My friend Jim The Musician says that the noble Saxaphone is not, in fact, a horn, but a woodwind.
I dunno, the thing doesn’t look like it’s made out of wood to me. Looks like brass, the same stuff they make trumpets and trombones[sup]1[/sup] and tubas out of. What’s the dope?
[sub]1. You ever notice that trombones look just like giant paper clips?[/sub]
It’s because it uses a reed, as opposed the mouthpiece thingamajobber on trumpets , trombones, tubas and the like.
Saxaphones have reeds, which makes them woodwinds, just like “English Horns” or oboes.
Flutes are woodwinds too! And they aren’t even made of wood, but they used to be, that’s the only explanation I can come up with. Plus, what other section would you put them in?
Aye, I was giving examples that wouldn’t leap to many people’s minds right away. Most people think “flute” when they hear the term “woodwind”. I am fond of the oboe, and basson, as well as clairinet, English horn, flute, recorder, and saxaphone. I love the woodwinds, especially well complemented with brass and strings.
The distinction is actually that “brass” instruments use the lips to create the sound, whereas woodwinds do not.
I think paper clips are actually called trombones in, I’m guessing France. I have a box of paper clips that says “Trombones” on the box, and has what looks like French writing to me.
I think paper clips are actually called trombones in, I’m guessing France. I have a box of paper clips that says “Trombones” on the box, and has what looks like French writing to me.
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Yep it’s French.
“It was such a bulky manuscript that a trombone wouldn’t fit around it, and I had to use a tuba to hold it together.”
My great-grandfather had a wooden flute, which my father inherited. No idea what ultimately happened to it, but it was a family heirloom when I was little. But many of the modern woodwind instruments are actually made of metal.
Saxophones are sometimes referred to as horns, and the “horn section” (like on a pop/rock/R&B record) typically includes saxophones. (Then again, a “woodwind quintet” includes a French horn, which isn’t a woodwind.) But, anatomically (the way the mouthpiece looks, the way it’s played, etc.) the saxophone is like a horny clarinet.
Most good clarinets are actually made out of wood, but the majority of high school and middle school band clarinets are made of black plastic. Still, they are woodwinds due to the reeds, same as saxophones.
[QUOTE=PolycarpMy great-grandfather had a wooden flute, which my father inherited. No idea what ultimately happened to it, but it was a family heirloom when I was little. But many of the modern woodwind instruments are actually made of metal.[/QUOTE]
Wooden flutes aren’t particularly uncommon today. Between the players in a large orchestral piece, you’ll often spot at least one wooden flute or piccolo.
I’ve never heard it called that - only ‘wind quartet’ (which is more accurate).
Let’s try that again…
Wooden flutes aren’t particularly uncommon today. Between the players in a large orchestral piece, you’ll often spot at least one wooden flute or piccolo.
I’ve never heard it called that - only ‘wind quartet’ (which is more accurate).
And just to confuse people, a “horn section” does not, in general, contain either French or English horns. Ain’t nomenclature great?
Perhaps, but it’s far from uncommon. The instrumentation, for those of you keeping score at home, is conventionally flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French Horn.
Well, but it does contain horns, just not those specific types.
–Cliffy
“Horn” is really an informal term, as opposed to “brass” and “woodwind,” which are strictly defined categories. Even flute players commonly refer to their instruments as “horns.”
Further adding to the confusion, players/aficionados of the “French horn” prefer the term “horn” to refer to their instrument. :smack:
The International Horn Society is the most noteworthy professional organization for this instrument, and you’ll see nary a mention of the “French horn” on their site.
It’s also pretty widespread these days for that section of orchestras to be labelled simply as “Horn.” As some random examples, scroll down through the rosters of a few orchestras I found online:[ul][li]Los Angeles Philharmonic[]New York Philharmonic[]Chicago Symphony[/ul][/li]
It is certainly true, though, that any wind instrument can be casually referred to as a “horn” - I do that myself all the time with my tuba, for example.