A woodwind instrument is an instrument belonging to the woodwind family. Traditionally they were always made of wood, although some of them are now made of metal or plastic.
In an orchestra there are four main types of woodwind instruments. Each of these also has related instruments of different sizes:
The flute is the highest of the four main instruments. The lowest note is Middle C and it has a range of 3 octaves. The piccolo is the smallest and highest instrument in the orchestra. It plays one octave higher than the flute. There is also an alto flute which sounds a fifth lower than the ordinary flute. Flutes are still sometimes made of wood, but mostly they are metal.
The oboe can play slightly lower than the flute. There is a larger version called the cor anglais (which means: “English horn”).
The clarinet plays nearly an octave lower than the flute. The bass clarinet plays an octave lower than the clarinet.
The bassoon is the lowest of the four main members, but the contrabassoon plays right down to the bottom B flat of the piano.
The recorder is one of the oldest and most popular woodwinds and has been used to great effect by greats, such as Bach, Telemann and Vivaldi. The general public is normally only familiar with the plastic, child's version of the recorder, but professional and high-quality recorders are still made of wood.
The saxophone may look like a brass instrument, but it is played like a clarinet and therefore it is a woodwind instrument. It is usually played in bands and jazz groups.