Woodwind instrument with a high voice. woodwind group

An orchestra is a large group of musicians. 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.
The instruments of the symphony orchestra are combined into groups: strings, winds, percussion. In turn, wind instruments are copper and wood - depending on what material they are made of.

About woodwind instruments 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 plays its part. It is generally accepted that woodwind parts should be placed on the top lines of the 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 came 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.
The shortening of the sounding column of air through the opening of the holes is the principle of the sound production of these instruments. Holes are located on the body.

According to the method of directing the air stream, woodwind instruments, 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

The 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, it became more in demand and overshadowed the straight line 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. It is difficult to play slow melodies and sustained notes, since a large amount of air is used when playing it (air breaks and partially disappears on the sharp edge of the hole). This is how the characteristic sound of the flute is formed. The range of the transverse flute is from the first to the fourth octaves.

The main types of flute

The 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.

The 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. It can have two barrels of different lengths tuned together in a perfect fourth.

Siringa - longitudinal flute. It happens single-barrel and multi-barrel. In ancient times shepherds played it.

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 - longitudinal 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 members 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 lose its tuning and therefore the whole orchestra is tuned to the mood that this particular instrument gives.

The oboe is also a woodwind instrument with a double reed. Like an old representative of the flute family. His ancestors were bombarda, bagpipe, duduk, zurna. The oboe, due to its melodiousness and soft timbre (although it is sharp), 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 bell.

The main varieties of the oboe

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

Baroque oboe: baroque oboe d "cupid, oboe yes caccia or hunting oboe.

Clarinet

The 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 there is a single cane, and the other end is a corolla-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. The scope of the clarinet in music is wide and varied. In addition to the symphony, brass and military orchestra, it is actively used in jazz, pop and even folk music.

The main varieties of the clarinet

The grand or soprano clarinet is the main variety, an instrument of the 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 extending down the range of a conventional clarinet. It has a calm and solemn timbre.

Bassoon

The 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 collapsible. 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 cord.
In an orchestra, the bassoon can serve as a support for the bass players or have an independent part. Large airflow is required when playing this instrument, especially in a low register with a loud sound.

The only kind of bassoon

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 timbre.

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.

The 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 the woodwind instruments is not always the same as the material from which they are made.

The main varieties of the 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.

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

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

The range of any saxophone is two and a half octaves. With good technical training 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 instruments of different genres, with different timbres and ranges, used in various musical compositions.

Basic information Avlos is an ancient woodwind musical instrument. Avlos is considered a distant predecessor of the modern oboe. It was distributed in Asia Minor and Ancient Greece. The performer usually played two aulos (or double aulos). Playing the aulos was used in ancient tragedy, in sacrifice, in military music (in Sparta). Solo singing accompanied by playing the aulos was called aullodia.

Basic information The cor anglais is a woodwind musical instrument, which is an alto oboe. The English horn got its name due to the erroneous use of the French word anglais (“English”) instead of the correct angle (“curved angle” - in the form of a hunting oboe, from which the English horn originated). Device According to the device, the English horn is similar to the oboe, but has a larger size, pear-shaped bell

Basic information Bansuri is an ancient Indian woodwind musical instrument. Bansuri is a transverse flute made from whole piece bamboo. Has six or seven playing holes. Bansuri is widespread in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Bansuri is very popular with shepherds and is part of their customs. It can also be seen in Buddhist painting around 100 AD.

Bass clarinet (Italian: clarinetto basso) is a woodwind musical instrument, a bass variety of the clarinet that appeared in the second quarter of the 19th century. The range of the bass clarinet is from D (large octave D; on some models, the range is extended down to B1 - the B-flat contra-octave) to b1 (the B-flat of the first octave). Theoretically, it is possible to extract higher sounds, but they are not used.

Basset horn is a woodwind musical instrument, a kind of clarinet. The basset horn has the same arrangement as the normal clarinet, however great length, which is why it sounds lower. For compactness, the basset horn tube is slightly curved at the mouthpiece and at the bell. In addition, the instrument is equipped with several additional valves that extend its range down to the C note (as it is written). Basset horn tone

Basic information, history The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument from the family of whistling wind instruments, such as the flute, ocarina. The recorder is a type of longitudinal flute. The recorder has been known in Europe since the 11th century. It was widespread in the XVI-XVIII centuries. Used as a solo instrument, in ensembles and orchestras. A. Vivaldi, G. F. Telemann, G. F.

