Free online tool

Bassoon Fingering Chart

Bassoon fingering chart for the German (Heckel) system, low B♭ to D5: whisper key, flick keys and partly covered holes. Hear each note and print the chart.

Pick a written note. Use the arrow keys to move to the next note.

Written note

Play the note when I pick it

Keys and holes

Where these fingerings come from

About the Bassoon Fingering Chart

This bassoon fingering chart shows which keys to press for any note from B♭1 to D5 on a Heckel (German) system bassoon. Pick a written note, and the page draws the fingering as a diagram, lists the keys in plain English, and shows the note on a staff. It runs in your web browser and is free to use.

The bassoon does not transpose, so the written note and the sounding pitch are the same. Where a note has a second common fingering, or a flick key that helps it speak, the chart lists it as an alternate you can switch to. Every diagram is drawn by the page itself, so there are no images to download. The chart gives one standard fingering per note plus the listed alternates. Your reed, bocal and instrument make can still change which fingering works best.

How to use the Bassoon fingering chart

Find the note buttons under the “Octave” headings and click the note you want. Black-key notes show two spellings, such as C♯ and D♭.
Use the arrow keys to move the selection. Right or Up goes higher, Left or Down goes lower, and Home and End jump to the ends of the range.
Check the note on the staff under “Written note”. The staff uses bass clef up to B3 and tenor clef from C4.
Read the diagram and the “Keys and holes” list. Pressed keys are filled in. A half-filled circle means a hole is partly covered.
If “Fingering options” appears, click an alternate to switch the diagram, key list and explanation. Click “Standard” to go back.
Click “Play the sounding pitch” to hear the note. To hear each note as you pick it, tick “Play the note when I pick it.”
Click “Print the full chart” to open the print dialog. The printout shows the whole range as small diagrams on one page.

The address in your browser updates as you click, with the note and alternate in it, so you can bookmark or share a specific fingering. The “Lower note” and “Higher note” buttons move you one note at a time.

How do I read a bassoon fingering chart?#

The chart answers one question: which keys do you press to play a written note? Start with the note name and the staff, then move to the diagram. Because the bassoon does not transpose, the sounding pitch is the same as the written note.

The diagram is split into four areas: left thumb keys, left hand, right thumb keys and right hand. The right little finger keys appear with the right hand. The left thumb area has two columns. Column 1 holds the D flick, C flick, A flick, C♯ and whisper keys, from top to bottom. Column 2 holds the low B♭, low B, low C and low D keys. The right thumb keys run from top to bottom as B♭, E, F♯ and G♯.

A filled key or hole is pressed. A hole that is only partly covered is drawn as a half-filled circle. The filled part is the covered part, measured from the top. So on G3, left hand 1 is drawn about half filled, which means you cover about half of that hole.

Under the diagram, “Keys and holes” names each pressed key in words. For B♭1, that means the four low thumb keys, left hand 1, 2 and 3, the right thumb E key, right hand 1, 2 and 3, and the right little finger low F key. An extra sentence follows when a note needs a hint, such as when to use an alternate.

What is the whisper key on the bassoon?#

The whisper key is a small key worked by the left thumb, and it sits in the left thumb column. It works as a vent. The Woodwind Fingering Guide describes it as a vent for notes in the lower middle register.

When the whisper key is filled in on the diagram, hold it down with the left thumb for that note. It is held for every note from E2 to G♯3, and again for G4 and G♯4. It is not used for B♭1 to E♭2, or for A3 to F♯4. For example, E2 uses the whisper key, while A3 and F♯4 do not.

The whisper key notes on this chart come from the Woodwind Fingering Guide and the IDRS standard fingering list, which agree on every note.

Frequently asked questions

What are flick keys and when are they used?

Flick keys are the three high keys worked by the left thumb: high A, high C and high D. A flick is a momentary press of one of these keys as the note starts, which helps the note speak cleanly after a lower note. The chart uses the A flick key on A3 and B♭3, the C flick key on B3 and C4, and the D flick key on D4. Release the key once the note has sounded, though some players hold it for the whole note.

Why does the chart switch to tenor clef?

The page makes this choice. It uses bass clef up to B3 and tenor clef from C4 upward, so C4 sits on the fourth line of the tenor clef. Bassoon music is written in bass and tenor clef, and sometimes treble, but the note where the clef changes varies from piece to piece. This is a choice made for this page, not a rule from a source.

Is it free and does it need an account?

Yes, it is free and needs no sign-up. The tool runs in your browser, and nothing you enter is uploaded. The only value it saves is your choice of the “Play the note when I pick it” checkbox, which is stored in your browser.

Can I use it on a phone?

Yes. The layout has been checked at 375 pixels wide, a common phone width. On a phone, the note rows scroll sideways inside their own row, while the page itself does not scroll sideways.

Does the chart show notes above D5?

No. The chart covers the 41 notes from B♭1 to D5. The bassoon’s range extends to about G5, but most music rarely goes above C5. E5 and higher are not shown here.

Does the chart show the French (Buffet) system?

No. Only the Heckel (German) system is shown. Heckel is played in most of the world, while the Buffet (French) system is mainly played in France, Belgium and parts of Latin America. If your bassoon uses the Buffet system, the fingerings on this chart will not match your instrument.