Which Instrument Family Utilizes a Cup Shaped Mouthpiece

The instruments in this family unit all used to be made of wood, which gives them their proper name. Today, they are made of wood, metallic, plastic or some combination. They are all basically narrow cylinders or pipes, with holes, an opening at the bottom end and a mouthpiece at the elevation. You lot play them by blowing air through the mouthpiece (that's the "current of air" in "woodwind") and opening or closing the holes with your fingers to change the pitch. Metal caps calledkeys cover the holes of well-nigh woodwind instruments.

The mouthpieces for some woodwinds, including the clarinet, oboe and bassoon, use a thin piece of wood called areed, which vibrates when you blow across it. The clarinet uses a single reed made of one piece of wood, while the oboe and bassoon use a double reed made of 2 pieces joined together. Merely as with the stringed instruments, the smaller woodwinds play higher pitches while the longer and larger instruments play the lower notes. The woodwind family of instruments includes, from the highest sounding instruments to the lowest, the piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, Due east-apartment clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon and contrabassoon.

Larn more nearly each woodwind instrument:
Flute • Oboe • Clarinet • Bassoon

Other instrument families:
Strings• Contumely•Percussion

Flute

Theflute is the oldest of all instruments that produce pitched sounds (not but rhythms), and was originally made from wood, rock, clay or hollow reeds like bamboo. Modernistic flutes are made of silver, gold or platinum; there are by and large two to 4 flutes in an orchestra. A standard flute is a niggling over two feet long and is oft featured playing the melody. You play the flute by holding information technology sideways with both hands and blowing across a hole in the mouthpiece, much similar bravado across the superlative of a bottle. Your fingers open and close the keys, which changes the pitch.

Piccolo

A shorter version of the flute is called thepiccolo, which ways small in Italian. At one-half the size of a standard flute, piccolos play the highest notes of all the woodwinds; in the orchestra 1 of the flute players will also play piccolo if that instrument is required. The high pipe sound of the piccolo is also heard in traditional drum corps and marching band music.

Oboe

Theoboe is a 2 foot long black cylinder with metal keys roofing its holes, and its mouthpiece uses a double reed, which vibrates when you blow through information technology. This vibration of the reed makes the air inside the oboe motion, and thus creates sound. To play it, hold the oboe upright, blow through the double reed in your mouth, and use both hands to press down on the keys to open up and shut the holes and change the pitch. In that location are usually 2 to four oboes in an orchestra and they produce a wide range of pitches, from haunting sounds to warm, velvety smooth notes, which make the sound of the oboe very memorable. In add-on to playing in the orchestra, the first oboist is besides responsible for tuning the orchestra before each concert. Listen for the special note "A" that the oboe plays before the music begins.

English Horn

Despite its name, information technology isn't English language and information technology isn't a horn. TheEnglish horn is really closely related to the oboe, besides uses a double reed, and is played in the same manner. It'due south longer than an oboe and its tube is a bit wider. At the bottom terminate of the English horn information technology opens out into a rounded bell shape, which gives it a warmer, fuller sound. Because it's larger, the English horn also has a lower pitch range than an oboe. An oboe player will besides play English language horn if it is needed.

Clarinet

Theclarinet could easily be mistaken for an oboe, except for the mouthpiece, which uses a single reed. Clarinets come up in a number of unlike sizes, and the standard B-flat clarinet is only over 2 feet long. Some musical works crave the clarinetist to play several types of clarinet in the same slice. The 2 to iv clarinets in the orchestra play both melodies and harmonies, and they have a dark rich sound in their lower notes, while the upper part of the clarinet'southward range is brilliant and resonant. You play the clarinet as you lot practise an oboe, past property it upright, blowing through the reed, and using your hands to modify the pitches by opening and endmost the keys with your fingers.

Due east-apartment Clarinet

The smallerE-flat clarinet is only like a standard clarinet, but most half the length. Its shorter size allows information technology to play college notes.

Bass Clarinet

This is the granddaddy of the clarinet family. Thebass clarinet is so big that its pinnacle and lesser are aptitude to make it easier for musicians to concur and play. Its greater length allows information technology to play some of the lowest notes in the orchestra.

Bassoon

Thebassoon is a long pipe, doubled in half, made of wood, with many keys. The bend in the pipe makes it possible for musicians to play it comfortably. If it were straight, the bassoon would be around 9 anxiety long! Like the oboe, the bassoon uses a double reed, which is fitted into a curved metallic mouthpiece. There are 2 to 4 bassoons in an orchestra and they have a similar range to that of the cello. Bassoons usually play lower harmonies, simply y'all volition sometimes hear their hollow low notes featured in a melody. Y'all play the bassoon by holding it upright and blowing through the double reed. The air travels downwards the tube and then makes a u-plow and goes up and out the summit. Just like the oboe, you use both easily to press on the keys to open up and close the holes and change the pitch.

Contrabassoon

Imagine a longer bassoon with a wider pipe. Thecontrabassoon is the grandfather of the current of air section and is then much larger than a regular bassoon that its tube is doubled over twice to let the player to concur it. It takes a lot of breath to make audio come out of such a long pipe! The lone contrabassoon plays the lowest notes in the unabridged orchestra.

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Source: https://www.orsymphony.org/learning-community/instruments/woodwinds/

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