Key information Brelka is a Russian folk woodwind musical instrument that existed in the past in the pastoral environment, and now occasionally appears on concert venues in the hands of musicians of folklore ensembles. The key fob has a strong sound of a very bright and light timbre. The keychain is essentially nothing more than an ancient version of the oboe, however, compared to the shepherd's pity,

Basic information Whistle is a woodwind musical instrument, a Celtic folk pipe. Whistles are made, as a rule, from tin, but there are also wooden, plastic and even silver versions of the instruments. Whistle is very popular not only in Ireland, but throughout Europe. Most whistles, however, are made in England and Ireland, and are the most popular among whistlers. Whistles exist

Oboe is a soprano register woodwind musical instrument, which is a conical tube with a valve system and a double reed (tongue). The instrument has a melodious, but somewhat nasal, and in the upper register - a sharp timbre. Instruments that are considered the direct predecessors of the modern oboe have been known since antiquity and have been preserved in their original form in different cultures. Folk instruments such

Basic information The oboe d'amore is a woodwind musical instrument, very similar to an ordinary oboe. The oboe d'amore is slightly larger than the regular oboe and, in comparison, produces a less assertive and softer and calmer sound. In the oboe family, it is set as a mezzo-soprano or alto. The range is from salt of a small octave to re of the third octave. oboe d'amour

Basic information, origin Di (hengchui, handi - transverse flute) is an ancient Chinese woodwind musical instrument. Di is one of the most common wind instruments in China. It was supposedly brought from Central Asia between 140 and 87 BC. BC. However, during recent archaeological excavations, bone transverse flutes of about

Basic information The didjeridoo is the oldest woodwind musical instrument of the aboriginal peoples of northern Australia. One of the most ancient musical instruments on Earth. The didgeridoo is the European-American name for Australia's oldest musical instrument. In northern Australia, where the didgeridoo originated, it is called yidaki. The didgeridoo is unique in that it usually sounds on one note (the so-called

Basic information Dudka is a folk wind wooden musical instrument, consisting of a wooden (usually elderberry) reed or reed and having several side holes, and a mouthpiece for blowing. There are double pipes: two folded pipes are blown through one common mouthpiece. In Ukraine, the name sopilka (snot) has survived to this day, which is rare in Russia, in Belarus it

Basic information Duduk (tsiranapokh) - a woodwind musical instrument, is a pipe with 9 playing holes and a double reed. Distributed among the peoples of the Caucasus. Most popular in Armenia, as well as among Armenians living outside of it. The traditional name of the Armenian duduk is tsiranapokh, which can literally be translated as “apricot pipe” or “soul of an apricot tree”. Music

Basic information Zhaleika is an old Russian folk wind wooden musical instrument - a wooden, reed or cattail tube with a bell made of horn or birch bark. Zhaleika is also known as zhalomeika. Origin, history of zhaleyka The word "zhaleyka" is not found in any ancient Russian written monument. The first mention of a zhaleyka is in the notes of A. Tuchkov dating back to the end of the 18th century.

Basic information Zurna is an ancient woodwind musical instrument common among the peoples of Transcaucasia and Central Asia. A zurna is a wooden tube with a socket and several (usually 8-9) holes, one of which is on the opposite side. The range of the zurna is about one and a half octaves of the diatonic or chromatic scale. The timbre of the zurna is bright and piercing. Zurna is in close proximity

Basic information Kaval is a shepherd's woodwind musical instrument. The kaval is a longitudinal flute with a long wooden barrel and 6-8 playing holes. At the lower end of the barrel there can be up to 3-4 more holes for tuning and resonating. The kavala scale is diatonic. The length of the kaval reaches 50-70 cm. The kaval is widespread in Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania, Macedonia, Serbia,

Basic information, device Kamyl is an Adyghe wind wooden musical instrument, a traditional Adyghe (Circassian) flute. Kamyl is a longitudinal flute made from a metal tube (most often from a gun barrel). There are 3 play holes at the bottom of the tube. It is possible that the instrument was originally made of reed (as the name indicates). The length of the reed is about 70 cm.

Basic information Kena (Spanish quena) - woodwind musical instrument - longitudinal flute used in music Andean region Latin America. The kena is usually made of reed and has six upper and one lower playing holes. Typically, kena is done in G (G) tuning. The quenacho flute is a lower pitched variant of the quena, in D (D) tuning.

Basic information The clarinet is a woodwind musical instrument with a single reed. The clarinet was invented around 1700 in Nuremberg, and has been actively used in music since the second half of the 18th century. It is used in a wide variety of musical genres and compositions: as a solo instrument, in chamber ensembles, symphony and brass bands, folk music, on the stage and in jazz. Clarinet

Basic information Clarinet d'amour (Italian: clarinetto d'amore) is a woodwind musical instrument. Device Like the species instrument, the d'amore clarinet had a single reed and a cylindrical tube, but the width of this tube was less than that of a conventional clarinet, the sound holes were also narrower. In addition, the part of the tube to which the mouthpiece was attached was slightly curved for compactness - the body

