The flute is the smallest and highest pitched member of the woodwind family. It is played by blowing air across a small hole, similar to blowing into a soda bottle to create sound! The flute is a member of the woodwind family because early versions of the flute were made of wood. Flutes are commonly made either "open hole" (pictured left) or "closed hole", depending on whether there are holes in the keys to allow air to escape. Open hole flutes are typically what Vogel students play on, and have plugs that we remove as we get more advanced! A smaller version of the flute, called the piccolo, plays one octave higher, making it the highest pitched instrument in the band.

Suggested YouTube videos:

Elisabeth Wentland - Kuhlau fantasy for flute solo op. 38 D major 

Havana - Camila Cabello Flute Cover 

Quatuor Pelleas | Astor Piazzolla: Libertango | Flute Quartet 

Time for some flute! | Flute Basics with Staff Sgt. Jennifer Zhou 

The clarinet is a woodwind instrument with a wide range that utilizes a single reed vibrating against the mouthpiece to make sound. It is considered to have a mellow, "reedy" tone. The most common clarinet seen in school bands, pictured left, is the Bb clarinet. Once students advance beyond Vogel, they have the opportunity to play the bass clarinet, which sounds one octave lower, but uses the same fingering system as the Bb clarinet. Other clarinets seen in more advanced concert literature include the Eb clarinet and A clarinet.

Suggested YouTube videos:

You've Got a Friend in Me - Clarinet Quartet

We Don't Talk About Bruno - Clarinet Choir

Clarinet Concerto No. 1 - Weber, The Berlin Philharmonic

Lovely - Billie Eilish, Clarinet Arrangement 

Concert Piece No. 2 in D minor, Op.114 - Mendelssohn, for two clarinets and pi

The saxophone is another woodwind instrument that utilizes a single reed's vibration against a mouthpiece to make sound. Compared to the clarinet, the saxophone's metal body produces a brighter, "jazzier" sound. Saxophone players use a neck strap hooked to the back of their instrument in order to balance and hold the saxophone without straining their wrists. All beginners at Vogel Intermediate start on the Alto saxophone (pictured left), but at more advanced grade levels, students may have the opportunity to perform on the tenor saxophone or baritone "bari" saxophone, which both sound lower than an alto saxophone, or the soprano saxophone, which sounds higher.

Tango Etude N 3 - Astor Piazzolla.  Accompanied by an orchestra, super cool listen!

Shake It Off -  Saxophone Quartet S.With 

Concerto for Alto Saxophone - Ronald Binge, solo with full orchestra

Theme from the movie Up - Saxophone Quartet "S4X"

Caprice No.24 - Niccolo Paganini, solo performance by Maxime Bazerque

The oboe is a high pitched woodwind instrument that utilizes two reeds vibrating against each other to produce tone. Instruments that use this system are commonly referred to as "double reed" instruments. The oboe has a a very bright, piercing tone, so typically only one or two oboe players are needed in a band. The oboe isn't for the faint of heart- a student wanting to play oboe should be comfortable in the spotlight! Private lessons are highly encouraged for all double reed players due to the challenging nature of these instruments.

Scheherazade by Rimsky Korsakov, famous oboe solo!

Le Tombeau de Couperin by Maurice Ravel, Oboe solo

How Far I'll Go - Moana, Oboe Cover

Remember Me - Coco, Oboe Cover

Oblivion - Astor Piazzolla. Featuring oboe soloist,  Andrzej Kucybała

The bassoon is the oboe's lower pitched double reed cousin. Bringing the clear and bright double reed sound to a lower register, the bassoon is said to sound closest to the human voice of all the band instruments. Private lessons are highly encouraged for all double reed players due to the challenging nature of these instruments.

The Rite of Spring - Igor Stravinsky, Bassoon Solo

Toxic - Britney Spears, Bassoon adaptation.  Super cool use of the instrument and its parts!

