A bass recorder is a wind instrument that plays in the key of F. It is part of the recorder family.

The bass recorder plays an octave lower than the alto or treble recorder. In the recorder family, it is between the tenor recorder and the C great-bass (or quart-bass) recorder.

Because the instrument is long, the lowest note, F, requires a key. Modern bass recorders may also have keys for low F♯, G, and G♯, and sometimes for C and C♯.

In the early 17th century, Michael Praetorius used the term "basset" (meaning "small bass") to describe this size of recorder. He called it the lowest member of the "four-foot" group, where instruments sound an octave higher than the corresponding human voices. Praetorius referred to the next-lower instrument (with the lowest note B♭2) as a "bass," and the instrument an octave lower than the basset (with the lowest note F2) as a "Großbaß," or "large bass."

The bass recorder is usually the lowest instrument in the recorder group. However, it may be used as an alto in the "eight-foot" register in the "great consort" or "grand jeux." In these cases, two larger bass recorders play the lower parts, and a tenor recorder may be used as an optional higher voice.

In popular music

In the recording of Led Zeppelin's song "Stairway to Heaven" from their fourth album, which does not have a title, John Paul Jones played four bass recorders that were recorded separately and layered together. Composer Ludwig Göransson used a bass recorder to create the main melody for the opening of the TV series The Mandalorian. This melody is used frequently throughout the series.