Basic information Kolyuk - a woodwind musical instrument - an ancient Russian variety of a longitudinal overtone flute without playing holes. For the manufacture of thorns, dried stems of umbrella plants are used - hogweed, shepherd's pipe and others. The role of a whistle or beep is played by the tongue. The height of the sound is achieved by overblowing. To change the sound, the bottom hole of the tube is also used, which is clamped with a finger or

Basic information Contrabassoon is a woodwind musical instrument, a kind of bassoon. The contrabassoon is an instrument of the same type and device as the bassoon, but with a twice as large column of air contained in it, which makes it sound an octave lower than the bassoon. The contrabassoon is the lowest sounding instrument of the woodwind group and performs a contrabass voice in it. Names of the contrabassoon

Basic information Kugikly (kuvikly) is a woodwind musical instrument, a Russian variety of the multi-barreled Pan flute. Kugicle device Kugicles are a set of hollow tubes of various lengths and diameters with an open upper end and a closed lower one. This tool was usually made of kugi (reed), reed, bamboo, etc. stems, the trunk knot served as the bottom. Nowadays, plastic, ebonite

Basic information Kurai is a national Bashkir woodwind musical instrument similar to a flute. The popularity of kurai is associated with its timbre richness. The sound of kurai is poetic and epicly sublime, the timbre is soft, accompanied by a throaty bourdon sound when played. The main and traditional feature of playing kurai is the ability to play with a chest voice. A light whistle is forgiven only for novice performers. The professionals play the melody

Basic Information Mabu is a traditional woodwind musical instrument of the Solomon Islanders. Mabu represents wooden pipe with a socket, hollowed out from a piece of a tree trunk. A half of a coconut was attached to the upper end, in which a game hole was made. Large specimens of mabu could reach up to a meter in length with a mouth width of about 15 cm and a wall thickness of about

Basic information Mabu (mapu) is a traditional Tibetan woodwind musical instrument. Translated from the nose, “ma” means “bamboo”, and “bu” means “pipe”, “reed flute”. Mabu has a bamboo stem with a single scoring tongue. There are 8 playing holes made in the flute barrel, 7 upper ones, one lower one. At the end of the trunk is a small horn socket. Mabu is also sometimes made

Basic information, characteristics Small clarinet (clarinet-piccolo) is a woodwind musical instrument, a kind of clarinet. The small clarinet has the same structure as the regular clarinet, but is smaller in size, which is why it sounds in a higher register. The timbre of the small clarinet is harsh, somewhat noisy, especially in the upper register. Like most other instruments of the clarinet family, the small clarinet is transposing and is used

Basic information, device Nay - Moldavian, Romanian and Ukrainian woodwind musical instrument - a longitudinal multi-barreled flute. Nai consists of 8-24 tubes of different lengths, reinforced in an arched leather clip. The length of the tube determines the pitch of the sound. Sound row diatonic. On the nai, folk melodies of various genres are performed - from doina to dance motifs. The most famous Moldovan naists:

Basic information Ocarina is an ancient woodwind musical instrument, a clay whistle flute. The name "ocarina" in Italian means "gosling". The ocarina is a small egg-shaped chamber with four to thirteen finger holes. The ocarina is usually made in ceramic, but is sometimes also made of plastic, wood, glass or metal. By

Basic information Pinquillo (pingulo) - an ancient woodwind musical instrument of the Quechua Indians, a reed transverse flute. Pinkillo is common among the Indian population of Peru, Bolivia, Northern Argentina, Chile, Ecuador. The Pinkillo is the ancestor of the Peruvian quena. Pinkillo is made from cane, traditionally cut "at dawn, away from prying eyes." It has 5-6 side playing holes. Pingulo length 30-32 cm. Pingulo range approx.

Basic information, application A transverse flute (or just a flute) is a woodwind musical instrument of the soprano register. Names of the transverse flute on different languages: flauto (Italian); flatus (Latin); flute (French); flute (English); float (German). The flute is available in a wide variety of performance techniques; it is often entrusted with an orchestral solo. The transverse flute is used in symphony and brass bands, and also, along with the clarinet,

Basic information Russian horn is a woodwind musical instrument. Russian horn has different names: in addition to "Russian" - "shepherd", "song", "Vladimir". The name "Vladimir" horn was acquired relatively recently, at the end of the 19th century, as a result of the success that the performances of the horn choir conducted by Nikolai Vasilyevich Kondratyev from the Vladimir region had. Horn tunes are divided into 4 genre varieties: signal, song,

Basic information Saxophone (Sax - the name of the inventor, phone - sound) is a woodwind musical instrument, belonging to the wood family according to the principle of sound production, despite the fact that it is never made of wood. The family of saxophones was designed in 1842 by the Belgian musical master Adolf Sax and patented by him four years later. Adolf Sachs named his first constructed instrument

