Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [woodwinds]

A group of wind instruments that includes flutes and all reed instruments (saxophone, bassoon, etc).

About

Woodwind instruments are a category of wind instrument. Sound is created by blowing in-between the reed and the top of the mouthpiece. The notes played from a woodwind instrument are usually changed by changing which buttons are pressed.

Common types of woodwind instruments

Some of the most common woodwind instruments are:

  • Flutes
  • Clarinets
  • Saxophones
  • Recorders
  • Bagpipes

External resources

Wikipedia article on wind instruments

Wikipedia article on woodwind instruments

History of woodwinds

List of woodwind instruments

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Will my wind instrument be damaged if I leave it assembled?

Almost every teacher, expert, and book has informed me that I should disassemble my (clarinet / recorder / saxophone) each time after I practice. However, it is difficult for me to see how this would prevent damage to the instrument, after I…
David LeBauer
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How to distinguish between different instruments in a classical orchestra?

I want to train myself into distinguishing the instruments being played simultaneously in orchestral music (primarily Wagner and Bruckner, maybe Mahler). Ideally I want to be able to say at each point in time something like: „Oh, this is a french…
NickQuant
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Why are end-blown flutes shorter than their ideal length?

A flute is an open cylinder air column instrument. This means that an idealised flute, the fundamental pitch of the flute should have a wavelength of twice the length of the flute. This isn't exactly the case with a real flute though. For example, a…
naught101
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How well can woodwind instruments leap large intervals?

I've composed this passage: I'm concerned about it due to the large leaps in three of the four instruments. I have tried to find some information online about leaps and woodwind instruments, but found mostly nothing. Are these passages playable by…
OprenStein
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Wind instruments: why is the left hand on top?

Every wind instrument which require the two hands to press keys (saxophone, clarinet, oboe…) have the left hand of the player being the top one. This consistency makes it easier to switch from one instrument to another but is there a particular…
Tom
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When composing for oboe, how useful is it to think about recorder fingerings?

I'm always a bit anxious when writing for winds, because I don't really have much of a clue how passages will be executed on the specific instrument. (And I know how needlessly complicated some parts get on my instruments, if the composer somehow…
leftaroundabout
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I want to learn the sax. Where should I start?

I do not have any prior musical training. I do not know how to read music. The only instrument I have played are a keyboard and a harmonica. I think I can learn the saxophone if I remain as passionate as I am now, but I seek advice first because…
shyamupa
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More volume from a Bass Clarinet

I play the Bass Clarinet in a few Wind Bands. A constant problem I've always had is feeling drowned out whenever the band plays in a normal dynamic - the tone and pitch of the instrument are easily lost. I also find myself frequently the only bass…
Chris
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Breath Marks (different symbols)

Breath marks (related to caesurae) often appear in scores for woodwind instruments where it is acceptable to take a breath of air. They are placed in a passage where the phrasing will not be disrupted. A breath mark will necessarily mean that the…
Elements in Space
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How similar (or not) are recorder, fife, and flute fingerings?

I don't play any of these instruments, but have at least tried them enough to play a scale. My impression is the basic holes down the pipe are tuned to a diatonic scale. The more holes covered, the lower the tones. You must keep holes covered as you…
Michael Curtis
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Learning flute as a saxophone player

I've played sax for around 20 years. I recently picked up a cheap student flute from a pawn shop. Can anyone provide tips on proper embouchure? Any other tips on getting a decent sound would be greatly appreciated, as well.
Tim Coker
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Woodwind v brass instruments - what is the defining characteristic?

The names of these classes of instruments suggest that the material from which they are made is significant but this is not so. Flutes are frequently made of metal and saxophones always are yet they are classified as woodwind. (Note that I play…
badjohn
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Why can't oboes play softly while clarinets can?

Clarinets are famed for being able to play diminuendo and crescendo to and from niente. Oboes, however, have trouble playing in very low dynamics. The difference in construction of oboe and clarinet reeds/mouthpieces is obvious. What are the…
oboecat
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Why do wooden woodwinds sound better than plastic?

With clarinet, recorders, and I presume oboe's also - it's common for beginner instruments to be made out of plastic/hard rubber, and more high quality instruments to be made from wood. This seems to give the instruments better tone. Practically -…
Chris
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Tune of wind instruments and the strength of blow

First of all I want to inform you that I wasn't that close with music in my life so I might not know the obvious and mix up terminology. I am gathering information for an engineering project involving a recorder. I have played the recorder for a few…
Moses Kim
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