Woodwinds and brasses generate music when air enters the instrument by blowing. This air vibrates inside the instrument in a particular frequency, thus producing sound. The kind of music depends on the method of tone production, the shape of the instrument, the length of the column of air in addition to the construction of the instrument. Flute, piccolo, clarinet, oboe, horn, mouth organ, saxophone, and bassoon are some of the winds instruments, while the French horn, tuba, trumpet, and trombone are brass instruments.

Each family in a band, like your own family, has a special function. The percussion is the heartbeat, the strings (in an orchestra) are the soul, and the brass instruments are the “swagger” of the band. The woodwind musical instruments are quite possibly the most diverse. They are the emotions of the band. The flute and piccolo make for highs and lows that can be either exhilarating or melancholy. The oboe sounds somewhat tender and the clarinet has the gritty sound. The saxophone is the musical instrument in the woodwind family that sets hearts ablaze. This is the softie, the crooner. Each of these musical instruments as well as the subsets of them provides the heart of a band.

The complete article is at: Musical Instrument