There are many non-transposing instruments, instruments where concert pitch and written pitch are the same. Violin, viola, cello, flute, oboe, bassoon, trombone, etc. all play in concert pitch. Some instruments transpose at the octave.
What is a bassoon?
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood.
What is the playing range of a bassoon?
It is pitched in the key of C, notated in bass clef, although the tenor clef is used for highest registers. Its playing range goes from B-flat1 to F5. In this regard, is the bassoon a transposing instrument?
Which way do you hold a bassoon?
See also: viewed from the front. The bassoon is held diagonally in front of the player, but unlike the flute, oboe and clarinet, it cannot be easily supported by the player's hands alone.
What is a concert pitch?
So, we use the piano's notes as "concert pitch". Flutes, oboes, bassoons, trombones, tubas, baritones reading bass clef and all string instruments are concert pitch instruments: when they play a C it sounds like a C on the piano. They don't have to transpose.
Is bassoon a concert instrument?
There are many non-transposing instruments, instruments where concert pitch and written pitch are the same. Violin, viola, cello, flute, oboe, bassoon, trombone, etc. all play in concert pitch.
What concert key is bassoon?
CFlutes, oboes, bassoons, trombones, tubas, baritones reading bass clef and all string instruments are concert pitch instruments: when they play a C it sounds like a C on the piano. They don't have to transpose.
What instruments are not concert pitch?
The following chart lists non-transposing instruments (instruments whose parts are written in concert pitch) followed by transposing instruments....Non-transposing Instruments.FluteConcert PitchTrebleOboe (Oboes)Concert PitchTrebleBassoonConcert PitchBass
What is meant by concert pitch?
Concert pitch is the pitch reference to which a group of musical instruments are tuned for a performance. Concert pitch may vary from ensemble to ensemble, and has varied widely over music history.
What type of instrument is a bassoon?
woodwind instrumentRising to popularity in the 16th century, the bassoon is a large woodwind instrument that belongs to the oboe family for its use of a double reed. Historically, the bassoon enabled expansion of the range of woodwind instruments into lower registers.
Is the bassoon a transposing instrument?
The bassoon is an exception—it is not a transposing instrument and its "home" scale is F.
Is a bassoon a brass instrument?
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood.
Is the bassoon a single reed instrument?
The clarinet uses a single reed made of one piece of wood, while the oboe and bassoon use a double reed made of two pieces joined together. Just as with the stringed instruments, the smaller woodwinds play higher pitches while the longer and larger instruments play the lower notes.
Is baritone a concert pitch?
The baritone is pitched in concert B♭, meaning that when no valves are actuated, the instrument will produce partials of the B♭ harmonic series. Music for the baritone horn can be written in either the bass clef or the treble clef. When written in the bass clef, the baritone horn is a non-transposing instrument.
What instruments are concert pitch?
There are instruments that play a C and it sounds like a C on the piano. These are called Concert Pitch Instruments and include the Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Trombone and the Piano!
Is guitar a concert pitch?
Given that the A string of a guitar is tuned to 440Hz as a standard tuning, this makes the guitar a C tuned instrument, as it is tuned to the same pitch as other instruments tuned to 440Hz. This means by definition that guitar can be classified as being a concert pitch instrument.
Is bass clarinet a concert pitch?
A bass clarinet is not always called for in orchestra music, but is almost always called for in concert band music.
What is concert pitch?
Concert Pitch is simply an interval of transposition so that all instruments can play the same music at the same pitch. Glory's memory joggers had me (finally) remembering the interval of transposition in to Concert Pitch. Being dyslexic (and constantly mixing up right/left and up/down directions) how could I remember (and remind my students) ...
What instrument sounds like an F on the piano?
Concert Pitch and F Instruments. We also have "F instruments" - the English Horn and the French Horn in F are two examples. When they play a C in their score, it sounds like an F on the piano. Therefore, for the English Horn or French Horn to play in Concert Pitch, the music must be transposed down a Perfect 5.
Why do instruments have a preferred clef?
Instruments have a preferred clef in order to avoid using lots of ledger lines. In the Advanced Rudiments Workbook on Page 106, we have a chart showing the written range for Orchestral Instruments: When transposing in to Concert Pitch, you will use the Clef given for your original melody.
What is concert pitch?
At the same time, eighth graders all around the world have to deal with concert pitch on a regular basis. Concert pitch refers to the universal standard pitch, A=440hz.
What instrument sounds like a Bb?
Trumpet, tenor sax, and clarinet are Bb instruments. This means when they play their written C, it sounds like a Bb in concert pitch. Alto sax, bari sax, and clarinet in Eb are Eb instruments. When they play their C, it sounds like an Eb. English horn and French horn are pitched in F.
What octave is the double bass?
The double bass sounds one octave lower than its written pitch. The piccolo sounds one octave higher than its written pitch. But, if you want to hear a C, and you don’t care what octave it’s in, then the double bass and piccolo play their C. Trumpet, tenor sax, and clarinet are Bb instruments.
