Flute
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The flute is one of the oldest instruments in the world. While it is made of metal today, most flutes in the past were made of wood or cane. While flutes back then were all one, whole instrument, today, flutes are assembled when taken out of their case and disassembled when put back in. This allows for easy storage and a smaller case.
Caring for your flute is relatively simple. Keep it as dry as possible to prevent damage of the key pads, cleaning it out with a rag after playing. Handle your flute carefully to prevent key bends, and take extreme care not to dent your flute, as it will cause tone changes.
Fun Fact! There are types of flutes that are blown into through your nose. They are called nose flutes.
Caring for your flute is relatively simple. Keep it as dry as possible to prevent damage of the key pads, cleaning it out with a rag after playing. Handle your flute carefully to prevent key bends, and take extreme care not to dent your flute, as it will cause tone changes.
Fun Fact! There are types of flutes that are blown into through your nose. They are called nose flutes.
Clarinet
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The clarinet is a single reed instrument made of wood, but some are made of plastic. It originated from an instrument like the recorder, but it had reed instead of a regular recorder mouthpiece. It developed into the clarinet in later years as more keys were added and adjustments were made. It was soon accepted into the orchestra and now had a much mellower tone. Like a recorder, it can be disassembled when put back into its case for easier transportation. Instead of three sections, it contains five.
Caring for a clarinet is similar to the flute. Keep it as dry as possible to prevent damage of the key pads, cleaning it out with a rag after playing. Keep your reed protected and wet to prevent cracks and produce a warm tone. Change your reed every one to two weeks.
Fun Fact! The clarinet has the widest range of all wind instruments. A range of four octaves to be exact.
Caring for a clarinet is similar to the flute. Keep it as dry as possible to prevent damage of the key pads, cleaning it out with a rag after playing. Keep your reed protected and wet to prevent cracks and produce a warm tone. Change your reed every one to two weeks.
Fun Fact! The clarinet has the widest range of all wind instruments. A range of four octaves to be exact.
Saxophone
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The saxophone is one of the youngest instruments. Invented in 1840 by Adolphe Sax, it originated from a clarinet. After Adolphe's patent expired, people began to improve it even more, naming it the saxophone after its first inventor. It hasn't been accepted into the orchestra, but has become a big icon of jazz. While the body is made of brass, it is a woodwind, as it does use a single reed like the clarinet. It can be disassembled slightly, only the neck and the mouthpiece away from the body.
Caring is similar to clarinet and flute. Keep it as dry as possible to prevent damage of the key pads, cleaning it out with a rag after playing. Keep your reed protected and wet to prevent cracks and produce a warm tone. Change your reed every one to two weeks.
Fun Fact! The sax was invented to become the most powerful woodwind and most adaptive to brass, leading to the fact that many saxophone parts are similar to brass parts.
Caring is similar to clarinet and flute. Keep it as dry as possible to prevent damage of the key pads, cleaning it out with a rag after playing. Keep your reed protected and wet to prevent cracks and produce a warm tone. Change your reed every one to two weeks.
Fun Fact! The sax was invented to become the most powerful woodwind and most adaptive to brass, leading to the fact that many saxophone parts are similar to brass parts.
The following are members of the woodwinds but not as common as the three above. Sometimes, these instruments are not in band at all. As your band director if interested.
Oboe
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Considered the duck of the orchestra for its distinct sound, the oboe is a double reed instrument that sometimes appears in bands. There are usually one or two of them, or none at all, like it's friend the bassoon. It originated from the hautbois, a French instrument meaning oboe. Changes were made and it eventually became the classic oboe we see today.
Caring is similar to reed instruments. Keep it as dry as possible to prevent damage of the key pads, cleaning it out with a rag after playing. Keep your reed protected and wet to prevent cracks and produce a warm tone. Change your reed every one to two weeks.
Fun Fact! The oboe does play as the duck in the story of Peter and the Wolf.
Caring is similar to reed instruments. Keep it as dry as possible to prevent damage of the key pads, cleaning it out with a rag after playing. Keep your reed protected and wet to prevent cracks and produce a warm tone. Change your reed every one to two weeks.
Fun Fact! The oboe does play as the duck in the story of Peter and the Wolf.
Bassoon
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The bassoon is similar to the oboe in sound and double reed property, but it has such a confusing and long history, it is difficult to point down its origins. Like the oboe, bassoons are not common in all bands, but very few are in one if there are any.
Caring is similar to reed instruments. Keep it as dry as possible to prevent damage of the key pads, cleaning it out with a rag after playing. Keep your reed protected and wet to prevent cracks and produce a warm tone. Change your reed every one to two weeks.
Fun Fact! Like the clarinet, it has an extremely wide range, just four octaves, like the clarinet.
Caring is similar to reed instruments. Keep it as dry as possible to prevent damage of the key pads, cleaning it out with a rag after playing. Keep your reed protected and wet to prevent cracks and produce a warm tone. Change your reed every one to two weeks.
Fun Fact! Like the clarinet, it has an extremely wide range, just four octaves, like the clarinet.