Wind musical instruments: understand

now like a professional

Wind musical instruments play an extraordinary part in music. Many
people, when they think about learning to play, immediately think of guitar, keyboard, drums, and,
even violin.

Few are those who are interested in wind instruments, not that they do not
we provide enchantment, quite the opposite, but yes, because they seem to be a
a little more complex to understand than the others.

In this article, we are going to put an end to this paradigm once and for all. By the end of this
In reading, you will understand the wind instruments like a professional.
Stay tuned!

What is a wind instrument?

The wind musical instruments receive this name due to the fact that the sound
to be generated by the emission of air inside a tube. In other words, it means to affirm
that in order to generate a sound, it will be necessary for air to be emitted by the
instrumentalist.

Thus, we can understand that the volume of sound that will be emitted by the instrument
The wind instrument is directly linked to the size and temperature of the tube and the pressure.
that the air exerts on it.

The musical notes of these instruments are regulated by closing or opening the holes.
present along the tube. These closures can be made with the fingers themselves
or with buttons.

The brass instruments can be made of metal or wood, however, the

the main raw material of its construction is not what defines its nature.

For example, the saxophone is a brass wind musical instrument made of metal but that
belongs to the wood family, this is because its sound is generated by the vibration of a
bamboo straw - although there are already some that are made from synthetic material
stimulated by the air and the pressure that the musician exerts while playing an instrument.

What are the main wind musical instruments?

Now that you know what a wind musical instrument is and its main
We will present the characteristics that fit into this division. Continue
reading!
Flute

The flute is a wind musical instrument classified as belonging to the family of

woods, that is, very different from the material they are built from. This
The instrument can be divided into two: the transverse and the sweet. Let's exemplify.
better each of them in the next two topics.

Transversal

Atransverse fluteit is one of the oldest wind musical instruments

of the world. It emerged around the 9th century BC in the place that is now
known as the Asian continent.

It was introduced to Western Europe through Byzantine culture and to this day.
It is widely used in various types of presentations in the most diverse styles.
musicals. Certainly, it is an extremely versatile instrument that has broken through centuries of
stories until reaching the present day.

It is made of metal, usually silver in color, and consists of a cylindrical tube of 67

centimeters in length by 19 millimeters in diameter, being divided into three
parts: the head of the nozzle, body and base.

Air is introduced at the head of the nozzle. The body and foot have the holes and their
respective keys that aim to form the notes that are played in this
instrument. In orchestras, the flute is widely used as an instrument of
alone, but can also be used to compose ensembles with other instruments.

Sweet

The recorder is a wind musical instrument of medieval origin. It consists of

basically a tube divided into three parts that has 8 holes so that the
musical notes are played. The sound of this instrument is similar to a flute
transverse, however, due to having few note possibilities it ends up being more
limited in relation to the transverse flute.

Organ

When talking about wind musical instruments, few people imagine that the
the organ is part of this category. However, it is one of the most versatile that you
you will find in this article. It is completely different from the others due to its structure that is
made up of pipes, keyboards, and pedals

The organ uses air to activate its small internal flutes and generate the
sonorities according to what is being played by the musician on his keyboards.
In technical terms, the parts of the organ are:

the tubes, being this basic characteristic of this instrument and what places it in
category of others;
 the console, a region that houses the keyboards and usually accommodates two pedals for
tone changes and other accessories;
actuation mechanism, which are basically the bellows that generate the air for
to activate the flutes.

Bassoon

The bassoon is a quite exotic musical instrument that is also considered to

the sopranos and, like the saxophone and flutes, also belong to the woodwind family.
This is because it works with a double reed system.

Although it is somewhat unknown in Brazil, this wind musical instrument is

quite common in orchestras. In the past, it had more holes than keys and was
built entirely of wood.

Meanwhile, over time it evolved and gained buttons and keys that
they do the work of closing and opening the small air intakes that, when pressed
In an orderly fashion, they form the musical notes. However, despite these elements being
made of metal, the rest of the tube is still completely made of wood, thus
like in the old days.

The construction of this wind musical instrument is done with two tubes that are
placed in a juxtaposed position, connected at their base by a shaped element
the U. The total length of each of these parts is approximately 2 meters and
40 centimeters. Yes, it is a quite large instrument.

He is holding in a slightly different position than the others, being slightly

crossed in relation to the musician's body. It is held by a cord that wraps around the
the neck of the musician goes under the right arm.

The bassoon is a very curious and not discreet wind musical instrument, however,
can be widely found in symphonic orchestras, being used for solos
or to compose in groups with other instruments or with their peers.

Clarinet

The clarinetwas created around the year 1690, however, it evolved into the format that
we know today years later, with its development designed by the musician
Johann Christoph Denner from Nuremberg, Germany.

