Woodwind instruments
The woodwind instruments have quiet and delicate sounds.
These instruments have been in existence for many centuries. The main woodwind
instruments used in the modern orchestra
are the piccolo,
flute,
clarinet,
oboe,
English horn
and bassoon.
They are blown musical instruments, in which a column
of air is made to vibrate either by blowing across a mouthpiece,
as in the flute and recorder,
or by making a single or a double reed vibrate, as in the oboe,
bassoon, clarinet,
and saxophone.
The vibration of the reed gives the woodwinds their characteristic sound.
Originally all woodwinds were made out of wood. Today,
however, metal and other materials are often used, as modern technology
allows the production of musical instruments made out of other materials,
while preserving the typical timbres.
Different notes are obtained by the covering or uncovering of finger-holes, in order to vary the length of the vibrating tube. The systems of leverages and stops developed by Thoebald Bohm, made the woodwinds more comfortable for playing and enhanced playing options in different scales.
