In Italian, the term fagotto with the same meaning, can only be evidenced from about the year 1500. It can be concluded that the bassoon was named after its construction, because the individual parts of the instrument can be put together like a bundle. Here it appeared for the first time in the old French word fagot, which means bundle or brushwood bundle. The name bassoon dates back to the 13th century. Above all, it has a full deep sound, and reaches a tender tenor voice at a high register. The bassoon generally produces a round and clear tone. Even the smallest changes in the choice of wood or the thickness of the material can result in great changes in sound and playability. Double reeds are usually constructed by the bassoonists themselves and can be played for about three to ten weeks. Through the individual tone holes that are covered with the help of fingers and keys when playing, the length of the oscillating air column can be regulated and thus the pitch can be determined.

Air is blown into the instrument which causes the two reeds to move, which in turn causes the air column within the instrument to oscillate. The sound is produced by a double reed, which usually consists of giant reed (Arundo donax), a reed grass.

The bassoon can be played while standing or sitting, with the instrument always held diagonally in front of the body.

By the boot joint there is a hand rest for the right hand, which serves as a support for the bassoonist while playing. The boot joint consists of two parallel bores, which are connected at the bottom by a U-shaped brass tube. The S-bocal can consist of various metals and alloys, such as gold, silver, nickel or platinum. A double reed is inserted to the mouthpiece attached to the wing joint of the S bocal. The instrument consists of four parts, mostly made of maple wood: the bell, the long joint, the wing joint and the boot joint. The bassoon is about 1.35 m high and has 19 standard tone holes and up to nine other tone holes, which serve to regulate the intonation and playability of the instrument.

Heckel bassoon serial numbers