- Produces sound by the vibration of a reed. Reeds are thin pieces of material, usually made of cane, that vibrate when air is blown across them. This vibration creates the sound that is amplified and shaped by the instrument's body.
- Has a cylindrical or conical bore. The bore is the inner diameter of the instrument. Woodwind instruments typically have a cylindrical or conical bore, which means that the diameter of the bore is either constant or gradually increases from the mouthpiece to the bell.
- Is played by blowing air across a mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is the part of the instrument that the player blows into. Woodwind instruments have a variety of different mouthpiece designs, but all of them involve blowing air across a reed to produce sound.
Common examples of woodwind instruments include:
- Flute
- Clarinet
- Oboe
- Bassoon
- Saxophone
While most woodwind instruments are made of wood (hence the name), some, like the saxophone, are made of metal. Nonetheless, they are still categorized as woodwind instruments based on their method of sound production and their bore shape.