Val Aeron Rave S.

Andallon
Grade 6 – Faith

The Woodwind Family

The woodwind family of instruments is a subset of the more general category of wind
instruments. Within the woodwind family, there are two main types of instruments: reed
instruments and flutes. The reason reed woodwind instruments are identified as “woodwind” is
based on the way they produce their sound which is by splitting the player’s air stream on a sharp
edge, such as a reed. Many people are confused by the name woodwind, thinking that these
instruments should be made exclusively from wood. However, they can be made of any material
such as wood, brass, cane, silver, gold or platinum.

Woodwind instruments are incredibly popular with beginner and professional players as well
as hobbyists. Many young band students start their musical careers on a woodwind instrument and
will go on to play several within the family.

You can hear woodwind instruments featured in all types of music, from classical and
orchestral pieces to jazz to blues to rock & roll and nearly everything in between.

Examples of Woodwind Instruments

The woodwind family of instruments includes these 6 major instruments:

1. Flutes and piccolos

2. Saxophones
3. Clarinets
4. Oboes
5. Bassoons
6. English horns
 Flutes

Flutes are the oldest of all instruments that produce pitched sounds rather than just rhythm.
Originally made from wood, clay or reeds, they are now usually made of silver, gold or
platinum. Flutes are played by holding the instrument sideways with both hands and blowing
across a hole in the mouthpiece, much like blowing across the top of a bottle. The player’s fingers
open and close the keys, which changes the pitch. Flutes generally play melodic parts of a
composition.

Piccolos

Piccolos are like flutes, but about half the size. They are played in the same manner and flute
players often learn both instruments. Piccolos have the highest range of any of the woodwinds
and the high piping sound can be heard in marching bands or drum corps as well as in some
orchestral pieces.
Single-reed Instruments
Clarinets

Clarinets are known as single-reed instruments, because they use one reed, attached to the horn
by a ligature, to produce sound. Clarinets come in a number of different sizes, and the
standard Bb clarinet is just over 2 feet long. Clarinets can play both melodies and harmonies,
expressing a dark, rich sound in their lower notes, while the upper part of the clarinet's range is
bright and resonant. The clarinet is played by holding it upright, blowing through the mouthpiece
and reed, and using the hands to change the pitches by opening and closing the keys with your
fingers.

Saxophones

Saxophones, also single-reed instruments, are relatively new, invented just 150 year ago. They
are important instruments for jazz and blues styles of music, but also have been incorporated into
classical works. Saxophones can range in size and pitch from soprano to contrabass. Alto and
tenor are the most popular types, but if you learn to play one, you can easily learn to play all of
them. The saxophone is played in the same manner as the clarinet.

Double-reed Instruments
Double-reed instruments include oboes, bassoons and Englishhorns. Double-reed
instruments use two precisely cut, small pieces of cane bound together at the base. The finished,
bound reed is inserted into the instrument and vibrates as air is forced between the two pieces
(causing the air within the instrument to vibrate as well).
 Oboes

Oboes look similar to clarinets and are played the same way. The tones produced by
the oboe are just below those of the flute. They produce a wide range of pitches, from haunting
sounds to warm, velvety smooth notes, which make the sound of the oboe memorable. The
instrument is an important member of orchestral woodwind sections and is often featured in solos.

Bassoons

Bassoons are the largest member of the woodwind family and with the lowest pitch, similar to that
of the cello. The bassoon is a long pipe, doubled in half, made of wood, with many keys. The
bend in the pipe makes it possible for musicians to play it comfortably. If it were straight, the
bassoon would be around 8 feet long! Bassoons most often play harmony, but occasionally can be
heard in melodies.
 English Horns

English Horns are not English and are not horns! This instrument, closely related to the oboe,
also uses a double reed, and is played in the same manner. It's longer than an oboe and its tube is
a bit wider. At the bottom end of the English horn it opens out into a rounded bell shape, which
gives it a warmer, fuller sound. Because it's larger, the English horn also has a lower pitch range
than an oboe. An oboe player will often play English horn if it is needed.

