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Woodwind Family

Although some woodwind isntruments are made of other materials today, nearly all woodwind instruments were at one time made of wood. Woodwind instruments produce sound by blowing into or over an opening in a mouthpiece. Woodwind instruments use either no reed (flute), a single reed (clarinet and saxophone), or a double reed (oboe and bassoon). Reeds are thin pieces of wood that are attached to a mouthpiece and vibrate when blown across to make sound. All woodwind instruments use keys to change notes. Woodwind instruments generally play at a soften dynamic (volume) than brass or percussion instruments. All of the instruments listed below, with the exception of the bassoon, are available to study in elementary school. If you are interested in learning the bassoon, we recommend spending two years learning another woodwind instrument in elementary school and switching when you reach middle school.


 * __Click on one of the woodwind instruments below for video samples and more info__**

Flute Clarinet Saxophone Oboe Bassoon