1. Learning the Mystery Behind the
History of Your Instruments!
Created By:
Mrs. Benoit

2. Welcome to Beginning Band!
Now that you have joined band, you might be
wondering more about your new instrument. This
presentation is designed to teach you a brief history
about the woodwind instruments that make up our
beginning band class!

3. The Woodwind Section!
 There are 3 different instruments that make
up the Woodwind Section of our band:
 Flute
 Clarinet
 Alto Saxophone

4. The Flute!
 “Except for percussion, the
flute is arguably the oldest
musical instrument known,
and ancient examples have
been found all over the
world…”(Wade-Matthews,
2002, p.144).
 The earliest flutes were
originally made of bones!
 While some flutes were
made using bones, most
early flutes were made from
wood and had open holes
(Similar to the recorder)

5. The Flute!
 The flute first appeared in
the Symphony Orchestra in
1681, but it wasn’t until
1702 that the very first solo
piece for flute was
composed! (Wade-Matthews,
2002, p.146).
THE FACTS!
1) Pitched in C (Concert Key)
2) Reads TREBLE clef
3) Produces sound by blowing
air across the tone hole
4) Looks easy to play, but can
be tricky to learn!
5) Can play a wide range of
notes using the pinky keys

6. Relatives Of The Flute!
PICCOLO
-The SMALLEST and HIGHEST sounding flute
-Used in marching bands (You will have the
opportunity to try this instrument in High School
Marching Band!)
BASS FLUTE
-The BIGGEST and LOWEST
sounding Flute
-Takes much more air to play
-Mostly used in Flute quartets
and Flute only ensembles

7. The Clarinet!
 Early clarinets were made of
boxwood and appeared around the
1700’s. In fact, the very first clarinets
had only six finger holes and two
keys! (Wade-Matthews, 2002, p.154).
 “The first clarinets were played with
a reed…tied to the mouthpiece with
twine…” (Wade-Matthews, 2002,
p.154).
 Likewise, early clarinet players
played with the reed against their top
lip (Wade-Matthews, 2002, p.154).
 The modern way of playing with the
reed against your lower lip was first
introduced by the Paris Conservatory
in 1831 (Wade-Matthews, 2002,
p.154).

8. The Clarinet!
 Until around 1750, the
clarinet was only used as a
solo instrument in the
orchestra. However, after
1750, the clarinet became
an official instrument
member of the symphony!
(Wade-Matthews, 2002,
p.154).
THE FACTS!
1) Pitched in B flat
2) Reads TREBLE clef
3) Uses a single-reed to produce
sound
4) One of the most common
instruments for beginners

9. Relatives Of The Clarinet!
E-FLAT CLARINET
-The SMALLEST and HIGHEST
sounding clarinet
- Uses a much smaller reed than
a B-Flat Clarinet
-Not a traditional woodwind
instrument found in concert
band
B-FLAT BASS CLARINET
-The BIGGEST and LOWEST sounding
Clarinet
-Uses a much larger reed than a B-
Flat Clarinet
-Used mainly in concert band
-Not commonly used as a marching
instrument

10. The Alto Saxophone!
 “The alto saxophone was
invented in 1846 by Adolphe
Sax as an attempt to
introduce a more powerful
group of instruments into
military bands…” (Wade-
Matthews, 2002, p.156).
 During the 1920’s, the
saxophone could be found
in many military bands.
However, it has since been
accepted as part of the
modern day symphony
orchestra (Wade-
Matthews, 2002, p.156).

11. The Alto Saxophone!
 The saxophone gained its
popularity through Jazz
Music. It has played a lead
role in Jazz bands beginning
in the 1930s (Wade-
Matthews, 2002, p.157).
 Two very well known Jazz
Saxophonists include: John
Coltrane and Charlie Parker
THE FACTS!
1) Pitched in E flat
2) Reads TREBLE clef
3) Uses a single-reed to produce
sound
4) Fingering is very similar to the
recorder

12. Relatives Of The Saxophone!
B-FLAT TENOR SAXOPHONE
-This is the Mid-size saxophone.
Bigger than an Alto, but smaller than
a Baritone Sax.
- Uses a larger reed than an alto
saxophone
-Traditional instrument found in
concert, jazz, and marching band
- Can be a marching instrument for a
concert band Bass Clarinet player
E-FLAT BARITONE
SAXOPHONE
-One of the LOWEST sounding
saxophones (The Lowest is the
Bass Saxophone).
- Uses a larger reed than a tenor
saxophone
-Commonly found in Jazz Bands
-Can be used for Marching Band

13. The Double Reeds!
 After the first year of learning your new woodwind
instrument, there is the possibility to learn one of
the following instruments.
 The main difference between these instruments and
the instruments that you just learned about is that
the next two instruments require the use of two
reeds and a great deal of skill to produce a quality
tone.

