THE WOODWIND FAMILY

OVERVIEW

• Woodwind instruments used to be made out of wood
• They are now made of wood, metal, plastic or a combination of these
• Woodwind instruments are basically tubes with holes in them
• They have an opening at the bottom and a mouthpiece at the top
• You play these instruments by blowing air through the mouthpiece

OVERVIEW CONTINUED

• You change the pitch on these instruments by opening and closing their holes
• Some mouthpieces of woodwind instruments use a piece of wood called a reed
• Reeds are usually thin pieces of bamboo wood
• You vibrate these reeds by blowing across it; vibrating the air inside the instrument
• The smaller the woodwind instrument is, the higher the pitch and vice versa

BASS CLARINET

• Larger (around 2x larger) and lower sounding relative of the clarinet
• It makes sound by vibrating one reed in its mouthpiece
• The tube is made of wood or silver-plated metal
• The keys are made of nickel-silver or silver and the bell is brass
• http://youtu.be/1xMZGxM25Uk

BASSOON

• Largest and lowest instrument out of all the woodwind instruments
• It makes sound by vibrating a double reed in its mouthpiece
• Bassoons are mainly made of woods like sycamore and sugar maple
• They also have metal keys and rubber joints
• http://youtu.be/E1Suvp7B63k

FLUTE

• The flute is the second smallest and highest instrument of the woodwind family
• It makes sound by vibrating air across the edges of the holes in its tube
• Flutes are made of metals like silver, gold and platinum or alloys of these
• http://youtu.be/X2pJhhJ1F6I

SAXOPHONE

• The saxophone is the only instrument in the woodwind family made of brass
• It makes sound by vibrating one reed in its mouthpiece
• Saxophones are made of brass or other metals like silver and gunmetal
• They also have mouthpieces which are usually made of plastic compounds
• http://youtu.be/zjhiGxRbiRU

FAMILY CLASSIFICATION

• All these instruments classify as aerophones
• This is because they make sounds by vibrating air
• The saxophone classifies as a woodwind instrument
• This is because it makes sound using a reed