Basic information Svirel is an ancient Russian woodwind musical instrument of the longitudinal flat type. Origin, history of the flute The Russian flute has not yet been sufficiently studied. Experts have long been trying to correlate existing whistle instruments with ancient Russian names. Chroniclers most often use three names for instruments of this type - a flute, a sniff, and a forearm. According to legend, the son of the Slavic goddess of love Lada played the flute

Basic information Suling is an Indonesian woodwind musical instrument, a longitudinal whistle flute. The suling consists of a bamboo cylindrical trunk, about 85 cm long and equipped with 3-6 playing holes. The suling sound is very gentle. Usually sad melodies are played on this instrument. The suling is used both solo and as an orchestral instrument. Video: Sulingna video + sound Thanks to these videos you

Basic information, device, application Shakuhachi is a woodwind musical instrument, a longitudinal bamboo flute that came to Japan from China during the Nara period. The Chinese name for the shakuhachi flute is chi-ba. Standard length shakuhachi flutes - 1.8 Japanese feet (which is 54.5 cm). This determined the very Japanese name of the instrument, since "shaku" means "foot", and "hachi" means "eight".

Basic information Tilinka (calf) is a Moldavian, Romanian and Ukrainian folk woodwind musical instrument, which is an open pipe without playing holes. Tilinka is common in rural life, most often used by peoples living near the Carpathian Mountains. The sound of the tilinka depends on how much the musician closes the open end of the tube with his finger. The transition between notes is carried out by overblowing and closing / opening of the opposite

Woodwinds

Flute

Flute(from German - fleet), a woodwind musical instrument, in its method of sound extraction is the most primitive of the wind instruments. Numerous varieties of the flute, starting with the simplest whistles, have been known since antiquity. That is, on the other hand, the modern flute is one of the varieties of whistles, only very complicated, equipped with valves, levers and made of metal.

Spread across Europe in the 17th century longitudinal flute(now it would be called recorder, although it was a slightly different instrument) was supplanted by the transverse, which in the 18th century became not only a solo and ensemble instrument, but also a permanent member of the orchestra. The modern type of transverse flute was invented by the German master Böhm in the twenties of the 19th century, the flute received greater fluency, the sound became more piercing, brighter and very effective. This was necessary for the orchestra - just at that time there was an increase in its composition, an increase in sonority.

Of course, it was impossible to do without losses - the charm of chamber sounding, baroque softness and intimacy was lost in this instrument. The following types of flutes currently exist: small(or piccolo), alto(flauto alto) and bass flute(flauto basso) - the latter is very rare, is found only in a few orchestras and, as a result, is rarely used in works (for lovers of large flutes - http://www.contrabass.com/pages/flutes.html). More distant relatives of the flute are extremely numerous - ranging from pan flutes(I immediately recall the leittema from the movie "Once Upon a Time in America") and ending with a kind of mutant - jazz flute with a backstage (like a trombone, i.e. with the possibility of glissando).

Flute by the nature of sound - cheerful and fun tool, however, she can also portray bright sadness (" Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun"Debussy) and unrestrained melancholy (the finale of the 4th symphony of Brahms) and fantastic moments (there are many examples in" magic arrow"Weber)

In a modern orchestra, there are usually 2 flutes + piccolo, however, in large compositions, their composition can be significantly increased (up to 4 flutes, 2 piccolo and alto flute - Kancheli's 6th symphony)

Large collection of related links

Would you like flute notes?

Oboe

Uh ... this is a separate conversation

Would you like notes for oboe?

Clarinet

Clarinet(from French clarinette, in turn derived from lat. clarus- clear sound), woodwind reed musical instrument. Designed at the beginning of the 18th century.

Haydn and the composers of the Mingham school introduced him to the orchestra, and as soon as he appeared among the brass, all composers recognized his undeniable value. As you know, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart re-instrumented his late symphonies (including the most famous - No. 40) by adding clarinets to the wind group (and gave them almost all the solo, by the way).

The clarinet has perhaps the largest range of expressive means. In Scriabin's early symphonies, for example, this is a soulful cantilena, expression fanned with bliss and purity. In Shostakovich's symphonies (as, for example, in the development of the 8th), these are sarcastic antics, malicious squeals. In Richard Strauss (in " Thiel Ulenspiegele") - colorful laughter. It is perfect for all sorts of figurations and unobtrusive accompaniments (so loved by Gustav Mahler). An excellent example of meditative lyrics can be found in Silvestrov's 5th symphony.

In modern practice, soprano clarinets are common, piccolo clarinet (Italian piccolo) - in A or in Es, alto (so-called basset horn), bass - a colorful member of the clarinet family, the lower notes of which are an excellent bass for any ensemble (for me personally, I immediately remember the middle of the 1st part " Symphonic dances"Rachmaninoff (listen at Real Audio) where he creates a velvety backdrop as he descends to the lowest notes).

