Bassoon
Range

The range of the bassoon begins at B ♭ (the first one below the bass staff) and extends upward over three octaves, roughly to the G above the treble staff (G). However, most writing for bassoon rarely calls for notes above C or D; even Stravinsky 's opening solo in The Rite of Spring only ascends to D. Notes higher than this are possible, but seldom written, as they are difficult to produce (often requiring specific reed design features to ensure reliability), and at any rate are quite homogeneous in timbre to the same pitches on cor anglais, which can produce them with relative ease. French bassoon has greater facility in the extreme high register, and so repertoire written for it is somewhat likelier to include very high notes, although repertoire for French system can be executed on German system without alterations and vice versa.

The extensive high register of the bassoon and its frequent role as a lyric tenor have meant that tenor clef is very commonly employed in its literature after the Baroque, partly to avoid excessive ledger lines, and, beginning in the 20th century, treble clef is also seen for similar reasons.

Like other woodwind instruments, the lowest note is fixed, but A is possible with a special extension to the instrument—see " Extended techniques " below.

Although the primary tone hole pitches are a pitched perfect 5th lower than other non-transposing Western woodwinds (effectively an octave beneath English horn) the bassoon is non- transposing, meaning that notes sounded match the written pitch.
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