Eleuke
M. Gerarda
Waikiki
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Even if they're made of metal like saxophones and flutes, they are woodwinds if the source of the sound is a reed or an "air reed".
This page is a resource for sales staff working in the Musical Instruments Retail sector - it is not intended to be an encyclopaedia entry. Beware, this and many other pages may contain jokes and wry comments (like this one).
WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS BY BRAND:
Artemis, Aulos, Buffet-Crampon, Clarineo, Clarkes, M. Gerarda, Hohner, Trevor James, Moeck, Moosmann, Olds, Patricola, W. Schreiber.
Lowest of the double reed family, also has the most complicated key system (up to 12 different keys to be operated by the thumbs). Even lower is the contra-bassoon. The double-reed family of instrumdents includes the oboe and the Cor Anglais or English Horn.
The double reed consists of two sections of reed that vibrate against each other when blown and held between the player's lips.
A whole family of single-reed instruments with a straight bore. The clarinets are mostly transposing instruments. The player attaches a reed to the mouthpiece and then blows into it, with the lower lip controling the tension on the reed.
Big brother to the oboe, in the key of G (a fourth lower). Double reed is on a curved staple.
Modern flutes are made of metal (usually nickel-silver) and have a large number of keys. Some expensive instruments are made of hard wood or precious metals such as silver, gold, platinum etc.
The name derives from the French "haut-bois" meaning high wood. The characteristic double-reed sound emphasises the first partial, so that the listener hears the note an octave above the one being played to almost the same degree as the fundamental. Often used as the tuning standard in orchestras.
A simple bunch of pipes, closed at one end and blown across the other (a bit like blowing on a bottle). An ancient instrument, associated with the mythical figure Pan (hence the name).
The earliest of the European flutes, with a range consisting of Sopranino to Great Bass. Shown above is a Bass recorder made by Hohner. They are fipple flutes, that is, the air is split by a "blade" near the mouthpiece. Other fipple flutes include the various whistles.
Invented by Adolphe Sax in Paris in 1846. A family of instruments all of which have a single reed mouthpiece and a radically conical bore.
The reed is held against the flat section of the mouthpiece by the ligature (see below) and vibrates along the length of the curved section (called the "facing"). The mouthpiece is held between the player's lips with the top teeth directly resting on the "beak" of the mothpiece and the lower lip covering the lower teeth and contacting the reed. This distiguishes the single-reed instruments (clarinet and saxophone) from the free-reed instruments (like harmonicas and accordions - no contact between player and reed) and the double-reed instruments (like bassoon, cor anglais and oboe - both lips in contact with reed directly).
The mouthpiece contributes hugely to the overall tone and playability of the instrument.
Below is a schematic diagram labelling some of the parts of a clarinet mouthpiece.
The ligature holds the reed in position on the mouthpiece while simultaneously allowing the free end to vibrate. The ligature has a great influence on the response and tone of the instrument.
SINGLE REEDS: Clarinet and saxophone reeds are made from comparitively large sections of the cane plant and are flat on the side that contacts the mouthpiece.
DOUBLE REEDS are made by carving a small diameter piece of cane and then folding it back on itself. This leaves a curved opening between the two "leaves" which the player blows into.
Both kinds are usually made from the arundo donax ("music cane") plant, which looks and grows a bit like bamboo. Some reeds are also made from synthetic materials.
Bari Synthetic Reeds for Clarinet & Saxophone
Daniels Reeds - limited stock available
Woodwind accessories include cleaning products, straps, mouthpiece cushions, brushes, key oil, bore oil etc.
