Musical woodwind instrument. Woodwind instruments of a symphony orchestra

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

An orchestra is a large composition of musicians, consisting of groups. In these groups, the musicians play in unison. There are orchestras of various composition and musical direction. It can be: symphonic, wind, string, pop, jazz, military, school, folk instruments. Symphonic orchestra instruments are combined into groups: strings, wind, percussion. In turn, wind instruments are brass and wood - depending on what material they are made of.

About woodwinds in general

The woodwind instruments of a symphony orchestra are bassoon, oboe, flute, clarinet and, of course, their varieties. The woodwinds include the saxophone and the bagpipe with their variations, but they are rarely used in this orchestra.

Basically any of these instruments play their part. It is generally accepted that woodwind parts should be placed on the top lines.scores. The overall timbre of woodwind instruments is very bright, compact, but also powerful. This sound is more like a human voice than others.

The very name of the woodwind instruments comes from the fact that initially they were all made of wood. Over time, another material began to be used in their manufacture, but the name wooden was preserved. Shortening the sounding column of air through opening holes is the principle of sound production of these instruments. The holes are located on the body.

Woodwind instruments according to the method of directing the air jet, in turn, are of two types: labial - flute and duduk - and reed (with a single reed - saxophone, clarinet - and with a double reed - duduk, zurna, oboe, bassoon, shawl).

And now in more detail.

Flute

Flute is a labial woodwind instrument. It appeared a long time ago, when people made holes on a cut reed with a closed end and extracted sounds from it. In the Middle Ages, two types of flutes were common: straight - it was held straight, like a clarinet, and transverse, which was held at an angle. Over time, already on the threshold of the 19th century, the transverse flute became more in demand and overshadowed the straight flute with its practicality.

In the group of woodwind instruments, it is the flute that has the highest sound. This is the most mobile tool of all in technical terms. Difficult to play slow melodies and sustained notes as a lot of air is used when playing it(air breaks on the sharp edge of the hole and partially disappears). This is how the characteristic sound of the flute is formed. The range of the transverse flute is from the first to the fourth octave.

Main varieties of the flute

Recorder is a longitudinal flute of the whistle family. An insert is used in the head. A distinctive feature is 7 + 1 finger holes. The tone is soft.

Piccolo flute is a transverse flute. Two times shorter than usual. Has the highest sound. The timbre is very bright, and with Music dynamic forte.svg it is very piercing.

Svirel - Russian woodwind instrument, longitudinal flute. Can have two barrels of different lengths tuned to each other in a perfect fourth.

Siringa - longitudinal flute. It happens single-barrel and multi-barrel. Shepherds played it in ancient times.

Panflute is a multi-barreled flute. This is a bundle of several tubes of various lengths.

Di is an ancient Chinese woodwind instrument. It is transverse and endowed with six holes.

Kena - a reed flute. Used in Latin American music.

The Irish flute is widely used in the performance of Irish folk motifs. This is a transverse flute.

All these types of flutes are woodwind instruments. The list can also be replenished with such representatives of the family as the pyzhatka, whistle and ocarina.

Oboe

The next woodwind instrument is the oboe. It is known that the oboe does not loseits tuning and therefore the whole orchestra is tuned to the mood that this particular instrument gives.

Oboe is also a woodwind instrument with a double reed. Like the flute, it is an old member of the flute family. His ancestors were bombarda, bagpipe, duduk, zurna. The oboe, thanks to its melodiousness and soft timbre (although it is sharp in the upper register), is a favorite instrument of both professional composers and musicians and amateurs. In technical terms, it is also mobile, but inferior in this matter to the flute. Outwardly, this is a tube in the form of a horse, the upper end of which is a double cane, and the lower end is a funnel-shaped socket.

Main types of oboe

Modern oboe: musette, conical bell oboe, baritone horn, cor anglais.

Baroque oboe: Baroque oboe d'amour, oboe da caccia or hunting oboe.

Clarinet

Clarinet is the most common reed woodwind musical instrument. It has a single reed and a wide range of sound. It looks like a wooden tube in the form of a cylinder, at one end of which is a single cane, and the other end is a whisk-shaped bell.

The timbre of the instrument is soft and somewhat dramatic. No other woodwind instrument in a symphony orchestra has the ability to change the volume of sound like the clarinet. Thanks to this quality, the clarinet is considered one of the most expressive instruments of the orchestra. Scope of the clarinet in musicwide and varied. In addition to symphony, brass and military bands, it is actively used in jazz, pop and even folk music.

Main types of clarinet

Grand or soprano clarinet - the main variety, an instrument of alto and soprano registers.

Small clarinet - rarely used, has a noisy timbre.

The bass clarinet is an octave below the grand clarinet. This low-pitched woodwind instrument is more commonly used in an orchestra to enhance bass voices. Has dramatic power. The bass clarinet is widely used in jazz.

Basset horn - for expanding down the range of a conventional clarinet. It has a calm and solemn timbre.

Bassoon

Bassoon is a reed woodwind instrument. His range covers low registers: part alto, tenor and bass. The bassoon replaced its predecessor - the old bass pipe bombard. Unlike the bombarda, which has a raucous sound, the bassoon has a gentle, melancholy sound.

The trunk of the bassoon is wooden, long and therefore foldable. A metal tube with a cane attached is attached to the top of the barrel. It is hung around the musician's neck with a string. In an orchestra, the bassoon can serve as a support for bass string instruments, or have an independent part. Great airflow is required when playing this instrument, especially in low registers with loud sounds.

The only onebassoon variety

The only variety of modern bassoon is the contrabassoon. This deep-voiced woodwind instrument is considered the lowest-ranged instrument in the orchestra, second only to the organ's pedal basses. It has a thick organ voice.

Saxophone

The above instruments with their varieties are woodwind instruments. The list can only be replenished with one more representative of this group - a saxophone.

Saxophone is rarely used in a symphony orchestra. It is often played in a brass band. It has a powerful sound. It is one of the central instruments in jazz and pop music. Has a melodious tone. From a technical point of view, very mobile. It reaches from 15 centimeters to 2 meters. The saxophone is made of copper, and this is another proof that the name of woodwind instruments is not always the same as the material from which they are made.

Main types of saxophone

Soprano saxophone. May be straight or curved. Not recommended for beginners. It has a piercing and strong timbre.

Alto saxophone or classical saxophone. Curved, commonly used type of tool. Recommended for those who are just starting to learn the game. Has the smallest mouthpiece. Endowed with a bright and expressive timbre. Basically it is a solo instrument.

Tenor saxophone. This type is used more than others in jazz. Its size, the size of the mouthpiece, holes and rods is larger than that of the violasaxophone. It has a raucous, juicy timbre. It is easier to play technically difficult passages on it.

Baritone saxophone. The largest in size, therefore more prone to damage than others. Has a thick and strong timbre.

The range of any saxophone is two and a half octaves. With good technical preparation it is possible to play even higher notes.

Bagpipes

The bagpipe is a kind of traditional wind instrument. The bagpipe looks like a leather bag covered with fur and filled with air. Several wooden tubes are inserted into it. One of the tubes has holes, a melody is played on it, the other (smaller) serves to pump air. The rest provide a continuous sound of several sounds, the pitch of which remains unchanged. It has a strong piercing sound. The bagpipe is accompanied by the performance of many European (and not only) folk dances.

Thus, woodwind instruments are multi-genre, with different timbre and range, instruments used in various musical compositions.