128 !!Chapter 6
The Woodwind Section
Woodwindis a deceptive term since many of modern instruments not con-
structed of wood are included in this category; for instance, flutes and sax-
ophones are not made of wood. Woodwinds include the various flutes,
clarinets, oboes, English horns, bassoons, and saxophones. As with the
!!Musicians who double
or triple receive additional
session payments.other instrumental sections of an orches-
tra, woodwinds provide distinct sounds
by using various instrumental combina-
tions. As a group, they blend well with
almost all instrumental sections.
Most commercial woodwind perform-
ers play two or three different woodwinds. This offers arrangers a wider
selection of instruments to include because the colors of different sections
can change. For instance, in letter A, a player might play clarinet, and in
letter B, she may play a flute.
Flutes
All traditional flutes are held in a horizontal position and are played by
blowing into a metal mouthpiece. The family of flutes consists of piccolo,
flute, alto flute, and bass flute. (There are numerous wooden flutes.)
Piccolo in C
The piccolo is the highest and smallest flute and is used in both orchestras
and bands. The most familiar sounds of this instrument are the technically
challenging high countermelodies common to marches in addition to high
trills. The piccolo also sounds good when played an octave above a unison
passage. The instrument sounds one octave above the flute. The sound can
be piercing, so it should be used sparingly. In most instances, one piccolo
is sufficient, but for certain effects, three and four may be used, such as in
marching bands.
Generally, flute players also play the piccolo. The fingering of a piccolo
is the same as the fingering of a flute, but the very low and very high notes
are more difficult to play.
Range:Piccolo parts are written in the treble clef and sound one octave
above where it is written. The lowest written note is D, above middle C,
and the highest written note is C (16va), above the treble clef. The most
common piccolo is pitched in C, but there is also a D-flat piccolo (see
example 6-29).
Flute in C
The most common flute is the C flute. The C flute is extensively used in
jazz as well as in all forms of popular and classical music. Flute players