contrabassoon

9.9

A large wind instrument like a bassoon that plays notes an octave lower

noun
/ˌkɒntrəˈbæsʊn/

: contrafagot

The composer wrote a beautiful piece featuring a contrabassoon to add richness to the woodwind section.

Examples

Highs and lows were clearest: the solo turns of flute and oboe, the low grumble of the contrabassoon.

Blog text (32)
There is also a contrabassoon part that is suitable for tuba players and baritone saxophonists.

Academic text (2000)
In the orchestra, the contrabassoon produced a deep and resonant sound that filled the concert hall.
During the performance, the contrabassoon played a haunting melody that captivated the audience.

Synonyms

contrafagotto

vscontrabassoon

Specialized

9.9

A very large wind instrument that makes very low, deep sounds

is the more common name for the same instrument

double bassoon

vscontrabassoon

9.0

A large woodwind instrument like a bassoon that sounds one octave lower

is classified in the oboe family rather than the bassoon family

How Low

contrabassoon

9.9

bassoon

8 7.4

English horn

1 6.1

oboe

13 5.0

Surface Forms

contrabassoon singular

contrabassoons plural

Morphology

contrabassoon = bassoon (semi-transparent) = contra + bassoon

Formed by adding the musical prefix 'contra-' to 'bassoon' indicating a lower register; the musical sense of 'contra-' may be specialized for some learners.

Etymology

The word contrabassoon comes from the prefix contra- meaning 'below' and bassoon, the low woodwind whose bass part means 'low', like in 'bass guitar'. So a contrabassoon is a bassoon that is even lower in sound, giving a very deep, rumbling tone.