Clarinet Resources:
http://www.selmer.com/clarinet/discus/index.html
http://cctr.umkc.edu/user/etishkoff/clarinet.html
Clarinet - Yahoo links

Saxophone

Bassoon

Bassoon(from Italian fagotto, literally - knot, bunch) woodwind musical instrument. Originated in the 1st half of the 16th century. It has the largest range of all woodwinds (more than 3 octaves). I must say that in general, as a rule, low instruments have a large range due to the fact that their overtones are not so high, and therefore they are not so difficult to extract. Bassoonists sit in the second row of the brass group, next to the clarinets, usually 2 bassoons are used in the orchestra.

For large compositions, it is common and contrabassoon- the only widespread type of bassoon. This is the lowest instrument of the orchestra (not counting the exotic contrabass clarinets and saxophones or the organ - a non-permanent member of the orchestra). He can take notes a fourth below the double bass and a second below the harp. Only a concert grand piano can be "proud" - its lowest note, la subcontroctaves - this is a record. True, as in a hundred meters - for a fraction of a second, and musically - on half tone .

However, perhaps I was too carried away by orchestral records. In terms of sound capabilities, the bassoon is in last place among wind instruments - the fluency is average, the dynamic capabilities are average, the range of images used is also small. Basically, these are either angry or persistent phrases with a typically slow attack of sound (the most typical example is the image of a grandfather from " Petit and the wolf"Prokofiev), or mournful intonations, most often in a high register (as, for example, in the side part of the reprise of the 1st part of the 7th symphony by Shostakovich - it is better known as" Leningradskaya"). A common thing for a group of bassoons is the duplication of string basses (i.e. cellos and double basses), this gives the melodic line a greater density, coherence.

Of the combinations of instruments, the most characteristic are - bassoon + clarinet(Start " Romeo and Juliet"Tchaikovsky - chorale of 4 instruments), bassoon + horn(This was especially popular in those days when there were only 2 horns in the orchestra - classical harmony requires four voices, and this combination is perceived as a completely homogeneous sound). Naturally, other combinations are not excluded - each " mix" is useful and usable in a certain place.

(generic instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon)

The group of woodwind instruments is very heterogeneous in its timbre and technical capabilities. Possessing much less flexibility, less mobility, more limited possibilities in the field of nuance than string instruments, the woodwind group plays a much smaller role in the orchestra than bowed instruments. Starting from the first quarter of the 19th century, the importance of this group of instruments increased, and orchestral literature was enriched with a number of expressive solos and episodes for woodwinds. From about the same time, the so-called species woodwind instruments systematically appeared in the orchestra (see the table of the orchestra, chapter 2 (Possibly a typo, the table of orchestra compositions with species instruments is in chapter III - Musstudent)).

The timbre of each of the woodwind instruments is very uneven. Throughout the entire range (scale) of each of the woodwind instruments, three “register timbres” can be (conditionally) distinguished. This circumstance has allowed many composers to subtly use the various timbre possibilities of each of these instruments, mixing two, three or more instruments in various combinations of timbres, various occasions comparisons, etc. Pointing out these features of woodwinds, N. A.

Rimsky-Korsakov ("Fundamentals of Orchestration") notes that each of these instruments has its own area of "expressive playing", in which this instrument is most capable of shades, changing dynamics, fine nuances, etc. This area lies mainly in range of the middle register of the instrument. Outside the "realm of expressive playing" he can only provide the orchestrator with timbre colors, with more limited dynamic shades.

The sounding body - the vibrator - in wind instruments is the air that fills the body of this instrument. Under the influence of a special (exciter (sound generator)), the column of air enclosed in the instrument begins to oscillate periodically, creating a musical sound of a certain height. tool depends on:

1. forms of the volume of air enclosed in the instruments, which are given different kind;

2. on the type of sound generator;

3. and partly from the material from which this tool is made.

All woodwind instruments consist of a wooden tube (grenadile or coconut wood) with holes drilled along the body of the instrument. Some of the holes are closed with valves. With all holes closed, the instrument produces the lowest sound - the fundamental tone of its range due to the fact that in this moment vibrates ("sounds") the entire column of air enclosed in the instrument. With the gradual opening of the holes, the column of air enclosed in the instrument is shortened, and we obtain, using well-known fingering, a complete chromatic scale within an octave (for example, for a flute) or within a duodecime (for clarinets).

To obtain higher sounds, within two, three or more octaves, the “blowing” technique is used.

The pitch of the instrument's fundamental tone is determined by the length of the tube, that is, the longer the tube, the lower the sound of the instrument. Air blowing can be done strongly and weakly. If you blow air strongly, then the air column enclosed in the instrument comes into significant oscillation and breaks up into two, and with even stronger blowing into three or more parts, which is why the main sound rises by an octave interval (at the first blow), duodecimes ( at the second blow), etc., according to the natural scale. Thus, the full volume of the tool is obtained.

