Learning the Mystery Behind the History of Your Instruments!

Created By:

Mrs. Benoit

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!

The Woodwind Section! There are 3 different instruments that

make up the Woodwind Section of our band: Flute Clarinet Alto Saxophone

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The earliest flutes were originally made of bones!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)

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 clef3) Produces sound by blowing

air across the tone hole4) Looks easy to play, but can

be tricky to learn!5) Can play a wide range of

notes using the pinky keys

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

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).

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 flat2) Reads TREBLE clef3) Uses a single-reed to produce

sound4) One of the most common

instruments for beginners

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

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).

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 flat2) Reads TREBLE clef3) Uses a single-reed to produce

sound4) Fingering is very similar to the

recorder

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

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.

The Double Reed Section! There are 2 different instruments that

make up the Double Reed Woodwind Section of our band:

Oboe Bassoon

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 clef3) Uses a double-reed to produce

sound4) Players sometimes complain

of pressure on their lower backs when playing this instrument.

5) Fingering can be very complex!

6) Not a marching instrument.

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 clef3) Uses a double-reed to produce

sound4) This instrument requires a

stretched hand position, so students with smaller hands may have a more difficult time.

5) Not a marching instrument.

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.

ResourcesCONTENT:

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.

Resources ContinuedIMAGES 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.