I was going to write about musical instruments, but because I have been playing the clarinet in various wind orchestras for a while, the group of musical instruments that I know the most about is woodwind.
Since the pitch of woodwind instruments depends on how long the tube is that the air goes along, the musician makes different notes by opening or closing holes in the side. This also means that bigger woodwind instruments make a lower sound. The biggest woodwind instrument that is used in orchestras is the bassoon, which stands more than half as tall as a person. Its lowest notes are much lower than the normal singing range. The smallest is the piccolo, a very small version of the flute. Its highest notes are even higher than those of a piano, and it is so high-pitched that music written for the piccolo has to be written one octave lower than it actually sounds, because otherwise many of the notes would be far too high above the stave. In my experience, woodwind instruments with a more average range have a better sound and are better solo instruments, but the more extreme instruments can help an orchestra a lot.
Woodwind instruments have existed for a very long time. The oldest musical instrument discovered is a mammoth ivory flute found in a cave in Germany, estimated to be over 40,000 years old. Many prehistoric flutes like this have been discovered. Percussion instruments, such as drums, could have been made of decomposable materials, or early peoples could have used rocks and sticks, before this time, but the evidence of these flutes still suggests that humans have invented woodwind instruments very early on.
The first woodwind instruments were made of simple materials, so they would have made sound by the musician blowing air into a hole at the side or end of the instrument, making the air vibrate by the difference in air pressures. Flutes and panpipes make sound this way.
In ancient times, people developed a type of woodwind instrument in which a part of the instrument itself vibrates, instead of the shape of the instrument causing the blown air to vibrate directly. The part of a woodwind instrument that vibrates is usually called the reed. Older reeded instruments had the reed as part of the instrument, but as woodwind instruments developed more, the reed eventually became a separate piece. The reed is so called because, in most woodwind instruments, it is made from the plant Arundo donax, a type of reed plant.
Some instruments have more than one reed. This includes the bassoon and the oboe, which have two reeds. While the reed is normally fixed to the mouthpiece, as in clarinets and saxophones, in double-reeded instruments the two reeds compose the mouthpiece and the musician blows through the gap in between them.
Despite the name of the group, not all woodwind instruments are made of wood. About half of them are made of metal. This makes a very distinct difference in the sound, which is why the clarinet, made of wood, makes a different sound than the saxophone, which is related but made of metal. The bass clarinet is a much bigger version of the normal type of clarinet, but some of the sections are curved and made of metal. This includes the bell, so the lower notes sound more metallic than the higher ones. I have played on an alto clarinet, which is halfway in between a bass clarinet and a normal B flat clarinet. It also tends to sound metallic with some notes.
In music composed for wind orchestras, composers often put a solo in the music, when a single instrument is playing and the rest are either playing quietly or not at all. The most common solo woodwind instrument that is chosen is the clarinet(I have had the honor a few times to play a solo in a large ensemble), but oboe solos are also common. Since some notes are very difficult on the oboe, and it is also hard to keep in tune, oboe solos can be very hard to play, but I think the reason that it is chosen so often is that it makes a wonderful sound when played properly. The piccolo is also a common solo instrument because it is very high pitched and stands out from the rest of the orchestra. I have also heard solos on the E flat clarinet and the saxophone in ensemble pieces, but these are rarer.
Woodwind instruments are a very fun group of instruments to play in. They include all sorts of pitch ranges and encompass nearly every style of music. The most popular woodwind instruments are flutes, clarinets and saxophones, and it is good to play them, but a nice bonus with less popular instruments, such as the oboe, the bassoon, the alto clarinet or the baritone saxophone, is that not very many musicians play them, so they are in higher demand and ensembles that do not have them give those musicians a much higher chance to join, sometimes even scholarships. In a wind orchestra together or with brass instruments, woodwinds can be very expressive and make an amazing sound.
Music that features woodwind instruments: This includes music that I have preformed with woodwind and brass ensembles, and music with woodwind solos.
General:
Air for Band, by Frank Erickson:
A nice, slow melody. Woodwind instruments are highly featured.
Serenade for wind band, by Derek Bourgeois:
Woodwind instruments have the melody for most of the time. If you are interested in the beat pattern, most of the song is in 11/8 time(3+3+2+3), and temporarily changes to 13/8 time(3+3+2+2+3) in the middle.
Clarinet:
Entry March of the Boyars, by Johan Halvorsen:
Clarinet solo at the beginning. Also has some very interesting flute parts.
W. A. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto:
If you listen to this you will see why the clarinet is such a popular solo instrument.
Oboe:
October, by Eric Whitacre:
An amazing, beautiful piece. Starts with an oboe solo.
