Instruments of the Orchestra: The Woodwind Family
- Katelyn Martinez
- Oct 9, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 26, 2023
Today, we are going to be taking a look at the woodwind family of the orchestra. There are so many different woodwind instruments, and if I went through all of them, we would definitely be here for a while! All of these instruments are very unique in their ranges and tones, but today we are only going to focus on the woodwinds that are commonly part of the orchestra. These special instruments hold a special place in my heart, as both my sister and I play woodwind instruments.
If you've ever seen an orchestra or band preform before, you may be confused as to why the woodwind instruments are called "woodwinds" when they look like they are made out of metal and plastic. The reason they are called "woodwinds" is because most of the earliest forms of these instruments were made out of wood, and in order to produce a sound, one has to blow through the instrument.
There are two subcategories of woodwinds: reed and flute. The reed instruments make their sound by a small piece of wood called a reed (hence the name of this type of instrument) that when attached to the instrument and blown across, vibrates, producing sound. There are some instruments that have a double reed, which are two reeds tied together. The flutes, on the other hand, do not have a reed. They produce sound by simply blowing air through the body of the instrument.
The Flute:
The flute has been around the longest out of all the woodwind instruments, as it was the first pitched instrument ever created. They were originally made out of clay, stone, hollow reeds (like bamboo), or wood. Today they are made out of gold, silver, or platinum. The type of metal can actually affect the tone, which is why you will see some flautists (people that play the flute) with flutes comprised of different metals.
The flute's sound is produced by blowing across the hole in the mouthpiece (pictured here). It is very similar to what kids do when they blow across the top of a bottle to make a funny, hollow sound.
To change the pitch, the keys on the body of the instrument can be pressed or released to change the air flow.
There are multiple kinds of flutes: concert (the most common), alto, bass, and contrabass. The usual concert flute is about 2 feet long, but the lower the range of the flute, the longer it is.
Another instrument commonly associated with the flute is the piccolo, which is about half the size. Although it is sometimes used in the orchestra, it is more commonly associated with marching and military bands. Since it is smaller, it has a higher range, playing the highest notes in the woodwind section. It is made out of wood, not metal, and is played the same as a flute. Many flute players learn to play the piccolo, and if you pay close attention, you can often catch them swapping instruments during a piece.
The Clarinet:
The clarinet is a marvelous instrument, with a wide range and mellow tone. They have a four-octave range - one of the widest in the woodwind family. They can either play the melody or harmonize with the other instruments. The body of the instrument is made with either plastic or wood, and the keys are made of metal.
The clarinet is a single reed instrument and is played by inserting the reed between the mouthpiece and the ligature, then tightening the ligature around the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is then blown through, passing air over the reed, causing it to vibrate. This vibration produces the sound of the clarinet. The notes are changed by pressing or releasing the keys on the body of the instrument.
Like the flute, the clarinet also has many kinds. The most common is the B flat soprano. There are also E and A flat clarinets, alto clarinets, and bass clarinets. The alto and bass clarinet are much larger than the usual clarinet, which is a little over two feet long. They need this extra length to be able to play in the lower registers.
The Oboe:
The oboe looks very similar to the clarinet, as it is around the same length, and is also black with metal keys. It is different from the clarinet in its sound and reed, because oboes have a double reed. Its sound carries and floats above the rest of the orchestra, and because its distinct sound can be easily identified, it is used to tune the orchestra at the beginning of concerts.
A double reed is basically two reeds tied together with a small space in the middle. The sound is produced when air is blown through the reed, causing the two reeds to vibrate against each other. The pitches are changed by pressing and releasing keys on the body of the instrument.
The other kinds of oboes are the oboe cor anglaise and the oboe d'amore. The standard oboe is tuned to the key of C, the cor anglaise to the key of F, and the d'amore to the key of A. They all sound similar, but both the cor anglaise and the d'amore are slightly lower in range.
Another instrument commonly associated with the oboe is the English horn. It is slightly longer than the oboe with a slightly larger bell at the bottom. Due to its extra length, it has a lower range than the oboe. The English horn also has a double reed, but its mouthpiece is slightly different than the oboe's.
These instruments are well known for being extremely hard to play and take quite a bit of practice. Once they are mastered, they are very enjoyable to listen to, carrying their alluring melodies above the other parts of the orchestra.
The Bassoon:
The bassoon is a very interesting instrument, as it is the largest in the woodwind section. The body of the instrument is very wide, and if its piping was stretched out entirely, it would be about nine feet long! To make it easier to play, the body of the instrument is curved like a giant U. The bend makes it a little over four feet long. The body itself is make out of wood, and it has a warm, resonant, and mellow tone.
Bassoons also have a double reed. Their reeds are attached to the body of the instrument by a metal tube called the bocal (pictured above). Bassoon players will sometimes have many different bocals with varying lengths to help them achieve different ranges. The sound is produced the same way as an oboe - blowing air through the reed and pressing the keys to change the pitch of the instrument.
The contrabassoon is a larger version of the bassoon, and due to its large size, it can play some of the lowest notes in the orchestra. It has even more piping than the standard bassoon and is folded over several times to make it accessible to play.
Like the oboe family, both the bassoon and the contrabassoon are very difficult to play, as air has to travel through the entire body of the instrument to produce its sound. Once learned and mastered, its haunting tone is fascinating to listen to.
Thank you so much for reading this blog post! Did you learn something new about the woodwind family? What instrument family should I cover next? Comment below!
Want to learn even more? Here are the resources I used if you would like to read more about the wonderful instruments of the woodwind family!
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