[Link]
 The Brass Family
If you think the brass family got its name because the instruments are made of brass, you're
right! This family of instruments can play louder than any other in the orchestra and can also be
heard from far away. Although their early ancestors are known to have been made of wood, tusks,
animal horns or shells, today's modern instruments are made entirely of brass. Brass instruments
are essentially very long pipes that widen at their ends into a bell-like shape. The pipes have been
curved and twisted into different shapes to make them easier to hold and play.
Like the woodwind family, brass players use their breath to produce sound, but instead of
blowing into a reed, you vibrate your own lips by buzzing them against a metal cup-shaped
mouthpiece. The mouthpiece helps to amplify the buzzing of the lips, which creates the sound.
Most brass instruments have valves attached to their long pipes; the valves look like buttons.
When you press down on the valves, they open and close different parts of the pipe. You change
the pitch and sound by pressing different valves and buzzing your lips harder or softer. The brass
family members that are most commonly used in the orchestra include the trumpet, French
horn, trombone, and the tuba.

Trumpet

The ancestors of the modern trumpet have been a part of human culture for a very long
time. Old trumpet-like instruments played by ancient peoples were made of conch-shell, animal
horn, wood or metal. Throughout history the trumpet has been used to sound alarms, gather
people together, as a call to war, and to add luster to parade music. Like the violin, the trumpet is
the smallest member of its family and plays the highest pitches with its bright and vibrant sound.
Today's modern trumpet is a slender brass pipe with three attached valves, which is curved and
bent into long loops. If you stretched out the trumpet to its full length, it would be 6 ½ feet long!
There are 2 to 4 trumpets in an orchestra and they play both melody and harmony and also
support the rhythm. You play the trumpet by holding it horizontally, buzzing your lips into the
mouthpiece, and pressing down the three valves in various combinations to change pitch.
 French Horn

Unlike the English horn, which is neither English nor a horn, the French horn does
originally come from France and is unquestionably a horn. It comes from the French hunting horn
of the 1600s, and produces a wide variety of sound ranging from very loud to very soft, and from
harsh and blaring to mellow and smooth. The French horn's 18 feet of tubing is rolled up into a
circular shape, with a large bell at its end. There are anywhere from 2 to 8 French horns in an
orchestra, and they play both melody and harmony as well as rhythm. To play the French horn,
hold it with the bell curving downward and buzz into the mouthpiece. Your left hand plays the three
valves and you can change the type of sound you make by the way you place your right hand in
the bell.

Trombone

The trombone is the only instrument in the brass family that uses a slide instead of valves
to change pitch. A standard trombone is made of long thin brass pipes. Two U-shaped pipes are
linked at opposite ends to form an "S." One pipe slides into the other so the total length of the pipe
can be extended or shortened. You play the trombone by holding it horizontally, buzzing into the
mouthpiece, and using your right hand to change pitch by pushing or pulling the slide to one of
seven different positions. If you stretch the trombone out straight, it is about 9 feet long. There are
usually 3 trombones in the orchestra and they play pitches in the same range as the cello and
bassoon. The three trombones often play harmonies together.
 Tuba

This is the grandfather of the brass family. The tuba is the largest and lowest brass
instrument and anchors the harmony not only of the brass family but the whole orchestra with its
deep rich sound. Like the other brasses, the tuba is a long metal tube, curved into an oblong
shape, with a huge bell at the end. Tubas range in size from 9 to 18 feet; the longer they are, the
lower they sound. Standard tubas have about 16 feet of tubing. There is generally only one tuba in
an orchestra and it usually plays harmony. You play the tuba sitting down with the instrument on
your lap and the bell facing up. You blow and buzz into a very large mouthpiece and use your
hand to press down on the valves which changes the sound. It takes a lot of breath to make sound
with the tuba!
 The Percussion Family
The percussion family is the largest in the orchestra. Percussion instruments include any
instrument that makes a sound when it is hit, shaken, or scraped. It's not easy to be a
percussionist because it takes a lot of practice to hit an instrument with the right amount of
strength, in the right place and at the right time. Some percussion instruments are tuned and can
sound different notes, like the xylophone, timpani or piano, and some are untuned with no definite
pitch, like the bass drum, cymbals or castanets. Percussion instruments keep the rhythm, make
special sounds and add excitement and color. Unlike most of the other players in the orchestra, a
percussionist will usually play many different instruments in one piece of music. The most common
percussion instruments in the orchestra include the timpani, xylophone, cymbals, triangle, snare
drum, bass drum, tambourine, maracas, gongs, chimes, celesta, and piano.
Timpani

Timpani look like big polished bowls or upside-down teakettles, which is why they're also called
kettledrums. They are big copper pots with drumheads made of calfskin or plastic stretched over
their tops. Timpani are tuned instruments, which means they can play different notes. The
timpanist changes the pitch by stretching or loosening the drumheads, which are attached to a foot
pedal. Timpani are a central part of the percussion family because they support rhythm, melody
and harmony. Most orchestras have four timpani of different sizes and tuned to different pitches
and they are usually played by one musician, who hits the drumheads with felt-tipped mallets or
wooden sticks. The timpani player must have a very good ear because he/she usually needs to
change the pitches of the drums during performances.

