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Bassoon. Nominal pitch: C.

Technical description: Palisander with german silver keywork, crook and ferrules. Wing unconventionally shaped with squared shoulder profile giving flatter area under the keyheads. Crook with pin-hole. Bell with cardholder fixture. Plates for R3 and A♭ key for R4 have rollers, the F key for R4 located between them has two rollers, allowing F to A♭ shake. A key for R1 closes a plate over the E hole normally closed only by R0; the keyhead also acts as a thumbplate for R0; the support for R0 is provided to balance the instrument when the R1 key is used, allowing an E to F trill for R1 while the R1 and R2 holes are closed by R2 and R3 and R4 is used to close both the R3 plate and the F key; the purpose is probably to avoid trills with the thumb. The C♯ and B♮ keys for L0 are linked. L0: C; B♮; harm 1; harm 2; E♭; D; C♯; B♭. L1: T; G trill. L2: T; F♯ trill. L3: T; E♭. L4: C♯; crook key. R0: Pl; sup; F♯ key with extra vent. R1: T; key to enable R0 play E-F♯ trill. R2: T. R3: Pl; B♭. R4: F; A♭.

  • Date:
    Early 20th Century
  • Maker:
    Besson
  • Collection:
    University of Edinburgh
  • Inventory number:
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  • Place of production:
    London/England
  • Hornbostel-Sachs classification:422.112
  • Culture:
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  • Materials:
  • Specific materials/techniques:
  • Decorative elements:
  • Inscriptions:
  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:422.112
  • Repository:University of Edinburgh
  • Measurements:1324; crook 230.