Woodwind sound generators are divided into two main types:

1. Labial ("labial").

2. Lingual ("reed").

In instruments with a labial sound generator (flute), the sound is obtained from the friction of a jet of air against tense lips and the edges of a hole drilled in the head of the instrument. Thus, flute instruments do not have any additional "beep" for the formation of sound. Sound production in this case is exactly like the sound produced by whistling into a drilled door key.

Reed sounders are built, basically, like a children's toy, a squeaker made from an acacia pod.

When two elastic plates are not quite close to each other, a stream of air rushes into a narrow gap with force, causing the sharp edges of the plates to oscillate. This is how a sound-forming device called a “reed” is built (from a special type of reed from which woodwind reeds are made). For oboe and bassoon, a double reed is used, consisting of two plates; in the clarinet, one reed plate is attached to the sharply beveled edge of the instrument's head. The principle of sound formation here remains the same.

The high sound of the beeper vibrates the column of air in the instrument and causes the latter to oscillate and produce a musical sound.

A wind instrument can only play one sound at a time. In the future, when getting acquainted with wind instruments, students will have to meet the concept of the so-called "transposing instruments" more than once. For a variety of technical reasons and in connection with some historical background, some of the instruments are read lower or higher by a certain interval, compared with its recording on the staff. The volume of the textbook does not allow us to talk in detail about the circumstances that force us to this day to use the method of recording some instruments, which is so inconvenient for a novice instrumentalist. But the student of instrumentation should, from the very first lessons, learn how to transpose fluently into piano. parts of such instruments.

Flute (Flauto); volume

The performer holds the instrument in a horizontal position. The flute is a very mobile instrument, allowing you to write fast scale sequences, wide jumps, arpeggios, trills and other passages for it. The timbre of the flute is light (especially in the middle), somewhat dull, cold and weak in the lower register, bright and somewhat sharp, “whistling” in the upper register. The middle and upper registers of the flute have been constantly used by all orchestral composers since long time ago. The lower case, with rare exceptions, has not been used for a long time. But, starting (approximately) with J. Bizet (1833-1875), a number of French composers (Delibes, 1836-1891), (Massene, 1842-1912), followed by many later composers, both French and outstanding orchestrators among Russian and German authors write a number of interesting flute solos in a low register. On the flute, a special effect is possible, achieved by double hitting the tongue (quick interruption of the sound - staccato).

Small flute (Flauto piccolo). Volume:

It is written an octave below the actual sonority. Used in the orchestra mainly as additional tool, increasing the volume of the grand flute in the upper register, or for doubling the part of the grand flute in an octave (for example: in the big "tutti"). The small flute has a sharp and strong sound. In Russian and Western orchestral literature there are a number of solos for the piccolo flute.

The alto flute, sounding a fourth or a fifth lower than the grand flute, began to appear in the orchestra relatively recently and is not yet widely used.

Oboe (Oboe), volume: The performer holds the instrument at an angle down. The oboe is less mobile than the flute, and cantilena (singing) melodies are more inherent in it. Nevertheless, short passages, trills, arpeggios at a fairly mobile pace are quite accessible to him.

The timbre of the oboe in the lower register is somewhat sharp, the middle register is soft, light, and the upper register is sharp. The timbre of the oboe is characterized by some nasality, reminiscent of the sounds of a shepherd's horn. It is these timbre features of the oboe that composers often use when depicting pictures of nature, shepherd tunes, etc.

English horn (Corno inglese), volume:

sounds a fifth below the notated sounds. The English horn is played by a second oboist or a special performer (with a trio of two oboes and an English horn). The timbre of the English horn is even more condensed and nasal than that of the oboe. Its sound is reminiscent of the timbre of some oriental wind instruments.

The English horn became widespread among Russian composers, starting with Glinka, who often resorted to the specific timbre of this instrument to depict oriental flavor.

Clarinet (clarinetto), volume:

tool. The clarinet has great beauty of timbre and considerable flexibility in nuance. On the clarinet, arpeggios, scales, trills and a wide variety of passages in a very mobile theme sound excellent. The middle register of the clarinet is soft and juicy; the lower one is somewhat deaf, gloomy; upper - piercingly sharp. The clarinet began to be used in the orchestra relatively recently. His invention dates back to around 1700. Only in the second half of the 18th century did the clarinet become a permanent member of the orchestra. Haydn and Mozart used it with great care (some works of these composers are instrumented without clarinets), and only since the time of Weber, the clarinet began to occupy almost one of the main places in the family of wind instruments.

