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History

Woodwinds first appeared in the Neolithic Period as bone whistles. A hollow reed with one end closed was found to produce sound. This was accomplished by blowing across the open end.

The most ancient musical instrument is a Syrinx or Pandean Pipes. It consists of a row of different lengths of hollow reeds.

The Greeks and Romans had many woodwind instruments known as auloi and tibiae. The term flute was used for all single and double-reeded instruments and those with whistle mouthpieces. They eventually became the woodwind family because the instruments were originally made of wood.

The development of the individual instruments is discussed in its section.

Description

A woodwind is defined as a tube or pipe through which the performer blows. A vibration is produced by the column of air or the reed. The pitch is determined by the length of the tube. Notes are produced by stopping the holes with the fingers or by keys. This changes the length of the tube.