The contrabassoon, also called the double bassoon, is a bigger version of the bassoon. It sounds one octave lower. Playing it is similar to playing the bassoon, but there are a few important differences.

Differences from the bassoon

The reed used for the contrabassoon is much larger than that of the bassoon, measuring 65–75 mm (2.6–3.0 in) in total length (and 20 mm (0.8 in) in width) compared to 53–58 mm (2.1–2.3 in) for most bassoon reeds. The larger blades allow enough vibration to produce the instrument's deep, low notes. The overall shape of the reed is similar to a bassoon reed, and, like bassoon reeds, scraping the reed can change the instrument's pitch, tone, and how easily it plays.

Contrabassoons have a simpler version of the bassoon's key system. However, all open tone holes on the bassoon are replaced with keys and pads on the contrabassoon because of the long distances between them. In the lowest range, the fingerings are nearly the same as the bassoon's. Differences in fingerings begin in the second register, and they are completely different in the higher register. This is partly because the contrabassoon's harmonic series differs from the bassoon's.

The contrabassoon is twice as long as the bassoon, bends around itself twice, and is held up by an endpin instead of a seat strap because of its weight and shape. Although the instrument is longer, its bore is narrower than the bassoon's but still wider than those of an oboe or cor anglais. Extra support is sometimes added with a strap around the player's neck. A larger hand position is needed because the main finger keys are spaced far apart. The contrabassoon has a water key to remove condensation and a tuning slide for major pitch adjustments. The instrument is made in several pieces (plus a bocal); some models require a screwdriver to take apart. In some cases, the bell can be removed, and models with a low A extension often come in two parts.

Range, notation and tone

The contrabassoon is a large woodwind instrument that produces very low sounds, similar to the tuba, double bass, or contrabass clarinet. Its range starts at a note called B♭0 (or A0 on some instruments) and goes up over three octaves to D4. However, the highest notes are rarely used in most music. Composers Donald Erb and Kalevi Aho have written for even higher notes (A♭4 and C5), but these are unusual and go beyond typical expectations. At the lowest end, Richard Bobo of the Tulsa Symphony designed a "subcontrabassoon," which is an octave lower than the contrabassoon, and is working to create the first working model.

Contrabassoon music is written an octave higher than the actual sound and most often uses the bass clef. Like the bassoon, it may use the tenor clef for high notes, but this is rare because such notes are seldom played. The treble clef is used even less often and is only needed for very challenging solo music.

The contrabassoon sounds similar to the bassoon but has a completely different tone throughout its range. In the highest notes, its sound becomes quieter and less full, like other double-reed instruments. Unlike the oboe and bassoon, which become louder and more intense in the high register, the contrabassoon’s sound becomes less noticeable. In the lowest notes, it produces a deep, powerful sound, like an organ’s pedal notes, helped by its flared bell, which the bassoon does not have. The contrabassoon can also make a "buzz" or "rattle" sound, especially when played loudly in its lower range. This effect can be reduced by changing the reed, but some musicians find it useful for creating a dramatic or unusual tone in certain music.

History

Earlier versions of the contrabassoon were found in Austria and Germany as early as 1590, when musicians began adding more bass notes to music. These early instruments, called low-pitched dulcians, included the octavebass, quintfagott, and quartfagott. A contrafagott was used in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1626. In the 1680s, France developed its own version of the instrument, and England created its own in the 1690s, separate from the earlier dulcian designs in Austria and Germany.

The contrabassoon was created in England during the mid-1700s. The oldest surviving instrument, built in 1714, had four parts and only three keys. Around this time, the contrabassoon began being used in church music. Early examples of its use include works by J.S. Bach, such as St. John's Passion (1749 and 1739–1749 versions), and by G.F. Handel, such as L'Allegro (1740) and Music for the Royal Fireworks (1749). Until the late 1800s, the instrument had a weak sound and was hard to tune. For this reason, musicians often used other instruments, like the serpent or contrabass sarrusophone, to play low woodwind parts. Improvements by Heckel in the late 1800s made the contrabassoon the standard instrument for low double reed music.

