The woodwind family is a varied and interesting group. Despite what the name suggests, woodwind instruments are wood, metal, or plastic. Most woodwind instruments have keys that are pressed in order to produce different pitches. However, some have holes that the player covers with his or her fingers. The woodwind family can be broken down into two categories: reeds and flutes.

Flutes are narrow cylinders that are played by blowing air either across or directly into the mouthpiece. The earliest flutes were made out of wood or hard reedy grasses, but now they are usually made from metals like silver, nickel, and gold.
 

Most flutes are held out to the side of the player’s face when played. These are called transverse flutes (although most people just call them flutes.) The piccolo is a miniature member of the flute family. Piccolos are very short, and they sound one octave higher than a transverse flute. Piccolos can be made from wood, metal, or plastic. Another well-known member of the flute family is the recorder, which is not a transverse flute. It is held in front of the body when played.
 

Reed instruments are so named because the sound is produced by blowing air through a reed. A reed is a piece of cane or plastic that is cut very thin so that it vibrates when air is blown into it. These reeds are attached to instruments that come in many shapes and sizes. They are all held directly in front of the body when played. There are two types of reed instruments: single and double reeds.

Single reed instruments include clarinets and saxophones. Notice, in the chart below, that there are many different types of clarinets and saxophones. Double reed instruments, as the name suggests, have two reeds that vibrate against each other when air pressure is applied. This creates a very unique sound. Double reed instruments include oboes, English horns, and bassoons.
 

This chart lists the most commonly used woodwind instruments, from smallest (and highest in pitch) to largest (and lowest.)