3. History

Even in the Middle Ages, there were double reed instruments like the Bass Pommer and the Dulzian. However, the significant journey of today's bassoon only started in the 17th century. During this period, the development of "bundle-like" production of deep double reed instruments began, initially without keys. But as the bassoon evolved, it gradually acquired more and more keys.

A Victorian man playing the bassoon

In the 19th century, the German (Heckel) system, which is still in use today, was established.


One of the most unusual precursors of the bassoon is the Racket, also known as the "sausage bassoon" due to its many coils in a very confined space.

Racket / Sausage Bassoon

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