Learn to play woodwind
Woodwind : Instruments, usually Western orchestral, of the reed-actuated, flute or recorder types. Usually made of wood, ivory, bone or metal.
Jump to: Saxophone , oboe , flute , bassoon
Clarinet
Soft mellow one-reed cylindrical wind instrument usually made of wood.
Why learn?
Some of the great orchestral solos were written for the clarinet - the opening to Gershwin's flamboyant Rhapsody in Blue and the cat in Profokiev's Peter and the Wolf. The clarinet has a very mellow, rounded tone but can just as easily be fun and jaunty too - Mozart loved the clarinet's quirky sound and wrote some of his best music for it. And listen to the innovative jazz clarinettist Benny Goodman from Chicago who made history in the early 1930's when he hired black musicians to play in his band.
Getting a Taste
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet
Soloist: Emma Johnson
ASV CDDCA 1079
Finzi: Clarinet Concerto
Soloist: Emma Johnson / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
ASV CDDCA 787
Buying advice
If the material used to make a musical instrument is of a high quality than the better the sound will be, particularly regarding the clarinet. You can buy one from around £250, but spend more if you can. Although the more durable plastic clarinets are great for beginners, wooden clarinets offer better tone.
Webwatch
The International Clarinet Association has great information about musicians and events. You can also access online tutorials at the icanplayit website given by former BBC Young Musician Of The Year Emma Johnson.
Click here to visit the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain
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Saxophone 
The saxophone evolved directly from the clarinet. The main characteristic they share is a soft, mellow tone and of course they are both great for jazz.
Why learn?
This instrument is plenty of fun and is very versatile. Members of the sax family, such as the soprano, alto, tenor, baritone
and bass saxophones, have an ability to cross the boundaries of jazz, classical, pop and soul. Whether you're an aspiring Bill Clinton, a Charlie Parker in the making, or a classical player like John Harle, you’ll get plenty of musical satisfaction and be the envy of your friends.
Getting a Taste
Creation: 20th-Century French Music
Branford Marsalis
Sony Classical SK89251
John Harle's Saxophone Songbook
John Harle
Unicorn-Kanchana DKPCD9160
New saxophone listening
Edward Gregson - Saxophone Concerto
Featuring Tokyo-based alto saxophonist Nobuya Sugawa
Premiered RNCM, Manchester, May 10
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor Clark Rundell
This piece explores the full expressive and virtuosic range of the alto saxophone and uses the soprano saxophone in the more lyrical slow movement.
Buying advice
The saxophone is a complex instrument and can therefore be expensive. However, you can buy a fairly good instrument from around £150. Expect to pay more however for a really good quality sax. Good quality saxes are easier to play, so it is worth investing in a good instrument, worth around £700.
Webwatch
Try the International Saxophone home page.
Oboe 
The oboe is another member of the aerophone family - a group of instruments which produce their sound by setting up vibrations in a body of air. The oboe has a double reed.
Why learn?
The oboe has a distinct, reedy tone that makes it ideal for solo work within an orchestra. This is created by its double reed - its soft yet piercing sound floats over the top of the string textures. Mozart, for one, was extremely skilled at using the oboe to its full advantage in an ensemble. As a solo instrument, it has a huge repertoire, from baroque to the present day, and to play it is most rewarding.
Getting a Taste
Morricone
The Mission
Virgin CDV2402
Telemann
Oboe Concertos
Heinz Holliger
Philips 412 879-2
Buying advice
An oboe is one of the more precision-made instruments - as with the clarinet, so try and avoid buying a moulded plastic model. This doesn't make it cheap however - around £800 for a lasting instrument. Renting one is an option, see Boosey & Hawkes website for more information, but if you do buy, it is worth taking an oboist along with you to guide you in your final purchase.
Webwatch
Basic oboe history, links, articles and sounds can be found at the Domusaurea website. A more professional site for oboists is the Double Reeds site, where you can find a teacher and get help promoting your very first oboe CD.
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Flute 
The modern flute is normally a tube of metal, and more rarely of wood, around 67 cm in length. The sound is produced by blowing across the mouth-hole, which activates the air in the tube. The player’s lips mainly control the sound, thus the embouchure is an important part of a flautist’s training. Both the oboe and flute share gentle, alluring tones.
Why learn?
The flute is one of the oldest instruments and it has evolved over thousands of years. Its beauty is rich and refined and its music is deeply passionate. Listen to some Fauré flute music and melt away. There are also various popular flute choirs which play all styles of music from jazz to pop song arrangements.
Getting a Taste
Fauré Fantaisie
Café au Lait
BIS-CD-1239
Prokofiev
Sonata for Flute and Piano in D
Aleksander Madzar
Harmonia Mundi HMN911770
Buying advice
The amount of silver in a flute makes quite a difference to its tone, which in turn pushes the price up, but if you can afford £600, then you should consider the investment. However, you can get a perfectly good instrument for around £450.
Webwatch
The British Flute Society is a superb gateway.
Bassoon
The bassoon is a double-reed wind instrument which forms the bass and tenor of the woodwind section. Traditionally, it has been made of dark maple wood. The double bassoon, or contrabassoon, sounds one octave lower.
Why learn?
The bassoon is one of the most versatile and useful members of the orchestra because of it’s range of tone colours - from high expressive notes to rich low sonorous tones. It is somewhat more awkward to play than other instruments however. Like the saxophone its considerable weight is supported by a neck strap or shoulder harness and when played, the bassoon is held obliquely across the body.
Buying advice
A well-made bassoon requires hand-made precision and the final tuning has to be done carefully by hand which makes it more expensive than other wind instruments.
Getting a Taste
Concerto in B
Mozart
K91/186e (1774)
Webwatch
Visit the British Double Reed Society