Why are saxophones in Bb and Eb?
The reason saxophones are in Bb and Eb is so that the fingerings are the same on each saxophone, even though the notes produced sound different. Anyway, you can see that the idea of concert pitch is ingrained in a complex history. Changing that would mean changing the very foundation of music.
What should a composer and arranger know?
Composers and arrangers should be pretty fluent in instruments ranges, transpositions, timbres, effects, etc. Band and orchestra conductors should have a thorough understanding of transposition. Many times, conductors are reading from concert pitch scores.
Which instruments are non-transposing?
There are many non-transposing instruments, instruments where concert pitch and written pitch are the same. Violin, viola, cello, flute, oboe, bassoon, trombone, etc. all play in concert pitch. Some instruments transpose at the octave. The double bass sounds one octave lower than its written pitch.
Is the C saxophone good?
The C melody saxophone just didn’t sound as good, so the idea was abandoned. In music, sound is everything; sound comes first and foremost, over ease of use. Concert pitch is an aspect of music that is thoroughly ingrained, weaved deep into its foundation. It’s not as difficult of a concept as it might seem at first.
Overview
Use in ensembles
Prior to 1760, the early ancestor of the bassoon was the dulcian. It was used to reinforce the bass line in wind ensembles called consorts. However, its use in concert orchestras was sporadic until the late 17th century when double reeds began to make their way into standard instrumentation. Increasing use of the dulcian as a basso continuo instrument meant that it began to be included in opera orchestras, in works such as those by Reinhard Keiser and Jean-Baptiste Lully. Meanwhile, …
Etymology
The word bassoon comes from French basson and from Italian bassone (basso with the augmentative suffix -one). However, the Italian name for the same instrument is fagotto, in Spanish and Romanian it is fagot, and in German Fagott. Fagot is an Old French word meaning a bundle of sticks. The dulcian came to be known as fagotto in Italy. However, the usual etymology that equates fagotto with "bundle of sticks" is somewhat misleading, as the latter term did not c…
Characteristics
The range of the bassoon begins at B♭1 (the first one below the bass staff) and extends upward over three octaves, roughly to the G above the treble staff (G5). However, most writing for bassoon rarely calls for notes above C5 or D5; even Stravinsky's opening solo in The Rite of Spring only ascends to D5. Notes higher than this are entirely possible, but seldom written, as they are difficult to produce (often requiring specific reed design features to ensure reliability), and at an…
Construction
The bassoon disassembles into six main pieces, including the reed. The bell (6), extending upward; the bass joint (or long joint) (5), connecting the bell and the boot; the boot (or butt) (4), at the bottom of the instrument and folding over on itself; the wing joint (or tenor joint) (3), which extends from boot to bocal; and the bocal (or crook) (2), a crooked metal tube that attaches the wing joint to a reed (1) (listen (help·info)). Some bassoons have two joints that together compris…
History
Music historians generally consider the dulcian to be the forerunner of the modern bassoon, as the two instruments share many characteristics: a double reed fitted to a metal crook, obliquely drilled tone holes and a conical bore that doubles back on itself. The origins of the dulcian are obscure, but by the mid-16th century it was available in as many as eight different sizes, from soprano to great bass. A full consort of dulcians was a rarity; its primary function seems to have been to pr…
Technique
The bassoon is held diagonally in front of the player, but unlike the flute, oboe and clarinet, it cannot be easily supported by the player's hands alone. Some means of additional support is usually required; the most common ones are a seat strap attached to the base of the boot joint, which is laid across the chair seat prior to sitting down, or a neck strap or shoulder harness attached to the top of the boot joint. Occasionally a spike similar to those used for the cello or th…
See also
• List of bassoonists
• Bassoon makers
• Bassoon repertoire
• International Double Reed Society
• British Double Reed Society
Reasons For Concert Pitch
Who Should Know Concert Pitch?
- Who should know concert pitch? Or rather, who benefits from understanding concert pitch? There are different levels of understanding concert pitch. If you play a transposing instrument, you probably know what “concert Bb” is without hesitation. Someone tells you to play a concert Bb major scale, and you can do it without even thinking. But, could you read a concert pitch lead sh…
Instrument Transpositions
- There are many non-transposing instruments, instruments where concert pitch and written pitch are the same. Violin, viola, cello, flute, oboe, bassoon, trombone, etc. all play in concert pitch. Some instruments transpose at the octave. The double bass sounds one octave lower than its written pitch. The piccolo sounds one octave higher than its writ...
Conclusion
- The famous jazz and avant-garde musician Ornette Coleman developed a musical concept called “harmolodics”. An extremely intricate philosophy, part of it applies to transposing instruments. In theory and in practice, Ornette Coleman believed that harmony and harmonic direction were determined by a melody’s overall shape and movement. Therefore, transposing, as part of his ov…