Xylophone

The xylophone originally came from Africa and Asia, but has a Greek name that means "wood
sound." The modern xylophone has wooden bars or keys arranged like the keys of the piano,
which the player hits with a mallet. You can change the quality of the pitch by using different kinds
of mallets (hard or soft), and by hitting the wooden bars in different ways. Attached to the bottom of
the wooden bars are metal tubes called resonators, where the sound vibrates. This gives the
xylophone its bright bell-like sound.

Cymbals

Cymbals are the biggest noisemakers of the orchestra. They are two large metal discs, usually
made of spun bronze. Cymbals, which are untuned, come in a range of sizes, from quite small to
very large. The larger the cymbal, the lower the sound they make. Cymbals can be used for drama
and excitement, to accent the rhythm or create delicate sound effects. You can play the cymbals
either by hitting one cymbal against the other, or you can use sticks, mallets or brushes to hit one
or both cymbals.

Triangle

You've probably played a triangle yourself at one time or another. It's a small metal bar that's bent
into the shape of a triangle and makes a ringing sound when you hit it. There are many sizes of
triangles and each one sounds a different pitch. You play the triangle by holding it on a string and
striking it with a metal beater. The size and thickness of the beater can change the sound the
triangle makes.

Snare Drum
The snare drum is a smallish drum made of wood or brass with drumheads made of calfskin or
plastic stretched over both ends of a hollow cylinder. It has a set of wire-wrapped strings stretched
across the bottom head (the snare), which give the snare drum its unique "rattling" sound when the
drum is hit. A small switch on the side of the drum allows the player to turn the snare on or off
depending on the requirements of the piece. The snare drum is an untuned drum, so it doesn't
sound distinct pitches. It is often used in military music and is a central part of any marching band.
Snare drums are used to keep the rhythm and make special sounds, such as drumrolls. You play
the snare drum by hitting the top with drumsticks, mallets or brushes.

Bass Drum

The bass drum, like the double bass, is the biggest member of the percussion family and
therefore makes the lowest sounds. The bass drum is built like a very large snare drum, although
without the snare; it is also an untuned instrument. You play the bass drum by hitting either
drumhead with sticks that have large soft heads, often covered with sheepskin or felt. It can
produce a lot of different sounds from roaring thunder to the softest whispers.

Tambourine
Have you played one of these? A tambourine is a small drum with metal jingles set into the
edges. Both the drumhead and the jingles are untuned. To play it, you hold it in one hand and tap,
shake or hit it, usually against your other hand.

Maracas

Maracas come from Mexico. They are rattles, often made from gourds (a kind of squash), filled
with dried seeds, beads or even tiny ball bearings that make them rattle. Maracas can also be
made of wood or plastic; the sound they make depends on what they're made of. To play them,
you hold them in your hands and shake.

Gong
The gong, also known as the tamtam, is a very large metal plate that hangs suspended from a
metal pipe. It looks similar to a cymbal and is also untuned, but is much larger and has a raised
center. To play it, you hit the center with a soft mallet. Depending on how hard you hit it, you can
make a deafening crash or the softest flicker of sound.
Chimes

Chimes are metal tubes of different lengths that are hung from a metal frame. When you strike the
tubes with a mallet, they sound like the ringing bells of a church. Each chime sounds a different
pitch.

Castanets
These fun wooden instruments come from Spain and are used to punctuate the music with a
distinctive clickety-clack. Castanets are made of two pieces of wood tied together. To play them,
you hold them with your fingers and click the two pieces of wood together. In the orchestra,
castanets are sometimes mounted on a piece of wood, and the percussionist plays them by hitting
them with his/her hands.

Cowbells

Cowbells
Cowbells were originally designed to notify farmers in the countryside when their cows were ready
for milking. These days, cowbells are commonly used in percussion music and dances originating
from India, Brazil, and Peru. They come in different shapes and sizes and can be played with a
striker or just using their natural timbre.