Wind #
TODO: I’d love to put a sorta of piano graphic up that shows the range of each instrument.
What is a Wind Instrument? #
A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube) in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at or near the end of the resonator. The pitch of the vibration is determined by the length of the tube and by manual modifications of the effective length of the vibrating column of air.
Alright, I guess that’s sorta helpful. I mean, we’ve all made a loud sound down a cardboard tube as a kid, so it’s basically that.
Okay, so what about the difference between woodwind and brass?
Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the more general category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed instruments (otherwise called reed pipes).
Modern brass instruments generally come in one of two families:
Valved brass instruments use a set of valves […] operated by the player’s fingers that introduce additional tubing, or crooks, into the instrument, changing its overall length. […]
Slide brass instruments use a slide to change the length of tubing. The main instruments in this category are the trombone family, […]
So, uh, not super helpful. Reading a bit further though:
[T]he term “brass instrument” should be defined by the way the sound is made, as above, and not by whether the instrument is actually made of brass. Thus, one finds brass instruments made of wood, like the alphorn, the cornett, the serpent and the didgeridoo, while some woodwind instruments are made of brass, like the saxophone.
So, let’s just not give a shit, instead, let’s take a look at some of the main wind instruments and the defining features of their sounds.
[TODO]
psst, if you like this, check out the more serious NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert Moonhooch did back in 2014 (YouTube)
List of Wind Instruments #
Free-Reed Instruments #
Accordion #
Accordians vary too much in pitch range to give anything useful here.
https://accordionchords.com/tutorials/types-of-accordions-and-their-distinctive-features/
Harmonica #
- Diatonic and chromatic harmonicas only plays one note at once.
- Chromatic harmonicas typically have a metal slide to select sharp or flat notes.
- “Tremeolo” harmonicas have two reeds which are slightly out of tune of eachother that play together.
- Similar-ish to what a 12-string guitar does.
- Bass harmonicas also exist, though are quite uncommon and are usually $1000+.
Melodica #
- Keyboard-operated free-reed instrument blown through a mouthpiece
- The mouthpiece may be directly connected or connected via flexible tube to allow for more comfortable playing.
- Tonally similar to a harmonica.
Sheng #
- Chinese free-reed mouth organ with multiple vertical pipes.
- Capable of producing chords and polyphonic melodies.
Shō #
- Japanese mouth organ, similar in principle to the Sheng.
Flutes #
Flute #
- Side-blown instrument with a split airstream across an embouchure hole.
- Typically made of wood or metal.
Irish Flute #
- Wooden, keyless or keyed simple-system flute.
- Warm, reedy tone favored in traditional Irish and Celtic music.
- Often played with ornamentations like rolls and cuts.
Piccolo #
- Smaller, higher-pitched relative of the flute
- Requires precise embouchure control due to its small size
Recorder #
- Fipple flute with a simple finger-hole system.
- The bane of every parent of a 3rd grader.
- Can actually sound good when not played by 3rd graders.
- Comes in different sizes: soprano, alto, tenor, bass, etc.
Whistle (Tin Whistle/Penny Whistle) #
- Simple fipple flute used in folk music
- Often made of metal or plastic, with six finger holes
Ney #
- End-blown flute used in Middle Eastern music
Single-Reed Woodwinds #
Clarinets #
- Single-reed woodwind instrument with cylindrical bore.
- Wide range, from deep chalumeau register to bright altissimo.
- I’m squidward. He’s squidward. We’re both squidward.
Saxophone #
- Single-reed brass-bodied woodwind instrument
- Comes in Alto, Tennor, Baritone, Bass, Soprano, and Traffic Cone
- The Venova is not a sax.
Double-Reed Woodwinds #
Oboe #
[TODO]
Bassoon #
https://bravingthebassoon.weebly.com/types-of-bassoons.html
Shawm #
- Predecessor to the oboe, used in medieval and Renaissance music.
Zurna #
[TODO]
sornā #
[TODO]
Duduk #
[TODO]
Kaval #
[TODO]
Pku #
[TODO]
Zhaleika #
[TODO]
Rhaita #
[TODO]
Suona #
[TODO]
Sopila #
[TODO]
Piffero #
[TODO]
Brass Instruments #
[TODO]
Trumpet #
- Brass instrument which uses valves for pitch changes.
- Ranges from the piccolo trumpet to the bass trumpet.
Trombone #
- Brass instrument with a slide mechanism for pitch variation.
- Requires precise slide positioning for accurate intonation
Tuba #
- Larg lowe pitch, brass instrument.
French Horn #
- Pitch is controled from a mix of breath speed, lip shape, and controling valves.
- Valves, if present, can be either rotary or piston
[TODO] single vs double horn
Serpent #
[TODO]
Miscellaneous Wind Instruments #
Bagpipes #
Bagpipes aren’t just for classical Scottish music, check out The SIDH - Iridium, it’s a basically EDM + Bagpipes and fucking amazing.
- Continuous airflow from an airbag supplies multiple drone and melody pipes
- Requires circular breathing technique for sustained sound
Didgeridoo #
- I digerididn’t know a 1000 year old instrument could make dubstep sounds.
- It kinda sounds like a big mouth harp.
- The didgeribone is a realated instrument, but can actually play multiple pitches, in a similar way the trombone.
- Sold at Doug Dimmadome’s Dimmsdale Dimmadome.
Kazoo #
- Membrane-resonator instrument that modifies the player’s voice
Ocarina #
- Lets be real, you only know about this instrument becauze of Zelda. [TODO]
Blown Bottle #
[TODO]
Organ #
It would be easy to write an entire text book on organs, espicially given they can be either acoustic or electric and both have significant usage and are effectively their own instruments (Electric organs are not mere emulations of acoustic ones).
- Pipe organs can have multiple manuals (keyboards) and pedalboards for bass notes
Glissotar #
[TODO]
https://saxshop.com/products/glissotar?variant=45345885749485