Themes from Star Wars for Bassoon Quartet

Scheherazade - Rimsky-Korsakov, Bassoon Solo

Symphony No. 4 - Pyotr Tchaikovsky 

The Trumpet is the smallest and highest pitched member of the brass instrument family. There are many different types of trumpets. It is used in many types of music including concert and jazz bands, marching bands, orchestras and even occasionally in rock bands.  Like all brass instruments, its sound is produced by the player “buzzing” their lips into the mouthpiece.  They are always made out of brass but may be covered with a clear lacquer or can be silver plated. Other related instruments that trumpet players often play include the Cornet and the Flugelhorn.

Suggested YouTube Videos:

Fantasie Brillante by J.B. Arban performed by Wynton Marsalis 

Star Wars: Main Title played on Trumpet and Bass Trumpet!

Lincoln by John Williams performed by Chris Martin (jump to :51 seconds)

Toccata and Fugue in d Minor by J.S. Bach performed by the Oklahoma State University Trumpet Ensemble

Stars and Stripes Forever  by J.P. Sousa performed by the United States Army Band Trumpet Ensemble

United States Army Field Band Trumpet Lessons- A GREAT resource for how to start playing trumpet!

One of the most common brass instruments to hear in movie and television music, the French Horn (often just referred to as the Horn) is actually a German instrument (confusing right?). The French Horn is used in concert bands, orchestras and in parade marching bands (in high school and college field shows, horn players play an instrument called a Mellophone). Most beginners at Vogel start on what is called a “double horn” which is a horn with two sets of tubing and 4th valve or “thumb trigger” that makes many things easier to play. A horn with only a single set of tubing is called a "single horn." A very unique type of horn is called the Vienna Horn and is mostly used by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. A very rare instrument that professional players will also play is the Wagner Tuba (which actually isn't a Tuba but a kind of Bass French Horn).

Suggested YouTube Videos:

How It's Made episode from The Science Channel showing how French Horns are made

The Asteroid Field from Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back by John Williams played as a multitrack recording of multiple French Horn parts

Theme from Independence Day by John Williams performed by the Vienna Horns

Jurassic Park Theme by John Williams performed by the Vienna Horns

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen performed by the London Horn Sound (8 French Horns, 8 Wagner Tubas, Piano, Bass and Drums!)

Horn Concerto No. 1 in D Major by W.A. Mozart performed by Radek Baborák

United States Army Field Band Horn Video

The Trombone is a low brass instrument pitched one octave lower than the Trumpet. The most common Trombone is the slide Trombone which has the unique slide that is used in place of valves (along with the player’s lips buzzing) to change notes. The mouthpiece is the same shape as a trumpet mouthpiece but larger which allows the instrument to play lower.  The player "buzzes" into the mouthpiece to make sound just like on all other brass instruments. The most common size is the Tenor Trombone and it is used in concert and jazz bands, marching bands and orchestras. It can even be heard as the voice of the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons! Most students start on a "straight tenor trombone". The trombone pictured to the left with the extra tubing on the back has what is known as an “F-attachment”. It is slightly heavier but allows for some easier alternate slide positions and make some lower notes available. The Bass Trombone is also used in bands and orchestras but being larger and heavier, it isn’t used in middle school. There are even Soprano Trombones, Alto Trombones, Contrabass Trombones,  Valve Trombones and the extremely rare Superbone! 

Suggested YouTube Videos:

How It's Made episode from The Science Channel showing how Trombones are made

Game of Thrones Theme by Ramin Djawadi performed by New York area low brass (6 tenor trombones, 11 Bass Trombones, 6 Contrabass Trombones, 6 Tubas and 3 Cimbassos!!!)

Variations on The Carnival of Venice by J.B. Arban performed by Bob McChesney (WOW!)

