The bassoon is a woodwind instrument, made from wood and belongs to the double-reed family. It is considered the lowest instrument in the woodwind family, able to play the lowest notes compared to other instruments like the flute, clarinet, saxophone, and oboe. The modern bassoon has its origins in the 17th century, where it was developed from the dulzian, a Renaissance wind instrument that also uses a double reed. Martin Hotteterre is credited with pioneering the development of the bassoon during this time period.