A member of the double reed family, the bassoon plays with a warm, dark, reedy timbre.

The bassoon is a prominent figure within orchestras, concert bands, and chamber music ensembles. Usually constructed from maple, bassoons are made up of six parts comprising of a bell joint, bass joint, boot joint and wing joint. Similar to the oboe and saxophone, the bassoon features a conical bore which delivers a warm tone compared by many to that of a male baritone voice. Modern symphony orchestras usually require two to four bassoonists with the lead player usually being required to play a number of solo passages. The bassoon can also be an effective bass to a woodwind choir.