Bassoon (Ital. fagotto), an important wind-instrument of the reed species, made of maple-wood or plane-tree. The bassoon is an Italian invention; its name fagotto meaning 'a bundle,' probably from its being made in different pieces laid one against the other. The French call it Basson de hautbois; the Germans retain its Italian name. Its invention is attributed to Afranio, a canon of Ferrara, about 1539, but in some form it has existed from the earliest times. In the middle of the 16th century it had already reached great perfection. Sigmund Schnitzer, in Nuremberg, who died in 1578, was a celebrated maker. Those by
Savary, a French maker, are now highly esteemed. The bassoon consists of a bored-out tube of wood in several pieces, fixed together alongside each other, the bore being conical, and doubled upon itself, so as to bring the holes and keys within the reach of the fingers of each hand. The bassoon has in general not less than 7 holes and 10 keys. In the narrow end of the wooden tube is fixed a small tapering brass tube in the form of an S, on the end of which is placed the reed for producing the tone. The compass of the bassoon is from B flat below the bass stave, to C in the treble. The fingering is complicated and variable in different patterns. The notes for the bassoon are written on the bass clef for the lower part, and on the tenor clef for the higher. The best keys for the bassoon are E flat, B flat, F, C, G, D, and A; all the other keys are difficult. It is scarcely known as a solo instrument, though there is some music for it as such—among others, concerti by Mozart and Weber; but it plays an important part in the modern orchestra, its tone being capable of very varied expression. The double bassoon (contrafagotto) is of similar construction, but sounds an octave lower. Bassoon is also the name of an organ-stop, the pipes of which are made to imitate the tones of the instrument.