WIND INSTRUMENT
\wˈɪnd ˈɪnstɹəmənt], \wˈɪnd ˈɪnstɹəmənt], \w_ˈɪ_n_d ˈɪ_n_s_t_ɹ_ə_m_ə_n_t]\
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An instrument of music, played by means of artificially produced currents of wind, as the organ, harmonium, etc., or by the human breath, as the flute, horn, etc., in all of which the vibration of a column of air produces the sound. The name is, however, generally restricted to the orchestral instruments of the second class, consisting of a tube (straight, bent, or curved), producing a fundamental tone with its harmonics or overtones when the vibrating column extends the whole length of the tube. This column may, however, be shortened by having holes of certain sizes and at certain distances along the tube, which are opened or stopped by the fingers or valves, the instrument being thus adapted to produce in its simpler forms the tones of the diatonic scale, and in its more complex forms the tones of the chromatic scale. The wind-instruments of an ordinary orchestra are divided into two classes: wood instruments, as the flute, oboe, clarionet, and bassoon; and brass instruments, as the horn, corneta-pistons, trombone, euphonium, bombardon, and ophicleide. The quality of tone of the woods is soft, smooth, light, and almost vocal; that of the brasses is somewhat harder, more powerful and majestic. Being all fixed toned they cannot, of course, play in perfect tune like stringed instruments, and they can only produce one sound at a time.
By Daniel Lyons
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