Instrument Families of the Symphony Orchestra

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

WoodwindFamily

Click through this Power Point to learn about the instruments of the

Woodwind Family

Do not complete any of the worksheets yet, that will come later!

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

- Woodwind instruments are usually made of wood

The Woodwind Family

- Produce sound by blowing wind through instrument either with a reed or over edge of mouthpiece

3 Groups of WW Instruments:

1. Non-reed: uses only a mouthpiece

2. Single reed: reed vibrates against mouthpiece

3. Double reed: two reeds vibrate against each other

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family

Reeds:

- Thin strip of cane

There are four main woodwind instruments anda “cousin” to each instrument; that is, a similar

instrument to the main instrument, usually largeror smaller in size that is played the same way.

The four main instruments are:• Flute (“cousin” instrument is the piccolo)

• Clarinet (“cousin” instrument is the bass clarinet)

• Oboe (“cousin” instrument is the english horn)

• Bassoon (“cousin” instrument is the contrabassoon)

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family

Non-Reed Instruments:

Piccolo

Flute

Highest sounding ww instrument

(Made of metal)

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family (continued)

Single Reed

Clarinet

- Made of wood- Bell-shaped end- Sound produced by reed

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family (continued)

Single Reed:

Bass Clarinet

- Larger than clarinet- Plays lower

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family (continued)

Single Reed:

Saxophone

- The only woodwind instrumentnot found in the orchestra- Made of brass

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family (continued)

Double Reed:

Oboe

(provides the tuning note for the orchestra--A 440)

-Similar to clarinet but has different mouthpiece

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family (continued)

Double Reed:

English Horn

(Pear-shaped Bell)

- Larger and sounds lower than oboe

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family (continued)

Double Reed:

Bassoon

- special mouthpiece- has over 9 ft. of tubing!

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family (continued)

Double Reed:

Contrabassoon

- Largest and lowest sounding ww instrument

1. Draw and shade in the placement of the Woodwind Family in the symphony orchestra:

Shade in this section!

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family Worksheet

2. Name the four main woodwind instruments:– Flute– Clarinet– Oboe– Bassoon

3. Woodwind instruments are played by blowing _____into a __________________.

airmouthpiece

4. The sound from a woodwind instrument comes outof the __________________.tone holes

5. The flute is a member of the __________ family ofwoodwinds because you blow air across the opening tomake sound.

non-reed

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family Worksheet

6. Flutes were originally made of _______ or ________,but now are made of ________.

wood canemetal

7. Piccolo means _________ in Italian.little

8. The highest sounding instrument in the orchestrais the __________.piccolo

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

A. The Woodwind Family Worksheet

9. The second group of woodwind instruments arecalled the _________ reed instruments.single

10. Reeds are made from _______.cane

11. The clarinet is used in _____________, ________,and ________ groups.

orchestras bandsjazz

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family Worksheet

12. A bass clarinet is _______________________ than the clarinet.larger & plays lower

13. The third group of instruments are the _________ reed instruments.

double

14. All reeds __________ to produce sound in the instrument.vibrate

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family Worksheet

15. An _______ has a very nasal sound produced bythe double reed. (This instrument also provides thetuning note for the orchestra.)

oboe

16. The _________ ______ is a large oboe. English Horn

17. The English Horn has a pear-shaped ______.bell

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family Worksheet

18. The bassoon has ____ feet of tubing which is bentin order to allow the musician to hold it.

9

19. The lowest and largest of the double reedinstruments is the ________________Contrabassoon (contra means to double)

20. The contrabassoon is ____ feet in length.18

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

The Woodwind Family Worksheet

21. Name the three categories of woodwind instruments.

Non-reed

Single Reed

Double Reed

Instrument Families of theSymphony Orchestra

• Be sure to also complete the other Woodwind Family worksheet in addition to the worksheet you just completed.

• Both are due at the end of the period!