14. The Double Reed Section!
 There are 2 different instruments that make
up the Double Reed Woodwind Section of our
band:
 Oboe
 Bassoon

15. The Oboe!
 “It is not known who
actually invented the
oboe, but it was being
played in Paris by 1670 and
within ten years had spread
to other European cities”
(Wade-
Matthews, 2002, p.150).
 Due to the melancholy
sound of the oboe, it has
been a traditional
instrument found in the
symphony orchestra (Wade-
Matthews, 2002, p.150).
 Most oboe players learn to
make their own reeds using
cane wood.
THE FACTS!
1) Pitched in C (Concert Pitch)
2) Reads TREBLE clef
3) Uses a double-reed to produce
sound
4) Players sometimes complain of
pressure on their lower backs
when playing this instrument.
5) Fingering can be very complex!
6) Not a marching instrument.

16. The Bassoon!
 “Often described as the
clown of the orchestra, the
bassoon is the bass of the
woodwind section” (Wade-
Matthews, 2002, p.158).
 Because of the tone quality
of the instrument, the
bassoon is able to blend well
with other instruments.
 The earliest bassoon dates
back to the early 1600’s in
France! (Wade-Matthews,
2002, p.158).
THE FACTS!
1) Pitched in C (Concert Pitch)
2) Reads BASS clef
3) Uses a double-reed to produce
sound
4) This instrument requires a
stretched hand position, so
students with smaller hands
may have a more difficult time.
5) Not a marching instrument.

17. Time For Review!
HOW DO THE WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS MAKE SOUND?
FLUTE - Blow air OVER tone hole to produce sound.
CLARINET - Uses a single reed to produce a sound.
ALTO SAXOPHONE- Uses a single reed to produce a sound.
OBOE – Uses a double reed to produce a sound.
BASSOON- Uses a double reed to produce a sound.

18. Resources
CONTENT:
Wade-Matthews, M. (2002). The World Encyclopedia of Musical Instruments. London:
Hermes House.
IMAGES:
Adill113. "Saxophone 3," July 25, 2011 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web 5, July 2013.
AnEternalGoldenBraid. "In the Shadow of Your Heart," August 22, 2010 via Flickr, Creative Commons
Attribution. Web 5, July 2013.
Dooley, Kevin. "Charlie Parker," January 1, 2011 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web 5, July
2013.
Fogg, Andrew. "Clarinet 1," February 16, 2006 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web 5, July
2013.
Franganillo, Jorge. "Bassoon," July 7, 2008 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web 5, July 2013.
H, Jonathan. "Flute," May 18, 2010 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web 5, July 2013.
Hutchins, Charles. "Carla," January 16, 2010 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web 5, July
2013.
Infrogmation of New Orleans. "Society E-Flat," April 25, 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.
Web 5, July 2013.
Jala, Fred. "IMG_0044," June 9, 2005 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web 5, July 2013.

19. Resources Continued
IMAGES Continued:
Janssen, Michael. "Sheet Music," March 13, 2011 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web 5, July
2013.
Liu, John. "Learning to Play Music (21/365)," January 21, 2011 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.
Web 5, July 2013.
Newman, Ed. "Joe Temperly and Gary Smulyan," November 20, 2005 via Flickr, Creative Commons
Attribution. Web 5, July 2013.
Nunally, Robert. "Spirit Flutes, Deep Ellum Arts Festival," April 3, 2010 via Flickr, Creative Commons
Attribution. Web 5, July 2013.
Snodgrass, Steve. "Clarinet," October 21, 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web 5, July
2013.
Stracina, Peter. "Double_bass_clarinet," April 26, 2010 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web 5,
July 2013.
The United States Army Band. "IMG_6838," April 19, 2011 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web
5, July 2013.
Williamson, Keith. "Just a Handful of Clarinets," June 20, 2011 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.
Web 5, July 2013.
Woodleywonderworks. "Jazz Academy of Music Fall Concert," December 18, 2011 via Flickr, Creative
Commons Attribution. Web 5, July 2013.
Yonolatengo. "John Coltrane," March 10, 2013 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web 5, July 2013.
Zbyszynski, Henry. "The Piccolo is a Half-Size Flute," October 11, 2012 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution. Web
5, July 2013.
All other images found through ClipArt in the PowerPoint program.