Instruments of the
Band and Orchestra
Woodwind Family
Woodwind Family
 Woodwinds get their name by the make of the
instrument (primarily wood).
 All woodwind instruments are made out of a
tube, usually with holes in it. When all holes
are covered, air goes all the way to the end of
the tube and makes a low sound. When the
holes are open, the air goes only a little way
and makes a high sound.
 To further increase their range of notes, most
of the woodwind instruments come in different
sizes (eg. soprano saxophone, alto saxophone,
tenor saxophone, etc.).
Woodwind Family
 Woodwind instruments may make sounds in
three different ways:
 Some, like the flute, make a sound by blowing air
across a tone hole.
 Single reed instruments, like the clarinet and
saxophone, use a single piece of cane, which
vibrates, to produce a sound.
 The oboe, English horn, and bassoon used a double
reed, or two pieces of cane vibrating against each
other, to make a sound.
Tone Holes
 Sound is produced by blowing across the
tone hole of the flute, like blowing across
the top of a bottle. The keys on the flute
allow you to change pitch.
 Flute and Piccolos are the tone hole
woodwind instruments.
Flute
 The most ancient of
woodwind instruments.
Even though flutes are
made of brass now, the
earliest form of a flute was
a hollow wooden stick
with holes in it.
 Modern flutes are made
of a metal tube in three
pieces.
Flute
Piccolo
 Half the size of the flute and has two
pieces.
 It sounds one octave higher than the
flute.
 It is the smallest instrument in the
orchestra.
Double Reed
 Double reed instruments are made up of two
very thin reeds tied at the end.
 The sound is produced when the player
focuses the air through the reed at high
pressure.
 The reeds vibrate against each other to get a
sound.
 The double reeds consist of: English Horn,
Oboe, Bassoon, and Contra Bassoon.
Oboe and English Horn
 The English horn has a lower, richer
sound than the oboe.
 The oboe is smaller than the English
horn. Its bell flares out like a clarinet.
 The English horn has a curved bell like a
light bulb and is slightly longer than the
oboe.
Oboe and English Horn
Oboe
Bassoon and Contra
Bassoon
 The contra bassoon is one octave lower
and much bigger than the bassoon.
 These are the tenor (bassoon) and bass
(contra bassoon) of the woodwind family.
 They are the lowest instruments in the
woodwind family.
 The bassoon is shaped like a pole while
the contra bassoon is curved.
Bassoon and Contra
Bassoon
Single Reed
 Single reed instruments consist of one reed
placed on a mouthpiece. The reed is held
together on the mouthpiece by a ligature.
 Air is blown through the mouthpiece which
causes the reed to vibrate and produces a
sound.
 Single reed instruments include: Clarinet, Bass
Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto
Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, and Baritone
Saxophone.
Clarinet and Bass Clarinet
 The bass clarinet is one octave lower than the
clarinet.
 The clarinet is very flexible in the orchestra. It
has a very wide range. It has a rich low sound,
smooth middle sound, and shrill upper sound.
 The bass clarinet is much larger than the
clarinet and sits on the ground while you play
it.
 There are many other types of clarinets that
are less commonly used. All the clarinets
make up a clarinet family.
Clarinet Family
There are up to 27
different types of
clarinets. Only about 3 or
4 types are primarily used
in orchestras and band.
The two most commonly
used are the B flat
soprano clarinet and the
B flat bass clarinet.
Clarinet and Bass Clarinet
Clarinet & Bassoon
Clarinet Spotlight:
Benny Goodman
 Benny Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an
American jazz musician and clarinetist, known as "King
of Swing".
 Over the years he played with the greatest figures in jazz: Louis Armstrong,
Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and countless others.
 That crowded career, spanning more than six decades,
had an almost unparalleled impact on popular music and
the importance of the clarinet in both jazz and classical
music. Thousands of youngsters throughout the world
were influenced to play the clarinet through listening to
Benny Goodman’s recordings and live performances, and the style of those
who turned to jazz was universally patterned after what they heard Benny
play, whether or not they realized it. The popularity of the “big band” format
is another of the legacies of this musical giant.
Saxophone Family
 The saxophone was invented in 1840. It is
newer than other musical instruments.
 It is mainly used in jazz bands.
 They are usually made of brass. Saxophones
are categorized in the woodwind family
because they use reeds. Some
saxes are actually made of wood,
which is extremely rare.
Saxophone Family
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and
Baritone Saxophone
 The soprano sax is the highest pitched
instrument and is shaped like a clarinet.
 The alto sax (the most commonly played) has
a mid range pitch. The bell curves out of the
body.
 The tenor sax is slightly larger with a lower
pitch than the alto.
 The baritone sax is the largest saxophone and
has an extremely low sound.
Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and
Baritone Saxophone
Saxophone Spotlight:
John Coltrane
 John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 –
July 17, 1967) was an American jazz
saxophonist and composer. From 1957 onward
he recorded and produced dozens of albums,
many of them not released until years after his
death. He achieved extraordinary popularity,
while also responding to a religious awakening
that has made him a source of spiritual
inspiration.
 He was called to military service during WWII,
where he performed in the U.S. Navy Band in
Hawaii. After the war, Coltrane began playing
tenor saxophone.
Woodwind Instruments:
Review
Name these woodwind instruments:
Woodwind Instruments:
Review
What are the double
reed instruments?
What are the single
reed instruments?