“Wind” songs
Whistling can be music—you can make a tune with ah* you blow through
your lips. Many musical instruments make sounds in the same way—with a
stream of vibrating air.
A flute is one of these instruments. It belongs to the woodwind family.
Not all woodwinds are made of wood, but they are all played with
\”wind”—your breath.
The flute has a mouthpiece with a small hole. When air is blown across
the hole, it bounces against the edge. This makes the air in the flute
begin to vibrate. The vibrations inside the tube create sound
waves—and these make the music you hear.
To make higher and lower sounds, you press keys that open \”windows” for
the air.
The air inside a flute vibrates when you blow across the mouthpiece.
The vibrating air makes a whistling sound.
For higher sounds, you open the holes close to the mouthpiece. The
vibrations travel only a short distance down the tube to reach a
\”window,” so a short sound wave is formed. For lower notes, you open
holes farther down the tube. The vibrations travel farther to reach a
\”window,” and longer waves are formed.
The piccolo [(pihk]{.smallcaps} uh loh) is really a small flute—its
name, in Italian, means \”little.” The short tube gives it a high, sharp
sound.
The clarinet (klar uh [neht),]{.smallcaps} the oboe [(oh]{.smallcaps}
boh), and the bassoon (buh [soon)]{.smallcaps} have a mouthpiece with
one or two thin, flat pieces called reeds attached. Blowing makes the
reeds vibrate as the air passes over them. The vibrating reeds make the
air vibrate, and the sound is carried to your ears.