Due to the special arrangement of the valves, it is inconvenient to play pieces with a large number of characters on the clarinet. To avoid this inconvenience, modern orchestras use two scales of clarinets: for sharp keys, the clarinet is in scale A, and for flat keys, it is in scale B. Thus, the clarinet is a transposing instrument.

Melody

on the clarinet in A-string it will sound:

and on the clarinet in the B scale it will sound:

When modulating in a piece in the clarinet part, several pauses are given to change the order (change the clarinet). (It is written in the part: “muta A in B”, i.e. replace clarinet A with clarinet B.)

Bass clarinet (Clarinetto basso), a transposing instrument. Somewhat less mobile than the clarinet. Used in tunings A and B (the latter more often).

To make playing it easier, its part is written in the treble clef.

Volume by letter:

Sounds like:

The timbre of the bass clarinet is gloomy, gloomy; the sound is strong.

Small clarinets (Clarinetti piccoli), starting with Berlioz, are sometimes introduced into the symphony orchestra. The timbre of the small clarinet is sharp, piercing. Used in D and Es tunings.

Bassoon (Fagotto), volume:

playing with a curved metal tube. The bassoon part is written in bass and tenor clefs.

The lower and middle registers are the most beautiful and common. Higher sounds are somewhat dull. The bassoon can play fairly fast passages, especially arpeggios. Jumps for almost any interval, trills, staccato technique, etc. are very common.

Counter-bassoon (Contrafagotto), volume:

It sounds an octave below the notated sounds. A very bulky instrument, little mobile, with a powerful sound. It is used in some cases to double the bassoon part in an octave in large orchestras (in large tutti), to strengthen the bass group, etc.

In addition to the main and most commonly used visual instruments of the woodwind group considered here (in the scores of ancient composers and newer and our contemporaries - Western and Russian composers), a number of instruments have found and are being used, either completely not used in modern musical practice, or not who have found a place that is quite strong in the orchestral score. These instruments include the old basset horn, oboe d "amour, or, for example, saxophones, haeckelphone, etc. The task of our short course is not to consider these rare members of a symphony orchestra.

The woodwind group in its main composition, just like the string group, gives a complete harmonic complex: flutes play the role of a soprano voice, oboes - alto, clarinets - tenor, bassoons - bass.

This is how the “quartet” of woodwinds will sound, if the instruments are arranged according to their nominal height:

But, as will be seen from the following, any of the instruments of the wind group can play the role of a soprano voice, and the rest of the accompaniment.

Species instruments (piccolo flute, cor anglais, bass and piccolo clarinets, counter-bassoon) serve mainly for special effects, to enhance the group of wood and to increase the volume (basic scale) of generic instruments.

In the time of the Viennese classics, the woodwind group was only being established in its double composition; but often these composers used an incomplete pair composition, releasing the part of the 2nd flute in the score, then not using clarinets at all, etc.

The parts of each pair of the main instruments of the woodwind group are usually written on one line (one staff) and only occasionally on two, using the following conventions. When both instruments are played in unison, they write on top: "a2", which means - together. If two instruments play different parts, their notes are written with stems in different directions. The indications "1 solo", "2 solo" indicates the solo performance of this place by one of the two instruments

A list of them will be given in this article. It also contains information about the types of wind instruments and the principle of extracting sound from them.

wind instruments

These are pipes that can be made of wood, metal or any other material. They have a different shape and produce musical sounds of different timbre, which are extracted through the air flow. The timbre of the "voice" of a wind instrument depends on its size. The larger it is, the more air passes through it, from which the frequency of its oscillation is lower, and the sound produced is low.

There are two ways to change the type emitted by the instrument:

adjusting the air volume with fingers, using the wings, valves, gates, and so on, depending on the type of instrument;
an increase in the force of blowing the air column into the pipe.

The sound is completely dependent on the flow of air, hence the name - wind instruments. A list of them will be given below.

Varieties of wind instruments

There are two main types - copper and wood. Initially, they were classified in this way, depending on what material they were made from. Now in more the type of instrument depends on the way in which the sound is extracted from it. For example, the flute is considered a woodwind instrument. At the same time, it can be made of wood, metal or glass. The saxophone is always produced only in metal, but belongs to the class of woodwinds. brass instruments can be made of various metals: copper, silver, brass and so on. There is a special variety - keyboard wind instruments. Their list is not so great. These include harmonium, organ, accordion, melody, button accordion. Air enters them thanks to special furs.

What instruments are wind instruments

Let's list the wind instruments. Their list is as follows:

pipe;
clarinet;
trombone;
accordion;
flute;
saxophone;
organ;
zurna;
oboe;
harmonium;
balaban;
accordion;
French horn;
bassoon;
tuba;
bagpipes;
duduk;
harmonica;
Macedonian guide;
shakuhachi;
ocarina;
serpent;
horn;
helicon;
didgeridoo;
kurai;
trembita.

