Bassoon Tuner
This bassoon tuner shows the note you are playing and whether it is flat or sharp, down to the low register. The bassoon reads at concert pitch, so the letter matches your music.
Play a tuning note
The microphone is only used while the tuner runs. Sound is analysed on your device and never recorded or sent anywhere.
Bassoon tuning notes
The bassoon reads at concert pitch, so the tuner shows the same note you play. These are the usual tuning notes, with the pitch the tuner listens for at A = 440 Hz.
| Concert pitch | Frequency |
|---|---|
| B♭3 | 233.08 Hz |
| A3 | 220.00 Hz |
| F3 | 174.61 Hz |
Not sure of a fingering? The bassoon fingering chart shows every note and plays it at the right pitch.
How to tune a bassoon
- Soak the reed and warm up with long tones in the middle register.
- Play B♭ or A with a full, relaxed sound.
- Adjust the reed on the bocal. Sharp (needle right): pull the reed off slightly. Flat (needle left): push it on further.
- Check the octave. If the high and low notes pull apart, the reed or embouchure is the cause rather than the bocal.
Bocals
The bocal is the curved metal tube between the reed and the bassoon. It has a big effect on pitch and response, and bocals come in lengths numbered by the maker. If your bassoon is always sharp or flat, a different bocal length fixes it better than pulling the reed.
Notes to watch
Many bassoons have a few naturally sharp or flat notes, often in the tenor register and around the flick-key notes. Long tones with the tuner show the tendencies of your instrument, and the bassoon fingering chart includes alternates for some of them.
Bassoon Tuner FAQ
How do you tune a bassoon?
Mostly with the reed and bocal. Pushing the reed further onto the bocal raises the pitch; pulling it off lowers it. A longer bocal (higher number) lowers the overall pitch, and a shorter one raises it.
What do the numbers on a bassoon bocal mean?
They show the bocal's length. On most brands a lower number is shorter and plays higher; a higher number is longer and plays lower. Students usually start on a #2.
What note does a bassoon tune to?
In band, concert B♭ (B♭3 or B♭2); in orchestra, A (A3). F3 is a useful check in the middle of the range.
My bassoon is sharp. What should I try first?
Relax your embouchure and drop the jaw, check that the reed isn't too closed or stiff, and pull the reed slightly off the bocal. If you are always sharp, try a longer bocal.
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