A bocal is a curved, tapered tube, which is an integral part of certain woodwind instruments, including the bassoon, contrabassoon, and English horn, and which connects the reed to the rest of the instrument. Bocals can be made from a variety of metals, including nickel silver, brass, sterling silver, or even gold, and are covered at the lower end with a cork sleeve, allowing the bocal to fit tightly in the socket at the top of the instrument. More recently, at least one maker is producing bocals made of hardwood.[1] The reed either fits directly on to the tapered end of the bocal (as with the bassoon) or is tied to a metal tube which fits to the bocal (as with the English horn). Since the early days, the bassoon bocal invariably has had a small hole drilled in the side just above the cork to assist in overblowing at the octave. On baroque and Classical-era bassoons, this hole is very small in diameter and remains open all the time. On bassoons fitted with a "whisper" or "pianissimo" key (post 1900), the hole vents through a raised "nipple" and can be closed as needed to facilitate the response in the lower register. Bocals are made in varying lengths, often with markings such as "1", "2" and "3", which allow the instrument to be played at higher or lower pitch levels. Bocals for larger sizes of recorder sometimes include a valve to remove condensation and sometimes are adjustable to permit playing while seated or standing. Recorder players blows directly into a bocal and its length has no influence on pitch.
In Britain, the term "crook" is much more commonly used.
