
What is the lowest woodwind?
The woodwind family of instruments includes, from the highest sounding instruments to the lowest, the piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, ... The lowest sounding woodwind instrument is the bassoon, or more specifically, the contrabassoon. The contrabassoon is a large instrument with several.
What is the lowest instrument in an orchestra?
bassoon. Click to see full answer. Subsequently, one may also ask, what is the lowest instrument in the orchestra? The bassoon has a larger version: the contrabassoon or double bassoon which sounds an octave lower. It is one of the lowest instruments in the orchestra.
What are examples low pitch instruements?
Examples of low pitch. a dog growling, tuba, thunder, ocean' liner's "hoot", Low pitch. produced by slower vibrations. ... Instruments that can be used to amplify sound. Can a sound have a high volume and a low pitch? YES. Example: thunderclap. Can a sound have a low volume and a high pitch?
What are the names of the woodwind instruments?
Woodwind Instruments List
- The Flute. Commonly used in bands and orchestras, the flute can also be played as a solo instrument. ...
- The Oboe. The oboe instrument is yet another instrument and high quality member of the woodwind family, and it can also be made out of plastic and wooden materials.
- English Horn. ...
- Clarinet. ...

What is the lowest woodwind instrument in the orchestra quizlet?
MatchViolin. The highest member of the string family.Piccolo. A small woodwind instrument, smaller than the flute.Oboe. The orchestra tunes to this instrument.Bassoon. The lowest of all woodwind instruments.Single reed. A piece of wood in the mouthpiece of a clarinet.Double reed. ... G D A E. ... Brass.More items...
What is the lowest reed instrument?
bassoon: the largest and lowest pitched of the double reed instruments. (also a lower-pitched contrabassoon). clarinet: there are sopranino, soprano, alto, bass and contrabass clarinets.
What's the smallest instrument in an orchestra?
The piccolo is the smallest member of the woodwind section (at just 13 inches long), and is the highest-pitched instrument in the orchestra. There will usually only be one piccolo, but occasionally two or more can be used for a special effect.
Is the contrabassoon the lowest instrument?
The contrabassoon gained importance as the most effective wind double bass and the lowest instrument of the orchestra.
What is the lowest brass instrument?
The tubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest brass instrument and anchors the harmony not only of the brass family but the whole orchestra with its deep rich sound.
What are the 5 wind instruments?
Wind instruments are typically grouped into two families: Brass instruments (horns, trumpets, trombones, euphoniums, and tubas) Woodwind instruments (recorders, flutes, oboes, clarinets, saxophones, and bassoons)
What are the 5 main instruments in an orchestra?
Instruments of the OrchestraStrings. Learn about the string instruments: violin, viola, cello, double bass, and harp! ... Woodwinds. Learn about the woodwind instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon! ... Brass. Learn about the brass instruments: trumpet, french horn, trombone, and tuba! ... Percussion.
Which instrument is the smallest and highest sounding?
Take the piccolo — a tiny, pipe-like instrument that is the little sister of the flute. Because of its size, it's often the highest sound in a piece of music, soaring above, sort of like a tiny bird.
What instrument uses 1 reed?
Reeds are traditionally made of cane and produce sound when air is blown across or through them. The type of instruments that use a single reed are clarinets and saxophone.
What was the first reed instrument?
The MemetThe Memet: The First Single Reed Instrument The memet originated in Egypt circa 2700 BC and were frequently depicted on the walls of ancient Egyptian pyramids and tombs.
What is the difference between reed sizes?
The normal range for reeds is 2 to 5: the lower the number, the thinner the reed, and the higher the number, the thicker the reed. The thickness of the reed will affect the tone and how easy or difficult the instrument is to play. In general, a thinner reed, say 2 or 2.5, will have a brighter tone.
What are reed instruments?
reed instrument, in music, any of several wind instruments (aerophones) that sound when the player's breath or air from a wind chamber causes a reed (a thin blade of cane or metal) to vibrate, thereby setting up a sound wave in an enclosed air column (in reed pipes) or in the open air (usually free reeds).
Flute
As a general instrument, the Flute exists in a wide variety of cultures worldwide, and also has a long history with the earliest discovered flute dating back to around 43,000 years ago.
