Oboe and Bassoon
Oboe
The oboe is a double-reed woodwind. It is known as a double-reed because the instead of being a single piece of cane like the other woodwinds, the oboe uses a reed made up of two pieces of cane. The word "oboe" is a phonetic rendering of a French word that means "high wood," describing the instrument's tone.
The oboe appeared in Paris, France around the mid-1600's. The first oboes contained only two keys. During the 19th century, the number of keys increased to 9, including an octave key. Beginner oboes are made of plastic while step-up instruments are made of high quality wood.
Bassoon
The bassoon is also a double reed woodwind because the reed required to play it is actually two pieces of reed cane put together. The pitch is the key of C. The word "bassoon" was first used in France around 1613.
The bassoon is the bass of the woodwind section. It has the largest practical range in the woodwind family of 3.5 octaves. The bassoon is over 8 feet in length and is the only wind instrument that requires all 10 fingers to play. It is known as “the clown of the orchestra” because of its playful sound when playing wide leaps in pitch and is often used in cartoons to depict the most humorous characters. While it adds color and blends in well with other instruments, it is also used for numerous solos. A good example of characteristic “bassooning” can be heard in the movie “Fantasia” during “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”
How does the bassoon work?
The lips are placed directly on the reed. As the player blows into the reed, both the top and bottom reeds vibrate. This leads to the reedy quality of the tone. Since no one has fingers long enough to reach all the tone holes, the bassoon has an extensive key system that allows the bassoonist to execute passages as swiftly as any of the woodwinds. The pitches (notes) are produced by opening and closing the tone holes which changes the length of the tube.
Beginner bassoons are often made from plastic for easy care. All other bassoons are made from maple which helps give the bassoon its rich, resonant tone.
