Range
With a range beginning at B♭0 (extending down a half-step to the lowest note on the piano on instruments with the low A extension or to A♭ in one example), and extending up just over three octaves, the contrabassoon is the second deepest available sound in an orchestra (after the tuba). Accordingly, the instrument is notated an octave above sounding pitch in bass clef, with tenor or even (rarely) treble clef called for in high passages. The instrument has a high range extending to middle C, but the top fifth is rarely used. Tonally, it sounds much like the bassoon except for a distinctive organ pedal quality in the lowest octave of its range which provides a solid underpinning to the orchestra. Although the instrument can have a distinct 'buzz', which becomes almost a clatter in the extreme low range, this is nothing more than a variance of tone quality which can be remediated by appropriate reed design changes. While prominent in solo and small ensemble situations, the sound can be completely obscured in the volume of the full orchestra.
Read more about this topic: Contrabassoon
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