| A wind instrument is a musical instrument
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| | reliable guide to its family type. A more
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| that contains some type of resonator
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| | accurate way to determine whether an
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| (usually a tube), in which a column of
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| | instrument is brass or woodwind is to
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| air is set into vibration by the player
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| | examine how the player produces sound. In
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| blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set
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| | brass instruments, the player's lips
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| at the end of the resonator. The pitch of
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| | vibrate, causing the air within the
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| the vibration is determined by the length
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| | instrument to vibrate. In woodwind
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| of the tube and by manual modifications
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| | instruments the player either: 1. causes
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| of the effective length of the vibrating
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| | a reed to vibrate, which agitates the
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| column of air.
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| | column of air (as in a clarinet or oboe),
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| Methods for obtaining different notes
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| | 2. blows against an edge or fipple (as in
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| Changing the length of the vibrating air
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| | a recorder), or 3. blows across the edge
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| column, by changing the effective length
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| | of an open hole (as in a flute).
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| of the tube through opening or closing
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| | For example, the saxophone, flute, and
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| holes in the side of the tube. This can
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| | metal clarinet are all typically made of
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| be done by covering the holes with
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| | brass, but are classified as woodwind
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| fingers or pressing a key which then
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| | instruments due to the method of
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| closes the hole. This method is used in
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| | vibrating the air column (except for the
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| nearly all woodwind instruments.
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| | flute these all use a reed).
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| Changing the length of the vibrating air
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| | On the other hand, the wooden cornett
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| column, by changing the length of the
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| | (not to be confused with the cornet,
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| tube, through engaging valves (see rotary
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| | which is made of brass) and the serpent
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| valve, piston valve) which route the air
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| | are both made of wood (or plastic tubing,
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| through additional tubing, thereby
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| | in the case of modern serpents), but
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| increasing overall tube length, thereby
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| | belong to the family of brass instruments
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| lowering the fundamental pitch. This
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| | because the vibrating is done by the
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| method is used on nearly all brass
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| | player's lips.
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| instruments.
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| | In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical
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| Changing the length of the vibrating air
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| | instrument classification, wind
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| column, by lengthening the tube using a
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| | instruments are classed as aerophones.
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| sliding mechanism. This method is used on
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| | Parts
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| the trombone and slide whistle.
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| | The bell of a wind instrument is the
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| Making the column of air vibrate at
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| | round, flared opening opposite the
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| different harmonics, without changing the
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| | mouthpiece. It is found on horns,
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| length of the column of air (see harmonic
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| | trumpets and many other kinds of
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| series).
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| | instruments. On brass instruments, the
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| Types of wind instruments
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| | acoustical coupling from the bore to the
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| Wind instruments fall into one of the
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| | outside air occurs at the bell for all
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| following categories:
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| | notes, and the shape of the bell
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| Brass instruments
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| | optimizes this coupling. On woodwinds,
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| Woodwind instruments
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| | most notes vent at the uppermost open
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| Although brass instruments were
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| | tone holes; only the lowest notes of each
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| originally made of brass and woodwind
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| | register vent fully or partly at the
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| instruments have traditionally been made
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| | bell, and the bell's function in this
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| of wood, the material used to make the
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| | case is to improve the consistency in
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| body of the instrument is not always a
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| | tone between these notes and the others.
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