What is a woodwind musical instrument?

A woodwind musical instrument is any member of a family of musical instruments that produce sound by the vibration of a single reed (as in a clarinet or saxophone), a double reed (as in an oboe or bassoon), or the edge of a hole (as in a flute). Woodwind instruments are distinguished from brass instruments, which produce sound by the vibration of the player's lips against a metal mouthpiece, and from string instruments, which produce sound by the vibration of strings.

The most common woodwind instruments are the flute, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon. Other woodwind instruments include the piccolo, English horn, bass clarinet, and contrabassoon. Woodwind instruments are used in a wide variety of musical genres, from classical music to jazz to folk music.