contrabassoon
The largest and lowest-pitched woodwind instrument, sounding an octave below the bassoon.
In Depth
The contrabassoon, also called the double bassoon, sounds an octave below the standard bassoon and is the lowest instrument in the woodwind family. Its tube, if uncoiled, would stretch to over 5 metres. The instrument requires considerable lung power and a specially made, larger reed.
Despite its size, the contrabassoon can be surprisingly agile. Beethoven introduced it to the symphony orchestra, and it has since become a standard member of large orchestral forces. It provides the deep bass foundation in the woodwind section, much as the double bass does for the strings. Ravel gave it a prominent role in his orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
The contrabassoon is so long that if its tube were straightened out, it would stretch the length of a London bus — over 5.5 metres.