Wind instruments produce sounds which originate in the breath of the player. These instruments fall into two classes: woodwind and brass. The woodwinds (some of which are actually made of metal, such as silver flutes) comprise the flute, the oboe, the clarinet, the bassoon and others. The brass instruments include the trumpet, the horn, the trombone, and the tuba. The origins of wind instruments are extremely ancient: they began as instruments made from the massive tusks of mammoths. The modern flute consists of a cylindrical tube through which the player blows across a hole. The player opens and closes various other holes in the instrument and varies the intensity of his breath in order to obtain the various musical notes.

The oboe, however, is a reed instrument. The air vibrates as it is blown across a double reed fitted to the mouthpiece. The clarinet has a more supple and brilliant sound. The bassoon is the bass member of this musical group. The best known of the brasses is the trumpet. This is really a long metal tube which has been bent into a special shape and fitted with a bell-shaped opening and a cup-shaped mouthpiece.