Woodwind describes a musical instrument which
produces sound when air is blown against an opening or a surface in the
instrument (usually a reed) which, in turn, makes the air vibrate. Woodwind
instruments were, as their name suggests, made of wood and, although some
still are, a number of the modern instruments are now more likely to be made
of plastic or metal.
A list of the more popular woodwind musical instruments is as follows:
- Bagpipes
- Basset horn
- Bassoon
- Clarinet
- Cor anglais (also called English horn)
- Fife
- Flageolet
- Flute
- Hornpipe
- Oboe
- Ocarina
- Pan Pipes (also called Pan Flute)
- Piccolo
- Recorder
- Saxophone
- Tin Whistle
Woodwind instruments are split into three different categories:
- Single reed - a thin piece of plastic or cane is held within a clamp called
a ligature and when air is forced between it and the mouthpiece, the reed
vibrates. The saxophone and the clarinet are examples of single reed
instruments.
- Double reed - two small pieces of cane are joined at the base and air is
forced between them causing them to vibrate. Double reed instruments can be
either 'exposed' such as with the oboe or bassoon or capped (there is a hole
in a cap covering the reeds) such as with the bagpipes.
- Flute - air is blown against and across a hard edge in the instrument.
Flutes can either be 'open' or 'closed'. Open flutes (such as the flute
itself) require the edge to be placed directly against the player's lips
while closed flutes (such as the recorder and the whistle) direct the air
flow against the edge within the musical instrument.
Reeds are of varying hardnesses (specified numerically from 1.0 to 5.0 in
0.5 increments) with the softer reeds producing a thinner sound of music but
being easier to play. Reeds of hardness 3.0 and above are for more
experienced players.
Woodwind instruments are an essential part of any orchestra and a typical
symphonic orchestra will contain:
- Bassoons (4 including 1 double bassoon)
- Clarinets (4 including 1 bass clarinet)
- English horn (1)
- Flutes (3)
- Oboes (3)
- Piccolo (1)
- Saxophone (1)
Woodwind instruments generally produce a sweet sound which is melodic and
pleasing to the ear. Their range of frequency is also wide enough to
encompass most types of music and, as a result, woodwind is one of the most
versatile of the groups of musical instruments. With the exception of the
cheaper instruments such as the recorder and whistle, it is always a
good idea to try before you buy or hire an instrument from your music
shop. Like any other musical instrument, though - if you want to get the best
sounding music out of your playing you need to sign up for some lessons for
your woodwind instrument. |