There are other similar tools that can be mentioned.

Brass

Wind brass musical instruments, as mentioned above, are made of various metals, although in the Middle Ages there were those that were made of wood. Sound is extracted from them by amplifying or weakening the blown air, as well as by changing the position of the musician's lips. Initially, brass wind instruments were reproduced only in the 30s of the 19th century, valves appeared on them. This allowed such instruments to reproduce the chromatic scale. The trombone has a retractable rocker for this purpose.

Brass instruments (list):

pipe;
trombone;
French horn;
tuba;
serpent;
helicon.

Woodwinds

Musical instruments of this type were originally made exclusively from wood. To date, this material is practically not used for their production. The name reflects the principle of sound extraction - there is a wooden cane inside the tube. These musical instruments are equipped with holes on the body, located at a strictly defined distance from each other. The musician, while playing, opens and closes them with his fingers. This results in a certain sound. Woodwind instruments sound like this. The names (list) included in this group are as follows:

clarinet;
zurna;
oboe;
balaban;
flute;
bassoon.

reed musical instruments

There is another type of wind - reed. They sound thanks to a flexible vibrating plate (tongue) located inside. Sound is extracted by exposing it to air, or by pulling and pinching. On this basis, you can make a separate list of tools. Wind reeds are divided into several types. They are classified according to the way the sound is extracted. It depends on the type of reed, which can be metallic (as in organ pipes, for example), free-jumping (as in jew's harp and harmonicas), or striking or reed, as in reed woodwinds.

List of tools of this type:

harmonica;
jew's harp;
clarinet;
accordion;
bassoon;
saxophone;
kalimba;
harmonic;
oboe;
hulus.

Wind instruments with a freely slipping tongue include: button accordion, labial. In them, air is blown by blowing through the musician's mouth, or with bellows. The airflow causes the reeds to vibrate and thus the sound is extracted from the instrument. The jew's harp also belongs to this type. But his tongue oscillates not under the influence of the air column, but with the help of the hands of the musician, by pinching and pulling it. Oboe, bassoon, saxophone and clarinet are of a different type. In them, the tongue is beating, and it is called a cane. The musician blows air into the instrument. As a result of this, the tongue vibrates and sound is extracted.

Where are wind instruments used?

Wind instruments, the list of which was presented in this article, are used in orchestras of various composition. For example: military, brass, symphonic, pop, jazz. And also occasionally they can perform as part of a chamber ensemble. Very rarely they are soloists.

Flute

This is the list related to this was given above.

The flute is one of the oldest musical instruments. It does not use a reed like other woodwinds. Here the air is cut against the edge of the instrument itself, due to which the sound is formed. There are several types of flutes.

Syringa - a single-barreled or multi-barreled instrument of Ancient Greece. Its name comes from the name of the bird's voice organ. The multi-barreled syringa later became known as the Pan flute. Peasants and shepherds played this instrument in ancient times. In ancient Rome, the syringa accompanied performances on stage.

The recorder is a wooden instrument belonging to the whistle family. Close to it is the flute, flute and whistle. Its difference from other woodwinds is that on its back there is an octave valve, that is, a hole for closing with a finger, on which the height of other sounds depends. They are removed by blowing in air and closing the 7 holes on the front side with the fingers of the musician. This type of flute was most popular between the 16th and 18th centuries. Its timbre is soft, melodious, warm, but at the same time its possibilities are limited. Such great composers as Antonia Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel and others used the recorder in many of their works. The sound of this instrument is weak, and gradually its popularity has declined. This happened after the transverse flute appeared, which is by far the most used. Nowadays, the recorder is used mainly as a teaching instrument. Beginning flutists first master it, only then they move on to the longitudinal one.

The piccolo flute is a kind of transverse flute. She has the highest timbre of all wind instruments. Its sound is whistling and piercing. Piccolo is two times shorter than usual. Her range is from “re” second to “do” fifth.

Other types of flutes: transverse, panflute, di, Irish, kena, pipe, pyzhatka, whistle, ocarina.

Trombone

This is a brass wind instrument (a list of members of this family was presented in this article above). The word "trombone" is translated from Italian as "big trumpet". It has existed since the 15th century. The trombone differs from other instruments of this group in that it has a backstage - a tube with which the musician extracts sounds by changing the volume of air flow inside the instrument. There are several varieties of trombone: tenor (the most common), bass and alto (less commonly used), contrabass and soprano (practically not used).

Hulus

This is a Chinese reed wind instrument with additional pipes. Its other name is bilandao. He has three or four pipes in total - one main (melodic) and several bourdon (low-sounding). The sound of this instrument is soft, melodic. Most often, hulus are used for solo performance, very rarely - in an ensemble. Traditionally, this instrument was played by men, declaring their love to a woman.