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Guide To The Orchestra
bassoon title image The bassoon is so long that it has to be bent in half! It is the lowest of the woodwind instruments. It is made out of maple wood (or plastic) and has a double reed. The bassoon is a very versatile instrument. It can play very low notes and still get quite high. It can also play very quick passages of music.
bassoon Listen to the bassoon listen to Instrument Range Listen to it played from its lowest to highest note listen to Special Effects The bassoon can play chords called multiphonics listen to Hear it in action in Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf The basoonist is sometimes asked to play the contrabassoon. contrabassoon Contrabassoon - this makes a fantastically deep sound. bbc Listen to the contrabassoon in Ravel's Mother Goose
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Graham Sheen Meet the Orchestra! Graham Sheen plays the bassoon with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Read about him below. Graham Sheen, Bassoon How old were you when you first started playing? I was twelve years old. Why did you choose this instrument? I first saw the bassoon while singing in a school production. Several months later the music teacher asked for a volunteer to take up an instrument. Something made me say the bassoon - just an impulse reaction. Do you play any other instruments? The piano. What do you like most about playing in an orchestra? Is it fun? 'Fun' isn't quite the word. It's a much more complex mix of feelings. Do you play any other kind of music? I also play in small groups as well as teaching music. What is your favourite music? Impossible to answer! My musical tastes change over time and according to the occasion. Do you have any other hobbies? My family, cycling, gardening, reading and composing (now and then) and arranging music. What would you have been if you weren't a musician? I wanted to be a bassoonist very early on even though I had no idea exactly what that entailed. All pictures are copyrighted - picture credits Woodwind Brass Flute Trumpet Oboe French Horn Clarinet Trombone Bassoon Tuba Strings Percussion Violin Tuned Viola Untuned Cello Timpani Double Bass Harp Keyboards Conductor LEARN AN INSTRUMENT Which instrument, which age, finding teachers, buying guide and the perils of practice Get help Get help Listening About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy Explore the BBC
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