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Russian bassoon

The Russian bassoon is a member of the brass (Hornbostel–Sachs 423.213). Its invention is credited to J. J. Régibo. Learn how it makes its sound and explore related instruments.

How the Russian bassoon makes its sound

In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the Russian bassoon belongs to the brass (lip-vibrated aerophones): the player's buzzing lips set the air column vibrating – trumpets, horns, trombones, tubas and the didgeridoo.

More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.

Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.

From Wikipedia

The serpent is a low-pitched early wind instrument in the lip-reed family, developed in the Renaissance era. It has a trombone-like mouthpiece, with six tone holes arranged in two groups of three fingered by each hand. It is named for its long, conical bore bent into a snakelike shape, and unlike most brass instruments is made from wood with an outer covering of leather or parchment. A distant ancestor of the tuba, the serpent is related to the cornett and was used for bass parts from the 17th to the early 19th centuries.

Other brass

Frequently asked questions

What does the Russian bassoon sound like?

As one of the brass, its sound comes from the way the player's buzzing lips set the air column vibrating.

What type of instrument is the Russian bassoon?

It is classified as brass (lip-vibrated aerophones) (Hornbostel–Sachs 423.213).

Sources & credits