What Is a Wood Wind Instrument?
Woodwind instruments are musical instruments that produce sound using vibrating air and can be made not only from wood, but also metal, plastic, bone and ivory. Different musical notes can be played by covering or uncovering finger holes along the instrument, which varies the length of the vibrating tube. The principal woodwinds used in a modern orchestra are the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and relatives of these instruments.
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Reeds and Flutes
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Certain woodwind instruments are played by placing a reed into the mouth, squeezing with the lips and blowing. The reed is made of springy cane and vibrates at the frequency of the air in the instrument's tube. When the pressure rises, the reed lets in more air, and when the pressure falls, the reed closes to let in less air. Other woodwind instruments, such as the flute, are played by blowing across an embouchure hole. The air jet this produces combines with resonating air within the tube and the energy is radiated as sound.
Flute
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Flutes consist of a tube with a mouthpiece at one end and are usually made of metal. A musician will hold the flute horizontally and blow across the mouthpiece while opening and closing tone holes on the tube by pressing levers called keys. This has the effect of producing different notes. The flute provides the soprano voice in an orchestra, and in the case of the concert flute, is tuned to the key of C.
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Oboe
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The oboe is a double reed instrument (meaning there are two pieces of vibrating cane), with a wooden cylindrical body and is played using keys. The instrument is small and produces a high-pitched sound. It has a range of three octaves, and as it requires a lot of air to produce sound, an oboe player must be skilled in breathing techniques.
Clarinet
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The clarinet produces a full and rich tone. It is usually made of wood and is a long tube with a reed attached to a mouthpiece at one end. The other end is a bell-shaped opening from which sound is radiated. Keys are played to open and close tone holes in order to produce different pitches. The most common clarinet is manufactured in the key of B-flat and has a range of 3 1/2 octaves.
Bassoon
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The bassoon usually plays in the bass and tenor registers and has a wooden cylindrical tube of approximately eight feet in length. It is played with a double reed that is attached to a crook and 10 key-controlled tone holes, along with eight more finger holes. The bassoon produces a warm and reedy tone.
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