Bassoon Fingering Chart
An interactive bassoon fingering chart from low Bb1 to Bb4: tap a note to see every thumb key, the whisper key and the half-hole, and hear it.
Written pitch for the . Tap a note on the staff or a piano key. ← → step through the notes, ↑ ↓ switch fingering, Space plays. Fingerings: The Woodwind Fingering Guide.
Name the written note. Keys C to B answer, add Shift for the sharp.
How to use the bassoon fingering chart
A bassoon fingering chart shows which holes and thumb keys each note needs, and this one covers the Heckel-system (German) bassoon from low Bb1 to Bb4 on the bass clef, with the whisper key, the half-hole and the flick keys drawn, all from the basic chart in The Woodwind Fingering Guide. Tap a note on the staff, a key on the piano strip, or use the left and right arrows. Every thumb key is drawn, and the ones to press are filled; a partly filled first hole is a half-hole, shaded to how much of it you cover. Several notes have a flick-key or alternate version, reached with the chips or the up and down arrows. Play or Space gives a low reed-like tone at the written pitch.
Full chart shows the whole bassoon range as a grid, a bassoon notes chart that Print chart prints without the page around it. Quiz me asks you to name the note for a set of keys, with the buttons or the letter keys C to B and Shift for a sharp.
How to read the bassoon diagram
The bassoon is drawn on its side with the reed on the left and the three left hand holes before the three right hand holes. The thumbs do most of the work on a bassoon, so the diagram shows every thumb key. The left thumb keys sit in two rows under the left hand: the top row has the flick keys (d, b and a), the C# key and the whisper key (W); the bottom row has the low Bb, B, C and D keys. The right thumb keys are Bb, E, F# and G#.
The left little finger has Eb and C#; the right little finger has F#, low F and G#. The thin bar between right 2 and 3 is the Bb key. For the lowest notes the left thumb presses a whole group: low Bb takes all four low keys, low B takes three.
Whisper key, half-hole and flick keys
The whisper key is a vent for the lower middle register: in the chart it is held for most notes from E2 up to F3. From F#3 to G#3 you half-hole the left first finger, rolling it to open part of the hole. The source asks for less than half covered on F#3, about half on G3 and more than half on G#3, and the diagram shades the hole to match.
The flick keys help A3 to D4 start cleanly in slurs: the source says to press the key and release it once the note has spoken. The chart lists these as alternates next to the standard fingering. The left little finger Eb key also appears in many of the upper notes, from G3 up.
Clefs, range and the contrabassoon
The bassoon's range starts at low Bb1, and the chart reads the whole range on the bass clef, with ledger lines above the staff for the top notes. Bassoon music often switches to tenor clef for high passages to avoid many ledger lines, and sometimes treble clef, so the notes near the top of this chart are the ones you will also meet in tenor clef. The bassoon sounds at written pitch.
The source's basic chart applies to Heckel-system bassoons and contrabassoons. The contrabassoon sounds an octave lower than written, so this page also serves as a contrabassoon fingering chart, though the Play button always sounds bassoon pitch.
Tips
Start in the middle of the bassoon finger chart: F3 with only the whisper key, then add fingers down to C3, then learn the half-hole notes. Watch the thumb keys in the diagram as closely as the fingers. Learn the bass clef notes with the bass clef notes chart, check pitch with a tuner, and practice slurs with the metronome. More charts: flute, clarinet, saxophone, recorder and oboe.
Questions
What is the whisper key on the bassoon?
A left thumb key that acts as a vent for the lower middle register. In the chart it is down for most notes from E2 to F3.
What are the flick keys for?
They help A3 to D4 speak cleanly in slurs. Press the flick key as the note starts and release it once it responds.
How do I half-hole on the bassoon?
Roll the left first finger to open part of its hole: less than half on F#3, about half on G3 and more than half on G#3.
What is the lowest note on the bassoon?
Low Bb1: all six holes covered, the left thumb on the low Bb, B, C and D keys, the right thumb on the E key and the right little finger on low F.
Does the contrabassoon use the same fingerings?
The source's basic chart applies to both Heckel bassoons and contrabassoons. The contrabassoon sounds an octave lower than written.