woodwind
A family of instruments that produce sound by splitting an airstream, using reeds or an embouchure hole.
In Depth
Woodwind instruments produce sound when air is directed across an edge (flute), through a single reed (clarinet, saxophone), or through a double reed (oboe, bassoon). Despite the name, not all woodwinds are made of wood — flutes are metal, saxophones are brass, and some clarinets are made of plastic.
The orchestral woodwind section typically includes flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons in pairs, with piccolo, cor anglais, bass clarinet, and contrabassoon as supplementary instruments. Woodwinds provide the orchestra's most varied palette of colours — from the flute's brightness to the bassoon's warmth. In concert bands and wind ensembles, woodwinds form the core of the ensemble, equivalent to the strings in an orchestra.
The saxophone is classified as a woodwind despite being made entirely of brass — the classification is based on sound production (single reed) rather than material.