot meant “bundle of sticks, faggot”, and was first applied to a musical instrument in Italy in the early 16th century. Since the middle of the 18th century the
bassoon
has been known as the Fagott in German-speaking
countries
and the fagotto in Italian.
What were early bassoons called?
This early instrument was known as
the dulcian
. Like the bombarde, dulcians were made in a variety of tunings.
What does bassoon mean in music?
:
a double-reed woodwind instrument
having a long U-shaped conical tube connected to the mouthpiece by a thin metal tube and a usual range two octaves lower than that of the oboe.
What is the hardest instrument to play?
- French Horn – Hardest Brass Instrument to Play.
- Violin – Hardest String Instrument to Play.
- Bassoon – Hardest Woodwind Instrument to Play.
- Organ – Hardest Instrument to Learn.
- Oboe – Hardest Instrument to Play in a Marching Band.
- Bagpipes.
- Harp.
- Accordion.
Who is the best bassoonist in the world?
- Albrecht Holder. Albrecht Holder received his training from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. …
- Carl Almenräder. …
- Klaus Thunemann. …
- Milan Turkovic. …
- Gustavo Núñez. …
- Antoine Bullant. …
- Bill Douglas. …
- Judith LeClair.
What is unique about the bassoon?
Interesting Bassoon Facts: The bassoon is
known for its wide range, distinctive tone, and warm sound that is comparable to a baritone male vocalist
. A musician that plays the bassoon is referred to as a bassoonist. The word ‘bassoon’ is derived from the French word ‘basson’ and the Italian word ‘bassone’.
How heavy is a bassoon?
Bassoons weigh
about 7 1/2 pounds
.
How much is a bassoon?
Bassoon Price Tags
A new bassoon can have a list price ranging from
under $5000 to over $20,000
. Many popular models are discounted by dealers and a bit of shopping around can be worth the effort. Used instruments can cost from about $2000 to as much as a new instrument.
Who invented the contrabassoon?
contrabassoon, large, deep-toned instrument of the oboe family, also called double bassoon. Its tube, over 16 ft (5 m) long, is doubled upon itself four times. It was first made by
Hans Schreiber
of Berlin in 1620.
How many bassoons are there?
There are actually
two very distinct types of bassoons
in use today, the German system and the French system. The German system is by far the more popular, especially in North America, with the French system played mostly in France, Belgium and parts of South America.
When was the first bassoon?
The bassoon is a 17th-century development of the earlier sordone, fagotto, or dulzian, known in England as the curtal. It was first mentioned about
1540
in Italy as an instrument with both ascending and descending bores contained in a single piece of maple or pear wood.
What is the highest note a bassoon can play?
The range of the bassoon begins at B♭
1
(the first one below the bass staff) and extends upward over three octaves, roughly to the G above the treble staff
(G
5
)
. However, most writing for bassoon rarely calls for notes above C
5
or D
5
; even Stravinsky’s opening solo in The Rite of Spring only ascends to D
5
.
What is the meaning of bassoon in English?
A bassoon is
a large musical instrument of the woodwind family
that is shaped like a tube and played by blowing into a curved metal pipe. COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary.
How does a bassoon produce sound?
A single reed is clamped to a mouthpiece at the top of the instrument and
vibrates against
the mouthpiece when air is blown between the reed and the mouthpiece. … This double reed fits into a tube at the top of the instrument and vibrates when air is forced between the two reeds.
