October 11, 2024
PRISM Quartet’s Matthew Levy: Profiles in Education
The director of the groundbreaking saxophone ensemble reflects on the teachers who changed his life, his own career as an educator, his Selmer horns and more.
Tag: woodwind instruments
November 8, 2020
When Is It Time to Upgrade Your Woodwind Instrument?
Dedicated practice, natural ability, and drive are important factors that contribute to a musician’s progress and success. Something that’s not always talked about is the profound impact the quality of an instrument has on a musician’s sound. A well-crafted flute or clarinet has the power to bring out a player’s peak performance. When a player […]
February 28, 2020
The Complete Guide to Professional Clarinets
All About Professional Clarinets When Should You Invest in a Professional Clarinet? Once a clarinet player has fully committed to their instrument, is playing very advanced pieces, and is perhaps even ready to make clarinet playing part of their career, investing in a professional clarinet is in order. Professional clarinets offer high quality materials (granadilla […]
September 11, 2019
How to Hold a Flute: An Essential Guide for Beginners
To learn how to hold a flute, study the proper posture, hand position, and angle for the instrument. By mastering these techniques, you’ll be able to play the flute in no time. Learning how to hold a flute is one of the first concepts you’ll be taught when you start flute lessons. Once you can […]
June 8, 2019
Filed vs. Unfiled Reeds
Filed and Unfiled Reeds Explained Reeds are used in many woodwind instruments, including the clarinet, saxophone, oboe and bassoon. In reed instruments, the sounds or vibrations are made when air is blown across a thin piece of material called a reed. The reed vibrates, making the sound, which is then amplified by the air in the […]
April 8, 2019
Piccolo vs. Flute: How to Decide Which to Play
Flute vs Piccolo You (or your child) want to play an instrument and you have narrowed the choices down to the flute or the piccolo. The following considerations may help you with your decision. The flute and the piccolo are both part of the woodwind family of instruments. They are reedless and sound is produced by the player’s air […]
March 30, 2019
What is a woodwind instrument?
The woodwind family of instruments is a subset of the more general category of wind instruments. Within the woodwind family, there are two main types of instruments: reed instruments and flutes. The reason reed woodwind instruments are identified as “woodwind” is based on the way they produce their sound which is by splitting the player’s […]
October 24, 2018
Saxophone Mouthpieces
Choosing a Saxophone Mouthpiece A huge part of the overall success of a saxophone player, the correct saxophone mouthpiece is a choice made purely out of personal preference. Designed to allow musicians to play different genres, it’s crucial to understand how each mouthpiece is crafted to maximize your sound. To start, you’ll want to look at the two main […]
November 11, 2017
How to Care for Your Bassoon
Buying a bassoon is no casual purchase. That’s why, once you’ve invested in an instrument of your own, it’s important to take proper care of it so that it will last as long as possible. You’ll also want to keep your bassoon in top working order so that it produces the best quality sound. For […]
August 9, 2017
What is a Woodwind Instrument?
Although woodwind and brass typically fall under the wind instruments category, the woodwind family is a great place for a beginning musician to start. These instruments are generally easier to play because of the way the air is blown into them, and many musicians who begin their music education with an instrument from the woodwind […]