Tonally, the contrabassoon sounds much like the bassoon except for a distinctive 'buzz' which becomes almost a clatter in the extreme low range. While prominent in solo situations, this extraneous sound is completely subsumed in the sound of doubling instruments, for which the contrabassoon supplies a solid underpinning.
Composers have often used the contrabassoon to comical or sinister effect by taking advantage of its clumsiness and its sepulchral rattle, respectively. Clear examples of its sound can be heard in Paul Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice and Gunther Schuller's concerto for the instrument.