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Woodwind Instrument





TYPES OF WOODWIND INSTRUMENT


  • Single-reed Instrument s use a reed, which is a thinly cut piece of cane or plastic that is held against the aperture of a Mouthpiece with a ligature. When air is forced between the reed and the mouthpiece, the reed vibrates, creating the sound. Single reed instruments include the Clarinet and Saxophone families of instruments.

  • Double-reed Instruments , which use two precisely cut, small pieces of cane joined together at the base. The finished, bound reed is inserted into the top of the instrument and vibrates as air is forced between the two pieces of bound cane. There are two sub-families:

  • --- '' Exposed '' double reed instruments, where the reed goes between the player's lips. The Oboe , Cor Anglais (also called English Horn ) and Bassoon make up the more popular instruments within this family.

  • --- '' Capped '' double reed instruments, where there is a cap covering up the reed with a hole in that the player just blows through. This family includes most Bagpipes , the Crumhorn , and the Shawm .

  • Flute s produce sound when air is blown across an edge. There are two sub-families:

  • --- '' Open '' flute family, where the player's lips form a stream of air which goes directly from the players lips to the edge, such as the transverse Flute . Modern flutes are usually made of Brass or Silver , with Gold , silver or Nickel Plating .

  • --- '' Closed '' flute family, where the instrument forms and directs the air stream over the edge. This family includes various Whistle s and the Recorder family.


One important difference between woodwind and Brass Instrument s is that woodwind instruments are ''non-directional''. This means that the sound produced propagates in all directions with approximately equal volume. Brass instruments, on the other hand, are highly directional, with most of the sound produced traveling straight outward from the bell. This difference makes it significantly more difficult to record a woodwind instrument accurately. It also plays a major role in some performance situations, such as in marching bands.


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