Piccolo
The Piccolo is a small version of the flute at half the size of the previously discussed standard flute. And by being half the size, it produces a sound that is one octave higher (eight notes higher) than the same notes on the regular flute.
Clarinet
Usually sitting behind the flute section, the Clarinet is a woodwind instrument that uses a single reed to make a sound.
Oboe
Unlike the single reed of the clarinet, the Oboe is a type of double reed instrument which means it uses two reeds to produce sound.
Bassoon
The Bassoon is the double reed instrument of the orchestra that plays in the tenor and bass ranges.
Contrabassoon
The Contrabassoon, also called a Double Bassoon, is similar to the regular bassoon in sound production and fingering. But because of its larger size, contrabassoon can play an octave lower than its regular version.
Cor Anglais (English Horn)
The Cor Anglais, or English Horn, is in the oboe family. As a double-reed instrument, it produces a sound very similar to an oboe.
What is the biggest woodwind family instrument?
The contrabassoon is the biggest woodwind family instrument. It is made of the same materials with bassoon and is played in the same principles – you blew wind into the reed to produce a sound. However, it is longer than a bassoon, and it requires more wind. The contrabassoon is a double-reed instrument that lies close to each other.
What is the only woodwind instrument that doesn't need a reed to produce sound?
It is a longer flute that plays a fifth or half an octave lower than a regular flute. The flute is the only woodwind instrument that doesn’t need a reed to produce sound. Now let’s take a look at the bassoon. There is a larger version of bassoon called contrabassoon.
How Does Contrabassoon Works?
A contrabassoon has a larger reed that measures 20 mm (0.8 in) in width. In length, it measures 65–75 mm (2.6–3.0 in). A regular bassoon measures 2.1–2.3 inches or 53–58 mm. It produces low sound through its large blades. A player needs to scrape the reed to produce a sound, just like when playing the bassoon.
Why is the contrabassoon the opposite of the piccolo?
It is the opposite of the piccolo because it is the lowest instrument in the orchestra. The contrabassoon looks like a regular bassoon but with a wider pipe. It is a larger too, at least twice the size of a regular bassoon. Because it is longer, it is easier to hold and play with.
How many bassoon players are in a small orchestra?
In a small orchestra, there are often 2-3 bassoon players. The third player often switches to contrabassoon as needed. Larger orchestras often have 3 bassoon players plus a dedicated contrabassoon player. Still, the third bassoonist in a larger orchestra can also switch to contrabassoon when needed.
How big is a contrabassoon?
A contrabassoon has a larger reed that measures 20 mm (0.8 in) in width. In length, it measures 65–75 mm (2.6–3.0 in). A regular bassoon measures 2.1–2.3 inches or 53–58 mm. It produces low sound through its large blades. A player needs to scrape the reed to produce a sound, just like when playing the bassoon.
Why is the contrabassoon considered the grandfather of the wind instruments?
Because it is longer, it is easier to hold and play with. But with a longer pipe, it means you need more breathe to make or produce a sound with a contrabassoon. To date, the contrabassoon is considered the grandfather of the wind instruments. Contents hide.

What Is Contrabassoon?
How Does Contrabassoon Works?
- A contrabassoon has a larger reed that measures 20 mm (0.8 in) in width. In length, it measures 65–75 mm (2.6–3.0 in). A regular bassoon measures 2.1–2.3 inches or 53–58 mm. It produces low sound through its large blades. A player needs to scrape the reed to produce a sound, just like when playing the bassoon. Despite having the same principle in p...
Notation, Range, and Tone
- Range: Bb1-Bb4(1 octave lower) The contrabassoon is known for its deep-sound production. It produces a sub-bass sound as the contrabass version of the saxophone, clarinet, or the tuba. Its sound ranges from at B♭0 (or A0, for different instruments) up to three octaves and D4’s major third. However, it is rarely used at the top fourth. Known players of contrabassoon Kalevi Aho an…
Differences Between Contrabassoon & Bassoon
- In the woodwind family, the biggest part is the contrabassoon. It is a bigger version of the bassoon and is made of the same materials. Fingering and playing this instrument is almost the same as the bassoon with a few distinctions. To make a sound, a player must blow into the reed. The pitch is in the key of C. it is notated in the treble, yet it produces one octave lower than the b…