Bocal

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The bocal is the metal part of some woodwinds, notably the bassoon, that extends to the player's mouth. The reed is attached to the end of the bocal. For the bassoon, most newer bocals also have a hole for the bassoon's "whisper key" to help with different octaves.

Bocals often come in varying lengths, with the markings "1", "2" and "3". Different bocals can be used if the instrument is playing particularly sharp or flat.

The cor anglais (or English horn) also has a bocal (or crook), that is considerably smaller than the bassoon's. It is also shaped differently. Cor anglais bocals also come in varying lengths.

In Britain "crook" is a more common term for "bocal".

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