Bass clarinet and contrabassoon: the low woodwinds for kids

The bass clarinet and the contrabassoon are the low voices of the woodwind section. The bass clarinet plays an octave below the clarinet. The contrabassoon plays an octave below the bassoon, and it is the lowest woodwind in the orchestra. A large orchestra has one of each.

Quick facts

	Bass clarinet	Contrabassoon
Reed	Single	Double
Plays	An octave below the clarinet	An octave below the bassoon
Tube	About twice as long as a clarinet’s	About 16 feet, folded up
Look	Black, with a curved metal neck and an upturned metal bell	A tall bundle of wooden tubes with metal bends
Sound	Dark, smooth, and woody	A deep buzz and growl
Rests on	A peg on the floor	A peg on the floor
Also found in	Concert bands and jazz	Large concert bands, now and then

Why low instruments are big

The note of a wind instrument depends on the length of its tube. A long tube gives a low note. Double the length, and the note drops by an octave.

That is why these two are so large. Their makers had to fit twice as much tube into a shape that a person can hold. The bass clarinet solves it with a bent neck and a bell that turns up. The contrabassoon folds its tube back on itself several times.

The bass clarinet

The bass clarinet works the way a clarinet does. One flat reed is clamped to a mouthpiece, and it beats against the mouthpiece when the player blows. Read the clarinet for kids.

The fingerings are the same as on a clarinet, so a clarinet player can switch. The mouthpiece and the reed are bigger, and the instrument needs more air.

The sound. Soft low notes are dark and smooth. Loud ones can growl. The high notes are thinner.

Its job. It adds weight to the bottom of the woodwinds, and it plays short solos that slide into the low range. In a concert band, it plays the bass line with the tubas.

The contrabassoon

The contrabassoon is a bassoon in a larger size. The player blows through a double reed on a curved metal tube. Read the bassoon for kids.

Its lowest note is close to the bottom of the piano. Notes that low do not sound like a tune at first. A listener hears a buzz, and can almost count the pulses.

The sound. Deep, rough, and rumbling. Under a full orchestra, you may feel it more than you hear it.

Its job. It doubles the bass line an octave down and makes the whole orchestra sound deeper. Now and then, a composer gives it a solo, often for a beast or a joke.

Pieces to hear

“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” by Tchaikovsky. The celesta plays the tune, and a bass clarinet slides down between the phrases. Read the Nutcracker Suite guide.

“Conversations of Beauty and the Beast,” from Mother Goose, by Ravel. A clarinet plays Beauty. The contrabassoon plays the Beast. Read the Mother Goose Suite guide.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, by Dukas. After the axe falls, there is silence. Then low grunts begin again, with the contrabassoon at the bottom, as the broken broom stirs. Read The Sorcerer’s Apprentice guide.

Symphony No. 5, last movement, by Beethoven. Beethoven added a contrabassoon, a piccolo, and three trombones for the finale. Read the Beethoven Symphony No. 5 guide.

Symphony No. 9, last movement, by Beethoven. The march in the middle begins with low thumps from the bassoons, the contrabassoon, and the bass drum. Read Ode to Joy for kids.

Other low woodwinds

• Baritone saxophone. The low saxophone of the band. Read the saxophone for kids.
• Contrabass clarinet. An octave below the bass clarinet. Some concert bands have one.
• Bass flute. A flute with a bent head joint that plays an octave below the flute. It is rare.

For the full list of record holders, read the loudest, biggest, highest, and lowest instruments.

Starting to play

Students do not start on these instruments. A clarinet player can move to the bass clarinet after a year or two of band. A bassoon player meets the contrabassoon much later, often in a youth orchestra.

Schools often own both, so a family may pay little or nothing to use one. Read how to choose a band instrument for your child.

Things to do together

Beauty or Beast? Play the Ravel piece. Stand tall for the clarinet, and crouch for the contrabassoon.

Find them on stage. In a concert video, look at the end of the clarinet row for the bent neck and the silver bell. Look at the end of the bassoon row for the tall bundle of tubes.

Long tube, low note. Blow across the tops of two bottles, one empty and one half full of water. The longer column of air gives the lower note.

How low can you sing? Play the lowest key on a piano. Try to sing it. Then try the lowest note you can reach, and find it on the keys.

Print and play

Print the instrument families listening chart. Read woodwind instruments for kids.