Labeling the Bassoon – Printable Worksheet With a Key

All 7 parts on the diagram

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Reed and bocal 2

Reed A double reed. Its two blades vibrate against each other.
Bocal A thin curved metal tube from the reed to the wing joint.

Joints 4

Wing joint Runs from the boot up to the bocal. Also called tenor joint.
Bass joint The long joint that links the boot to the bell.
Boot The bottom joint. The bore turns back up inside it.
Bell The top joint, where the long folded tube ends.

Keys, holes and hand rest 1

Whisper key Held with the left thumb on low notes to stop cracking.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two independent sources use it for this part. (1) Wikipedia, text only: Bassoon (its six main pieces: reed, bocal or crook, wing joint or tenor joint, boot or butt, bass joint or long joint, bell; the U-shaped metal connector in the boot, tone holes, key work, the whisper key, the hand rest or crutch), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassoon . (2) An instrument maker's online Musical Instrument Guide, The Structure of the Bassoon (reed, bocal, tenor joint, double joint, bass joint, bell, tone holes, the U-tube and its protector cap), https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/bassoon/mechanism/ . (3) Clayton H. Tiede, The Practical Band Instrument Repair Manual (1970), searched in full text at https://archive.org/details/practicalbandins00tied (reed, bocal, tenor or wing joint, boot or butt joint, bass joint, bell, whisper key and the small hole in the bocal, hand rest, boot cap, tone holes). (4) Anthony Baines, Woodwind Instruments and Their History, searched in full text at https://archive.org/details/woodwindinstrume00bain (crook, wing or tenor joint, double joint or butt, bass or long joint, bell, hand-rest, the metal U-tube at the bottom of the butt). (5) Julius Weissenborn, Method for Bassoon, searched in full text at https://archive.org/details/methodforbassoon0000weis (crook, wing or tenor joint, boot, long joint, bell, sound holes). Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's instrument, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

Labeling the bassoon starts with the six pieces it comes apart into. This sheet shows the whole instrument standing upright, with a number on each piece and a seventh on one long key.

Read the full guide

Bassoon word bank

Seven names, A to Z: bass joint, bell, bocal, boot, reed, whisper key, wing joint.

The two long joints, and what they stand in

3 and 4 are the wooden pieces standing side by side. 3 is the shorter one, with a bulge on its side, and the thin metal tube plugs into its top (wing joint). 4 is the longer, straight one (bass joint), and it carries 6 (bell): on a bassoon the bell is at the top. Both stand in 5, the wide section at the bottom (boot). 1 is the small flat piece at the tip of the tube (reed), 2 the curved tube itself (bocal), and 7 the thin rod that ends in a pad on that tube (whisper key).

When marking, crook is right on line 2, tenor joint on line 3, long joint on line 4 and butt on line 5.
The tone holes, keys and hand rest on the boot are drawn and have no number here; the labeled bassoon numbers them on a close-up.

Questions and answers

Is a bassoon a double reed instrument?

Yes. The bassoon is a double-reed woodwind. Its reed, number 1 here, is two blades of cane bound together, and the blades vibrate against each other.

What is a bassoon made of?

Usually wood. A beginner's bassoon is generally maple, and less expensive models are also made of plastics such as polypropylene. The bocal is a metal tube.

How do you hold a bassoon?

Diagonally in front of the body. The hands alone cannot easily support it, so most players sit on a seat strap fixed to the base of the boot, or wear a neck strap or a harness.