How to Assemble Your Bassoon

Diagram of a bassoon. From left to right, boot joint, bell, wing joint, long joint.

The Parts of Your Bassoon

Your bassoon has five parts, the boot joint, the bell, the wing joint, the long joint, and the bocal.

The long joint and bottom of the wing joint have cork around a section called the ‘tenon’. Some bassoons have thread wrapped ends instead, but this does not change the process of assembling the instrument.

The Process

1. Make sure your case is on a steady surface as you’re opening it up and assembling your bassoon. It’s also a good idea to be sitting down.

Bassoon reed being placed in soaker cup.

2. Put your reed in your cup to soak in room temperature water.

Two images side by side. On the left, the boot joint is being held up and there is an arrow pointing to the protector cap. On the right, the protector cap is resting on the ground.

3. Take the boot joint, and rest the protector cap on the floor whilst holding the strap ring.

Cork grease is being applied to the tenons.

4. Apply some cork grease to the tenons if it feels difficult to put together. You won’t need to do this every day, just when it feels difficult to twist the joints together.

Two images side by side. On the left, the wing joint is being inserted into the boot joint. On the right, curvy white lines demonstrate how the curve of the large hole should line up with the curve on the inside of the wing joint.

5. Insert the wing joint into the smaller opening, twisting gently until there’s no gap between the wood and the joint.

The concave side of the wing joint should line up with the larger hole. Some bassoons will have scratches on the joint that help you align the parts.

Two images side by side. On the left, the longing mechanism of the long joint and the wing joint are being aligned. On the right, there is a small gap between the keys on these parts.

6. Taking the long joint, insert it into the larger hole next to the wing joint. Line up whichever locking mechanism your bassoon has to keep the two parts in place. There should be a small gap between the keys on the long joint and the keys on the wing joint.

Two images side by side. On the left side, an arrow points down onto the key on the bell. A finger is pushing it down, causing it to raise where the joint connects into the long joint. On the right side, the key on the bell is aligned with the key on the long joint.

7. To insert the bell, depress the key and gently twist it onto the long joint, making sure to align it with the key on the long joint.

A hand is screwing the hand rest into the body.

8. If you have a hand rest, screw this in.

Two images side by side. On the left side, the crook is being held on the curve above the opening on the wing joint. On the right side, the bocal is being inserted into the wing joint.

9. The bocal is very delicate so you need to hold it on the curve as you insert it into the wing joint to make sure it doesn’t become bent.

Make sure the whisper key isn’t depressed as you do this as the pad may become damaged. Make sure the pad is aligned with the tone hole on the bocal.

Two images side by side. On the left side, the bassoon reed is being taken out of the soaker cup. On the right side, the bassoon reed is being inserted into the bocal.

10. Insert your reed into the bocal, which has been soaking for a few minutes.

Now you are ready to play! When you are moving your bassoon around, make sure to remove the bocal and reed and put them somewhere safe, like your case.