From 1880 to 2000, Heckel’s design changed little. In 1971, Chip Owen at the American company Fox began making a new version of the instrument with some improvements. During the 20th century, changes were limited to small additions like an upper vent key near the bocal socket, a tuning slide, and a few key linkages to help with difficult musical passages. In 2000, Heckel introduced a completely new key system, and Fox released its own updated system based on suggestions from Arlan Fast, a contrabassoonist with the New York Philharmonic. These changes improved the instrument’s ability to play complex music and reach higher notes. In the early 2000s, Benedikt Eppelsheim and Guntram Wolf created the Contraforte, a redesigned version of the contrabassoon.

Current use

Most large orchestras have one person who plays the contrabassoon, either as their main instrument or as a bassoonist who also plays other instruments. This is also common in many symphonic bands.

The contrabassoon is an extra instrument in orchestras and is often used in large musical pieces. It frequently plays the same notes as the bass trombone or tuba, but an octave lower. Composers like Brahms, Mahler, Richard Strauss, and Dmitri Shostakovich often used the contrabassoon in their music. Beethoven was the first composer to write a separate part for the contrabassoon in a symphony, in his Fifth Symphony (1808). It also appears in the "Janissary band" section of the fourth movement of his Symphony No. 9. Earlier composers, such as Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart, sometimes used the contrabassoon in other types of music, like in Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks or Haydn's The Creation and The Seasons.

Composers often use the contrabassoon to create humorous or eerie sounds because of its deep, rough tone. An example is Paul Dukas’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (originally written for a different instrument). Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring is one of the few pieces that requires two contrabassoons.

The contrabassoon is a main instrument in some works, such as Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and the opening of Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. Gustav Holst gave the contrabassoon several solos in The Planets, especially in "Mercury, the Winged Messenger" and "Uranus, the Magician."

There are few solo pieces written specifically for the contrabassoon, but some modern composers, such as Gunther Schuller, Donald Erb, Michael Tilson Thomas, John Woolrich, Kalevi Aho, Ruth Gipps, and Daniel Dorff, have written concertos for it. Stephen Hough composed a trio for piccolo, contrabassoon, and piano titled Was mit den Tränen geschieht. While the contrabassoon can technically play music written for the bassoon, the two instruments have different sounds and playing styles, so not all bassoon music is suitable for the contrabassoon.

Notable solos and soloists

Most major symphony orchestras use a contrabassoon, and many have included concerts where the contrabassoonist performs as a soloist. For example, Michael Tilson Thomas composed Urban Legend for Contrabassoon and Orchestra, performed by Steven Braunstein of the San Francisco Symphony; Gunther Schuller wrote Concerto for Contrabassoon, performed by Lewis Lipnick of the National Symphony Orchestra; John Woolrich composed Falling Down, performed by Margaret Cookhorn of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Erb wrote Concerto for Contrabassoon, performed by Gregg Henegar of the London Symphony Orchestra; and Kalevi Aho composed Concerto for Contrabassoon, performed by Lewis Lipnick of the Bergen Symphony Orchestra.

Susan Nigro is one of the few contrabassoon soloists in the world. She has released several CDs.

Henry Skolnick commissioned, premiered, and recorded Aztec Ceremonies for Contrabassoon by Graham Waterhouse.

An unusual use of the instrument in jazz was by Garvin Bushell, who joined as a guest with saxophonist John Coltrane during his 1961 recording sessions at the Village Vanguard.

Manufacturers

As of 2019, nine companies make modern contrabassoons (in alphabetical order):

• Amati
• Fox
• Heckel
• Kronwalt (a partnership between Guntram Wolf and Rudolf Walter) and Guntram Wolf (Kontraforte)
• Mönnig-Adler
• Mollenhauer (also makes contrabassoons under the Schreiber brand)
• Moosmann
• Püchner
• Takeda

A few makers produce copies of older-style instruments. Most importantly, Guntram Wolf offers a baroque contrabassoon modeled after Eichentopf and two instruments from the classical era modeled after Uhlmann and an unknown maker.

These companies used to make contrabassoons but no longer do so:

• Lignatone (Czechoslovakia)
• Cabart (Paris) stopped after being bought by Lorée in 1974.
• Buffet Crampon (Paris): The key design is different from the German style.