The very first woodwind instruments were made during the Stone Age, when someone discovered that blowing across the stem of a hollow reed made a sound. Later several reeds of different lengths were lined up beside each other.
As different instruments were developed out of wood, they got their place in the woodwind family. Most of them are still mostly made of wood, except for the flute which is usually made mostly with metal.
All woodwind instruments are made from a hollow tube with holes and keys. The air inside the tube begins to vibrate when the player blows into the instrument, making a sound. By pressing different combinations of keys on the instrument, the player can change the pitches we hear. The player can also change the volume and timbre (color of the sound) by making adjustments with their air and mouth muscles.
The woodwind members of the standard orchestra are the flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon.