His great feat was adding two keys to what was then called the Chalumeau, the
which raised the instrument's sound to more than two octaves, enhancing its
versatility.

After that, he had other modifications in the year 1843, until it became globally famous.
known when the great composer Mozart used this instrument in one of
his symphonies. Its construction is made of wood and the keys used to close the
Small holes that exist along this formation are made of metal.
In addition, as he also uses a system of palettes to generate his
sonority, is considered as an instrument of the wood family. The tuning of
the clarinet, just like other wind instruments, is fixed in
E flat or B flat, depending on the type of instrument.

Thethe
clarinet is used in various types of performances, mainly, in orchestras
composing groups of instruments, as well as for solo music performances.

Trumpet

Now, let's show a wind instrument that belongs to the class of

metals. Thetrumpet is also known as pistonand it is, totally, built from
mentioned material. One of its main parts is its bell, responsible
for the amplification that your sound produces.

Unlike the others we have mentioned so far, the notes of the trumpet are
made with conventions generated between its 3 pistons, as well as by the force and pressure that
the musician exerts on the mouthpiece, the element on which the instrumentalist rests their mouth and
directs the air into the instrument.

The sound of the trumpet is quite high-pitched and has very high volumes.
compared to others. It is widely used in orchestras, however, there is
also those musicians who compose brass trios, very common in bands
Brazilian. These groups are almost always accompanied by saxophone andTrombone,
both instruments that we will describe in this article.

Trumpets

The trombone is another very ancient brass musical instrument, but it is still in use.
full utilization, mainly, in orchestras. It has a construction in a tube
curved or twisted and its sound is deeper than the others we mentioned
in this article.

The sound of the tuba is produced thanks to the compression of the lips of the instrumentalist against the
the mouthpiece and the intensity of the blow that is executed by it, with greater or lesser
intensity, depending on your goal.

Trombone

Just like the horn, thetrombone is also an instrument that operates in the lower regions
graves, thanks to this characteristic that is very present in his sound. He also does
It is part of the metal families and has two different types.

The differentiation of the two brass musical instruments will be given by the way that the
notes are [Link] are those who have pistons., just like the trumpet, in
the positions that form each of the notes, as well as the pressure that the musician applies on
jar.
Additionally, there is the so-called slide trombone. In this, there are no buttons, but rather,
a circular mast that runs around the entire body of the instrument and generates different notes
in the positions that the musician leaves this bow.

Tuba

The tuba is considered the youngest brass wind instrument in the family.
Its creation took place between the years 1800 and it also has a deeper sound.
being comparable to the trombone or horn.

Its construction is made in the form of a curved cylindrical tube that ends in
a bell-shaped bell. It also has a mouthpiece and pistons so that the
musical notes should be played.

There are several types and sizes of tuba, the tenor, which is also called euphonium,
the bass and double bass. Each has different uses within an orchestra or
marching bands, environments that make extensive use of this type of instrument.

Saxophone

The saxophone is a wind musical instrument that is often classified as

being part of the metal family, however, this is a big mistake, as it belongs to
category of woods, considering that the generating principle of its sound is the
vibration of a bamboo plectrum.

It is a very versatile wind musical instrument that has a wide range.

of use, being utilized in orchestras, bands in general, regardless of
style. It can be divided into three more common groups.

The alto saxophone is the most common.,

it has its construction that allows to encompass various
regions of the scale, both low and high, allowing for great versatility and
practicality in the execution of songs. Its tuning is in E flat.

As for the tenor saxophonehas

a deeper and velvety sound, being widely used
in jazz bands or to compose brass trios. The tuning of this instrument is in
B flat.

The other most used is thesoprano. You will see many of these instruments in the format
challengewithout the old and charming curve of the other saxophones. It has a sound more
The sharp one and its tuning is set to B flat.

What precautions do you need to take with

wind musical instruments?

Wind instruments deserve special care, after all, they are

equipment that depends on its perfect functioning in order to emit the
their soundness with all the beauty they are capable of.
The main concern you should have is with the degradation of your body. Those who are of
metals need to be sanitized every time they are used. Rust can
damage the equipment over time, in addition to making it look strange.

Moreover, those that have buttons and gears usually have these parts.
in a very small format and that require all care. Therefore, avoid the
impact with your wind musical instrument and always choose a good case for
increase your protection.

It is also important to clean with special products designed for certain ones.
two types of wind musical instruments mentioned. Avoid using substances
like alcohol and, mainly, water.

With all these tips, you should already have a good knowledge of instruments.
brass instruments and you must already be understanding the principles of operation
you should handle them like a professional, besides knowing the existing types.