Woodwind instruments, such as the clarinet and bassoon, are musical instruments. When a person blows air into a hollow tube, both instruments produce sound. A musician can manipulate a series of keys on the outside of the instrument to shape the air into notes. While the instruments have some physical similarities, they are vastly different in terms of sound quality and how they are used in music composition.
In the design of their mouthpieces, both of these woodwind instruments use a device known as a reed. A single reed is held in place a clasp on the clarinet. A double reed is inserted into a narrow tube that runs through the main part of the bassoon. The embouchure, or shape of the mouth, required to produce musical notes differs significantly between clarinet and bassoon reeds. The mouthpiece on the clarinet is similar to that of a saxophone, while the reed on the bassoon is similar to that of an oboe.
The clarinet and bassoon are different sizes and weights, as well as mouthpieces. The clarinet is light enough for a musician to hold throughout a concert or recording session, whereas a bassoonist typically wears a neck strap to support the heavier weight. Despite the fact that both instruments are black in color, they are traditionally made from different types of hardwoods. African hardwoods are used to make the majority of clarinets for professional musicians. Maple is commonly used to make bassoons.
Despite the fact that both instruments are classified as woodwinds, the clarinet and bassoon produce very different sounds. With a few exceptions, the clarinet is a transposing instrument, which means that most clarinet models use a pitch other than C and require a transposed score of music when performing in concert. Because the pitch they need to play varies from one selection to the next, most professional musicians bring two clarinets to a concert. The bassoon is a non-transposing instrument because it always uses the same pitch as a concert piano.
While they may sit in the same row in the orchestra, the clarinet and bassoon are not used in the same way composers. The clarinet is a far more popular instrument among students, and it has made its way into more mainstream genres like jazz. Because the bassoon is a lesser-known instrument, aspiring students may have difficulty finding instruction in certain techniques. The bassoon is primarily used in classical music and is rarely heard outside of orchestral settings.