Physics of Baroque Bassoons

A connection between music and physics-- a bassoonist and a physicist have worked together to model the standing wave physics in Baroque bassoons and accurately predict the pitch of the various notes of the bassoon.  Our model is based on more than a hundred measurements from each bassoon of the conical bore and tone hole positions and dimensions.  We have measured 87 Baroque bassoons in private collections and major museum collections around the world; 85% of these are originals dating back to the year 1680. In addition, we are able to determine the playing pitch and which temperament the woodwind maker intended. Our database is now sufficiently large that we can determine trends in bassoon instrument making over that 150 years. Interestingly, we find that about 30% of the original bassoons had sections replaced, inappropriately.  We have redesigned these components and are working with modern bassoon makers to correct these components and test these changes. We have also developed and incorporated an acoustical impedance model from which we can determine the timbre or overtone harmonics of these bassoons-a musical quality that has evolved over time.

Speaker: Dr. Bryant Hichwa,Sonoma State (emeritus)