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Woodwind Family All woodwinds make sound by moving air. They are called "woodwind" because they were first made of wood, and they made sounds by moving air. All woodwind instruments are made out of a tube, usually with holes in it. When all holes are covered, air goes all the way to the end of the tube and makes a low sound. There are three types of instruments in the woodwind family and their sound is produced differently. The piccolo is exactly like the flute but it is much smaller and is usually made of silver or wood. The pitch of the piccolo is higher than that of a flute. The bassoon is a large double-reed instrument. It makes a lower sound than the other woodwind instruments. The other members of the woodwind family are the flute, the oboe, the English horn, the clarinet, the bass clarinet, the contrabassoon and the saxophone. Check that you understand what these words mean in this document Tube: the part of a wind instrument that connects the mouthpiece with the open end; a long hollow cylinder. Pitch: the degree of highness or lowness of a musical note. Reed: a short length of cane (tall grass with a stiff, hollow stem) set into the player's mouthpiece; tall slender grass (e.g. bamboo).