Sonata in F Major by B. Marcello peformed by Nitzan Haroz

Concertino for Trombone by F. David (last movement) performed by Christian Lindberg

The Euphonium is the smaller cousin of the Tuba. It plays in the same range as the Trombone and uses a mouthpiece that is almost identical.  Sound is produced by "buzzing" the lips into the mouthpiece. The fingering pattern is the same as the trumpet although the better, more expensive instruments have an additional valve.  The euphonium has a smoother and mellower sound than the trombone.  It is used mostly in concert bands and only sometimes in orchestras.  It is used commonly in marching bands but high school and college bands and drum corps use a marching euphonium that is wrapped into a different shape to project its sound to the stadium stands.  Many people call this instrument a Baritone or a Baritone Horn. This is actually incorrect. The Baritone Horn is a similar instrument but with a brighter sound and slightly differently shaped tubing.  Students who play the euphonium rent their instrument from the school, and actually receive a second instrument to keep at home so they don’t have to carry it back and forth.

 Suggested YouTube Videos:

The Melody Shop by Karl King performed by Staff Sergeant Lauren Curran and Master Sergeant Chris Sarangoulis of the U.S. Army Field Band (really fun video!)

Pirates of the Caribbean medley by Klaus Badelt performed as a multitrack recording by Jorijn Van Hese

Gabriel's Oboe by Ennio Morricone performed by David Childs and the BBC Orchestra (gorgeous playing!)

The Hawk Talks by Louie Bellson performed by the Rich Matteson Sextet (Jazz Euphonium!)

Festive Overture by Dmitri Shostakovich performed by the University of Wisconsin Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble

Ave Maria by Franz Beibl performed by Off Bass Brass (Tuba-Euphonium ensemble made of members of the U.S. Marine Band...beautiful playing!) 

The Tuba is the largest instrument in the brass family (and the lowest in pitch). Sound is produced as with all brass instruments by "buzzing" into the mouthpiece. The is the bottom of what is known as the Pyramid of Sound. This means that for a band to have a full balanced sound, the base of that sound has to be a strong bass (the base is the bass instruments…get it???). Most music has to have this strong bass whether it’s the electric bass in a jazz or rock band, string bass section in an orchestra or the tubas in a band. Tubas are used in concert bands, orchestras and occasionally jazz bands. The Tuba is one of the newest instruments, having only been invented about 150 years ago.  Ironically, the name Tuba is the Latin word that means trumpet.  Although the Tuba is the largest band instrument, beginners at Vogel will be able to play on a ¾ sized tuba and upgrade to a larger tuba once they get older. In addition we have adjustable tuba stands which can adjust the height of the instrument to make it more comfortable to play. In the last several years our smallest band members have actually been our tuba players!  As with the Euphoniums, since the instruments are large and not easily carried back and forth from school, we provide an additional instrument that students keep at home so the only thing they bring back and forth is their mouthpiece.

Suggested YouTube Videos:

How It's Made episode from The Science Channel showing how Tubas are made

Festive Overture by Dmitri Shostakovich performed by the University of Wisconsin Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble

Fnugg by Øystein Baadsvik (some really cool, fun effects!)

Flight of the Bumble Bee by N. Rimsky-Korsakov performed by Pat Sheridan (Tubas can play this fast????)

Ave Maria by Franz Beibl performed by Off Bass Brass (Tuba-Euphonium ensemble made of members of the U.S. Marine Band...beautiful playing!)

Percussion is the only class of instruments in the Vogel Band that doesn't use air to perform! Most of these instruments require some type of strike to make sound; either with a mallet, a stick, a hand, or against another instrument. Percussionists need to learn to perform on many different types of instruments, such as mallet percussion (marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, glockenspiel), membranophones (snare drum, bass drum, toms, tambourine, timpani) and other accessory instruments (cymbals, triangle, maracas, guiro, etc). Due to the highly selective nature of the class, students who are interested in percussion will need to attend a separate "percussion night" to demonstrate their natural ability with rhythm.

Blue Sparkled Bungalow - Bryce Gardner, UNT Snare Line

Fandago 13 - Michael Buritt, Eastman Percussion Ensemble (we learn more than just snare and marimba!)

Tantrum for Snare Drum - Kevin Bobo

Stay - The Kid LAROI,  marimba cover