What are the groups of musical instruments? Are the terms “reed instruments” and “woodwind instruments” interchangeable? Or, is woodwind broader than reed? For example, what is a wood flute considered? And, is a metal flute a brass instrument?
Please help me clarify!
Generally, the classifications are strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and voice.
Reeds are a subcategory of woodwinds, which further branch into single- and double-reeds. Saxophones are single-reeds, though their bodies are made of brass. In orchestras, the piano is a percussion instrument, though it has strings. (Actually, this is news to me – I didn’t realize there is no separate “keyboards” category. So where does that place the organ?)
Separately.
Instrumentation for orchestral pieces usually runs flutes-oboes-clarinets-bassoons (woodwinds); horns-trumpets-trombones-tubas (brass); violins-2nd violins-violas-cellos-basses (strings); then specifies the odd percussion/harp/keyboards involved.
Subcategories (piccolos, Eb clarinets, contrabassoons, etc.) are listed after the instrumental categories.
Modern, metal flutes are still considered woodwinds.
Then you get into the tricky ones, like pianos. Are they percussion (the strings are struck by hammers, the keys are struck by the fingers) or string instruments?
Best not to think about it too hard.
Didn’t Earthling answer that one? You don’t tend to hear harpsichords in orchestras any more, but they would presumably be string rather than percussion.
Keyboards are listed among the percussion because the keyboards are laid out in the same fashion as xylophones and bells; if you can play one, you can play the other (hah).
There’s also bagpipes, which are a subclass of double-reeds.
Ok, can you give me other examples of double-reeds? Is a clarinet single-reed? What about the oboe? -Jinx
Oboe, basson, contra-basson, and English horn are examples of double reeds.
Clarinets are single reeds.
French horns are brass instruments.
These are ponted out in the original link that I gave.
Clarinet is single-reed, oboe is double-reed (as is its cousin the cor anglais, or English horn).
Ah, the English Horn- Not English, nor a horn.
…not to be confused with the French Horn, which is German.
Close, but not quite right.
Keyboards (except continuo) appear above strings in an orchestral score.
Also, to clarify: Auxiliary instruments, such as piccolo or Eb clarinet are scored together with their “parent” instruments.
This stuff is pretty easy to search for, people.