Woodwinds

What it means

The woodwinds (German Holzbläser) include flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and their relatives, plus the saxophone. The name deceives, for the material does not decide: modern transverse flutes are made of metal, saxophones likewise, and both nevertheless belong. What matters is the manner of tone production and the construction with finger holes and keys. Three kinds of excitation are distinguished: the airstream broken at an edge with the flutes, the single reed with clarinet and saxophone, and the double reed with oboe and bassoon.

Musical use

In the orchestra the woodwinds form the layer between strings and brass and supply the greatest variety of colour, because every instrument sounds different — unlike the strings, whose sections blend into an overall sound. From this follows the usual treatment: woodwinds step forward as soloists, form pairs and small groups, or colour string lines. Their registers also differ strongly within themselves; with the clarinet, for instance, the low and the high register are distinctly different sound worlds. As a chamber-music scoring the wind quintet with flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon is best known, the horn, as a brass instrument, binding the sound.

Performance practice

For all woodwinds the following holds: breath control and embouchure are the basis, and long notes are the most important daily exercise. Reed instruments demand care and selection of reeds, flutes a stable lip and air guidance. Warm the instrument up before tuning, because the pitch rises with the temperature of the air column; in the group one tunes to a shared reference note, usually that of the oboe. Watch pads and airtightness, since most response problems have mechanical causes. Plan breathing places musically and write them in the score.

Bear in mind that the instruments react differently to temperature: flutes rise markedly when warming up, reed instruments less strongly, which is why a group has to retune after a longer pause. Settle a shared procedure. In the group the balance between the colours is the main task; oboe and piccolo assert themselves easily, clarinet and bassoon need room. Agree articulation expressly, since tongue stroke and response sound different from instrument to instrument.