The family
Flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, plus the saxophones (which are woodwinds because of their reed tone production, even though they are made of metal). In the orchestra the standard “by 2” section has 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons; “by 3” adds piccolo, English horn, bass clarinet, contrabassoon.
Transposing instruments: the rule
A transposing instrument reads one note and produces another. The name of the instrument's key (in Bb, in F, in Eb) indicates the actual note that comes out when a C is read. Example: the clarinet in Bb reads C4 and sounds Bb3 (a major second lower): to make it sound a concert C you have to write D.
Ranges (written → sounding)
| Instrument | Transposition | Written range | Sounding range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piccolo | sounds an octave higher | D4 – C7 | D5 – C8 |
| Flute | in C | C4 (B3 with B foot) – C7 (D7) | same |
| Alto flute in G | sounds a perfect fourth lower | C4 – C7 | G3 – G6 |
| Oboe | in C | Bb3 – A6 (G6 in the orchestra) | same |
| English horn in F | sounds a perfect fifth lower | B3 – G6 | E3 – C6 |
| Small clarinet in Eb | sounds a minor third higher | E3 – C7 | G3 – Eb7 |
| Clarinet in Bb | sounds a major second lower | E3 – C7 | D3 – Bb6 |
| Clarinet in A | sounds a minor third lower | E3 – C7 | C#3 – A6 |
| Bass clarinet in Bb | sounds a major ninth lower (treble clef) | Eb3 (or C3) – G6 approx. | Db2 (or Bb1) – F5 |
| Bassoon | in C | Bb1 – E5 | same |
| Contrabassoon | sounds an octave lower | Bb1 – F4 approx. | Bb0 – F3 |
| Soprano sax in Bb | major second lower | Bb3 – F6 | Ab3 – Eb6 |
| Alto sax in Eb | major sixth lower | Bb3 – F6 | Db3 – Ab5 |
| Tenor sax in Bb | major ninth lower | Bb3 – F6 | Ab2 – Eb5 |
| Baritone sax in Eb | octave + major sixth lower | Bb3 (A3) – F6 | Db2 (C2) – Ab4 |
Experienced saxophonists also play in the altissimo register above the written F6.
Registers and characters
- Flute: low (C4–G4) soft and weak, easily covered; middle sweet; high (above C6) brilliant and piercing. Agile in fast passages and trills.
- Piccolo: the highest point of the orchestra; brilliant, it makes the tuttis “sparkle” by doubling the violins an octave above.
- Oboe: nasal, penetrating timbre, very expressive in the middle register (D4–D6). It can be heard even over a full orchestra.
- English horn: melancholic and pastoral (Dvořák, Symphony No. 9, Largo).
- Clarinet: the low chalumeau register (written E3 to about F#4) dark and warm; the throat register (G4–Bb4) weaker; the clarion register (B4–C6) brilliant; the high register shrill. It has the widest dynamic range of the family, from an almost inaudible pianissimo to forte.
- Bassoon: the bass of the section; sonorous low register, tenor-like middle, plaintive high register (the opening of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, 1913). It can also be comic in staccato.
- Saxophones: very flexible, from breathy to rasping; they dominate in jazz and pop (see Pop/Funk Horn Section and Big Band).
Breathing and writing
Winds must breathe: leave rests every 4–8 bars in long passages, or alternate two instruments. Long held notes in the extreme register are tiring.
Classic combinations
- Flute + clarinet in unison: soft and round.
- Oboe + flute at the octave: a clear, penetrating melody.
- Clarinet + bassoon at the octave: a warm chorale.
- Four woodwinds in “interlocked” harmony: fl1–ob1–fl2–ob2 alternating for a homogeneous blend.
Practical exercise
Write an 8-bar melody in F major and assign it in four ways: solo flute in the middle register, oboe, clarinet in Bb (remember to write it a major second higher, in G major), flute and clarinet in unison. In the DAW always write in concert pitch, but export the parts for the musicians with the correct transposition.
Related topics
Orchestration: Families, Ranges, and Blends, Orchestral Doublings and Blends, Pop/Funk Horn Section, Big Band Arranging, Brass: Ranges and Transpositions.