The contrabassoon’s range in notes and hertz
| Sounding | Written | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme low | A0 | A1 | 27.50 Hz |
| Practical low | B♭0 | B♭1 | 29.14 Hz |
| Practical high | D4 | D5 | 293.66 Hz |
Some instruments reach down to A0. The top fourth is rarely written for. Parts are written an octave above the sound.
Written and sounding pitch
The contrabassoon is a transposing instrument: it sounds an octave lower than written. So the range on its part is B♭1–D5, while the notes you hear are B♭0–D4. The transposing-instrument tuner reads out the written note as you play.
Instruments with a similar range
The instruments whose normal range shares the most notes with the contrabassoon’s:
- Piano · A0–C8 41 notes shared
- Bass guitar · E1–G4 35 notes shared
- French horn · F1–F5 34 notes shared
- 8-string guitar · F♯1–C♯6 33 notes shared
- Bass ukulele · E1–B3 32 notes shared
- Tuba · F1–C4 32 notes shared
Tune it, play it
- Contrabassoon tuner — tune by microphone, with the contrabassoon’s own target notes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of a contrabassoon?
The contrabassoon’s normal range runs from B♭0 to D4 — 29.14 to 293.66 Hz, about 3.3 octaves. At the extremes it reaches A0–D4. Its part is written B♭1–D5, because it sounds an octave lower than written.
What is the lowest note on a contrabassoon?
A0 (27.50 Hz), on instruments that have it; the usual bottom is B♭0.
What is the highest note on a contrabassoon?
D4 (293.66 Hz).