The bassoon is a musical instrument. Description, features

In this article we will consider the meaning of the word bassoon. It is a musical instrument whose history goes back centuries. It is an instrument of the lowest possible sound of a wooden group. The bassoon is an interesting instrument. Its registers can include tenor, bass and alto sounds. Like oboe, he has a double cane. This part is put on a curved metal tube. This is extremely distinguishable bassoon from many other musical instruments of this group. But let's talk about everything in more detail.

Features of the bassoon design

The bassoon has an interesting feature. His body, as it were, is doubly folded. This is different from the oboe. If his body had not been folded in half, the instrument itself would have been too long. Bassoon is a musical instrument that is dealt with in parts. This is necessary for easy carrying.

From the history of bassoon

Due to the fact that it is complex in several parts, the musical instrument resembles a bundle of firewood. Strictly speaking, this was the reason for him to receive this name. Translated from the Italian word "bassoon" means a bundle.

Bassoon is a musical instrument that has been leading its ancestry since the sixteenth century. The material for the production of this instrument was originally a maple. This feature has survived until now. In the lower case, the bassoon sounds more perfect. While in the upper he has some nasal, sdavlennost. This is its distinctive timbre feature.

Unusual bassoon sound

The bassoon timbre itself is a very beautiful and easily distinguishable sound. This is a very gentle timbre. For this quality, this instrument was called "dulcian". This was due to the fact that in Italian the word dolce means "gentle".

Nuances of the bassoon structure

There are about thirty holes on the bassoon body. In this case, only a small part of them are covered with fingers. Mainly, the valve system is used. This musical instrument is used in the wind and symphony orchestras. Nevertheless, it is possible to play solo numbers on it and use it in ensembles.

Like many other musical instruments of this group, the bassoon has evolved in the process of its development. Like many wind instruments, it gained most popularity in the nineteenth century, thanks to the German firm Haeckel.

Use in the orchestra

Beginning in the second half of this century, the bassoon is an instrument entrusted to large solo episodes in orchestral parts. This is in the condition that initially this instrument only duplicated the bass line in the orchestra. Since the technique of playing the bassoon is similar to the oboe, it certainly has some difference, too. Bassoon is a musical instrument, in the process of playing it, breathing is spent less economically. This is due to the fact that there is a long column of air here. As a result, you can easily notice the jumps. At the same time, the change of registers is almost imperceptible, and the staccato stroke turns out to be quite sharp. If we consider modern music, then we find the use of bassoon in intonations is less than a semitone. Usually it is a quarter or a third of a tone. As a rule, notes for this instrument are written in bass and tenor keys. Although I must say that occasionally used and violin.

In addition, in many orchestras, it is sometimes used counterfeit - this is a version of the instrument that sounds an octave lower. In addition, it perfectly combines the clarinet. Bassoon - a fairly classical instrument for use in orchestras.

Bassoon in music

From the beginning of the eighteenth, until the middle of the nineteenth century, the bassoon began to gain popularity very quickly in different musical genres and, of course, compositions. One of the earliest solo musical performances was spelled out by the bassoon in the collection created by Bartolome de Selma-i-Salaverde. This work was first introduced in Venice itself, where the bassoon was given one of the most difficult parts. In particular, you need to take into account the fact that at that time there were only two valves. At the same time he needed to play in an especially large range. This range was expanded somewhat down to the B-flat.

Somewhere since the eighteenth century, the bassoon in its structure has become especially common in opera orchestras. Glinka used this musical instrument in his famous opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila." He did this because the sound of the bass notes was bouncy and humorous. He was able to show very sensually with the help of this instrument the cowardly character of Farlaf. Two echoing bassoons played a very significant moment in the transfer of the character of the cowardly hero. In addition, the bassoon could, surprisingly, sound very tragic. Thus, in Tchaikovsky's well-known Sixth Symphony, a very mournful, heavy solo is played, which is performed by a bassoon. Its sound is accompanied by a double bass.

But in many of Shostakovich's symphonies the bassoon sounds in two ways. It acquires that dramatic and dynamic, then it sounds completely sad. Bassoon is a tool that sounded from foreign authors. Bach, Haydn, Mütel, Graun, Graupner - all these composers have written concerts for this instrument on several occasions. They could fully reveal all the potential that is embedded in the bassoon. Mozart's concert (C major) became one of the most frequently played works.

Bassoon in the compositions of Vivaldi

One of the most important components of the history of this instrument are the thirty-nine concerts that Antonio Vivaldi wrote. In these concerts, Vivaldi created solo parts for the instrument, which surprise with their rapid jumps and transitions from one register to another. Here there are long episodes and virtuoso passages. Not surprisingly, such techniques have become widely used only with time. Only in the process of evolution of the technological component of the tool it became possible to use so extensively and masterly.

Can I learn to play the bassoon?

Asking this question, you should understand that nothing is impossible. A person is capable of extremely much, and people are often limited to self-esteem and their own opinions about themselves. So how hard is it to learn to play a musical instrument like a bassoon? The most difficult thing in this process is to get off the couch and buy a tool, because, as mentioned above, the bassoon is an orchestral instrument, on this basis, we understand that it is not so universal as, for example, a piano or a guitar. Nevertheless, this instrument has many famous sonatas and symphonies from a huge number of authors. You need to find a teacher for yourself, who could become your guide throughout your direct training. It can be some person from a music school or some private teacher. In a serious language, the bassoon is not the easiest to learn the instrument, and so many immediately throw this thing, barely tried. However, if you ask yourself a question about what is easy in our life, you will understand that training and diligence in the chosen way will allow you to taste the sweet fruits of the results in a very short time.

Nuances of playing the bassoon

The usual bassoon is a tool that has three octaves small. And although the number of notes is quite small, but still the musicians manage to extract the necessary sounds for them. Although this may be dangerous for the instrument during the concert, the very sound that is obtained from these octaves is deaf and, to some extent, not always pleasant. The very timbre of bassoon sound directly depends on which register you play the sound in. At the moment when such wind musical instrument as bassoon appeared, classical music immediately acquired more expressiveness, and became somewhat richer in overtones. The timbre of bassoon itself is very saturated with overtones. This is in its sound an unusual bassoon.

The listeners of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries with regard to this musical instrument were very supportive. There were a lot of true connoisseurs, who admired his sound. And although the bassoon is a tool without an inventor, since the name of the original author of this design remains unknown, but nevertheless the instrument was fully appreciated by many composers. The sound of the bassoon is very recognizable, and you can easily isolate it from the orchestral part. For information, in general terms, the technique of performing musical compositions on a bassoon is reminiscent of the performance technique on oboe. The bassoon frequency range is from 58 Hz to 698 Hz, and the spectrum is up to seven kHz. Its sound is directed up, back and forth.

Well, here you have learned about such a wonderful instrument as a bassoon. We wish you success in your musical career. And if you like such a class of instruments as wind instruments, then look at the bassoon as well, but do not limit yourself to frames. Experiment!