Piccolo:
Stars and Stripes Forever, by John Philip Sousa:
The national march of the United States of America. It might be an extremely patriotic song, but I had to include it because of the famous, impressive sounding piccolo solo which starts about halfway through the march.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
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| Piccolo playing |
Since the pitch of woodwind instruments depends on how long the tube is that the air goes along, the musician makes different notes by opening or closing holes in the side. This also means that bigger woodwind instruments make a lower sound. The biggest woodwind instrument that is used in orchestras is the bassoon, which stands more than half as tall as a person. Its lowest notes are much lower than the normal singing range. The smallest is the piccolo, a very small version of the flute. Its highest notes are even higher than those of a piano, and it is so high-pitched that music written for the piccolo has to be written one octave lower than it actually sounds, because otherwise many of the notes would be far too high above the stave. In my experience, woodwind instruments with a more average range have a better sound and are better solo instruments, but the more extreme instruments can help an orchestra a lot.
 |
| Paleolithic bone flute |
Woodwind instruments have existed for a very long time. The oldest musical instrument discovered is a mammoth ivory flute found in a cave in Germany, estimated to be over 40,000 years old. Many prehistoric flutes like this have been discovered. Percussion instruments, such as drums, could have been made of decomposable materials, or early peoples could have used rocks and sticks, before this time, but the evidence of these flutes still suggests that humans have invented woodwind instruments very early on.
The first woodwind instruments were made of simple materials, so they would have made sound by the musician blowing air into a hole at the side or end of the instrument, making the air vibrate by the difference in air pressures. Flutes and panpipes make sound this way.
 |
| Bassoon reeds |
Some instruments have more than one reed. This includes the bassoon and the oboe, which have two reeds. While the reed is normally fixed to the mouthpiece, as in clarinets and saxophones, in double-reeded instruments the two reeds compose the mouthpiece and the musician blows through the gap in between them.
 |
| Bass clarinet |
Despite the name of the group, not all woodwind instruments are made of wood. About half of them are made of metal. This makes a very distinct difference in the sound, which is why the clarinet, made of wood, makes a different sound than the saxophone, which is related but made of metal. The bass clarinet is a much bigger version of the normal type of clarinet, but some of the sections are curved and made of metal. This includes the bell, so the lower notes sound more metallic than the higher ones. I have played on an alto clarinet, which is halfway in between a bass clarinet and a normal B flat clarinet. It also tends to sound metallic with some notes.
In music composed for wind orchestras, composers often put a solo in the music, when a single instrument is playing and the rest are either playing quietly or not at all. The most common solo woodwind instrument that is chosen is the clarinet(I have had the honor a few times to play a solo in a large ensemble), but oboe solos are also common. Since some notes are very difficult on the oboe, and it is also hard to keep in tune, oboe solos can be very hard to play, but I think the reason that it is chosen so often is that it makes a wonderful sound when played properly. The piccolo is also a common solo instrument because it is very high pitched and stands out from the rest of the orchestra. I have also heard solos on the E flat clarinet and the saxophone in ensemble pieces, but these are rarer.
Woodwind instruments are a very fun group of instruments to play in. They include all sorts of pitch ranges and encompass nearly every style of music. The most popular woodwind instruments are flutes, clarinets and saxophones, and it is good to play them, but a nice bonus with less popular instruments, such as the oboe, the bassoon, the alto clarinet or the baritone saxophone, is that not very many musicians play them, so they are in higher demand and ensembles that do not have them give those musicians a much higher chance to join, sometimes even scholarships. In a wind orchestra together or with brass instruments, woodwinds can be very expressive and make an amazing sound.
Music that features woodwind instruments: This includes music that I have preformed with woodwind and brass ensembles, and music with woodwind solos.
General:
Air for Band, by Frank Erickson:
A nice, slow melody. Woodwind instruments are highly featured.
Serenade for wind band, by Derek Bourgeois:
Woodwind instruments have the melody for most of the time. If you are interested in the beat pattern, most of the song is in 11/8 time(3+3+2+3), and temporarily changes to 13/8 time(3+3+2+2+3) in the middle.
Clarinet:
Entry March of the Boyars, by Johan Halvorsen:
Clarinet solo at the beginning. Also has some very interesting flute parts.
W. A. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto:
If you listen to this you will see why the clarinet is such a popular solo instrument.
Oboe:
October, by Eric Whitacre:
An amazing, beautiful piece. Starts with an oboe solo.
Piccolo:
Stars and Stripes Forever, by John Philip Sousa:
The national march of the United States of America. It might be an extremely patriotic song, but I had to include it because of the famous, impressive sounding piccolo solo which starts about halfway through the march.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
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