The Woodwind Section Flashcards
Which instruments are included in the woodwind section of the orchestra? (6)
Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Oboe, English Horn (Cor Anglais), Bassoon.
What was the flute originally made of?
Bone or wood.
Name the two instruments held differently in the woodwind section, and how they’re held:
Flute and Piccolo.
Horizontally.
When playing a flute, you blow …. the mouthpiece.
Across
What are flutes made of (currently)?
Metal-nickel, silver, sometimes gold.
Piccolo means what in Italian?
Small.
True or false;
The piccolo is a standard orchestral instrument.
False;
It is not a standard orchestral instrument? But is used quite often.
Clarinet is a single/double reed instrument?
Single.
What happens to the reed because of the players breath?
The reed vibrates.
The clarinet is a …… instrument.
Transposing.
The clarinet is pitched in …. or …..
B flat or A.
By how much does a B flat clarinet transpose down?
A tone.
By how much does a clarinet in A transpose down?
A minor 3rd.
What are clarinets made out of?
Originally wood, but now can be made out of plastic too.
What is the clarinet sometimes called?
The liquorice stick.
What is a reed?
A flat piece of cane attached to the mouth piece with a metal band (ligature).
Is the oboe a transposing instrument?
Nope.
What’s special about the oboe’s reed?
It’s a double reed instrument.
Two reeds vibrate together
Which instrument does the orchestra tune to?
Oboe.
What is the oboe made out of?
Ebony or rosewood.
What is the Cor Anglais (English Horn) a larger version of, and how’s it pitched?
It is a larger version of the oboe and is pitched a 5th lower.
Is the Cor Anglais a standard instrument in the orchestra?
Nope.
But it’s used in certain works.
Name three differences between the Cor Anglias and the oboe.
- The Cor Anglais is longer than the oboe.
- The Cor Anglais has a pear shaped bell.
- The Cor Anglais has a curved reed.
What is the lowest of the woodwind instruments?
Bassoon.
What type of reed does the bassoon have?
Double reed.
Is the bassoon a transposing instrument?
Nope.
Name two double reed instruments.
Oboe and bassoon.
What does the Italian name for bassoon-fagotto mean?
Bundle of sticks.
What is the total length of a bassoon? (the tube is doubled back on itself)
More than 2.4m.
What has the bassoon been called?
The “clown of the orchestra.”
Which instrument is pitched an octave lower than the bassoon that is rarely found?
Contrabassoon.
