International Woodwinds Trivia Quiz

Answer: China

The dizi as it appears today has been in China since at least the 5th century BC. Dizi are very common instruments in China because they are very accessible. One can make a dizi very easily. They are also very portable, so carrying them to performances is very easy.

They are made of bamboo, and like a flute in a Western orchestra, they are held horizontally. Dizi have an embouchure, or blowing hole over which the player bows air, similar to a Western concert flute. They also have finger holes that create different notes when covered.

There is an additional hole between the embouchure and the finger holes that is covered with a membrane that creates a unique sound when air passes over it.

Answer: Bansuri

A traditional bansuri is made of a hollow piece of bamboo into which six or seven finger holes are carved. There are actually two types of bansuri. The first is the transverse type where the instrument is held horizontally and air is blown over the embouchure like a Western flute.

The second is the fipple type where the instrument is held vertically and air is blown down into it like a recorder. Of the other options given, the daegeum is a woodwind instrument from Korea, the palendag is a woodwind instrument from the Philippines, and the shvi is a woodwind instrument from Armenia.

Answer: True

A fipple flute is a non-reeded instrument that is held vertically. The fipple flutes have a small mouthpiece through which air is compressed as the player blows through. The flageolet is a version of a fipple flute. The French version, with four holes on the front and two on the back, dates back as far as the 17th century.

There is also a British version of the flageolet, but it was created in the 19th century, and has more holes than the French version.

Answer: Didgeridoo

The didgeridoo is over 1,500 years old. It is a long hollow tube that typically ranges from 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft) long, with an average size of about 1.2 m (4 ft) long. These woodwind instruments were traditionally made from hardwoods such as eucalyptus that were harvested from the areas where they were played. Different pitches come from the different sizes, with the longer ones having a lower pitch.

This international instrument is played by continuously expressing air into the instrument while vibrating the lips at the mouthpiece end.

This is done using something called circular breathing where air is breathed in through the nose while air that is stored in the mouth by closing off the back of the palate is pushed through the lips by compressing it with the cheeks and tongue.

Answer: Gemshorns

Examples of gemshorns that date to the 15th century have been found. They were traditionally mainly made from goat horns, but modern gemshorns are made with cattle horns. This wind instrument is played through a fipple mouthpiece that is fitted to the wide end of the horn.

This is a non-reeded whistle mouthpiece that compresses air as the player blows through it. The music is made as the various holes are covered with the fingers. The pointed end of the horn is left intact. This forces the air from the mouthpiece at the wide end out through the holes. Of the other woodwind options given in this question, the yerbomatófono is a wind instrument from South America, the kaval originated in the Balkans, and the koudi is a small woodwind that originated in China.

Answer: Alphorn

Instruments similar to these woodwinds were traditionally used by mountain-dwellers to communicate with one another across vast spaces in the Alps and the Carpathians. Today, they are considered musical instruments. They are long tubes carved out of a single piece of softwood with a hardwood bell-shaped cup attached to the end.

This woodwind even made it into "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" when the Grinch steals the clothes of an alphorn player. The alphorn is also featured in commercials for Swiss-made Ricola cough drops.

Answer: Japan

Shakuhachi are made from bamboo. They are played vertically, and have holes on top for the fingers and on the bottom for a thumb. The shakuhachi is a reedless instrument where the player blows over the top of the mouthpiece, similar to blowing over the top of a bottle opening.

This woodwind has a long history, including the sharing of its name with similar instruments over the years. The modern day woodwind, known as the fuke shakuhachi (普化尺八), was created in the 16th century.

Answer: Ocarina

Ocarinas are a small, handheld woodwind instruments, examples of which can be found in many cultures. It has been important in Chinese musical history, and examples of ocarinas have been found in Europe and South America dating to around the 19th century. Most ocarinas are made of pottery, but some are made of wood or metal.

There are a few different styles of ocarinas, including styles with different numbers of holes, different shapes, internal chambers, and even small keys or slides. The ocarina is played by blowing into the mouthpiece that sticks out from the side, and covering the holes and regulating the breath to produce the sounds.

Answer: Pipe-horn

The Welsh pibgorn or "pipe-horn" has an ancient history in the music of that country. There are mentions of pipes in ancient Welsh texts dating to before the mid-1200s AD. The pipe is typically made by hollowing out a single piece of wood or bone. Holes are then drilled into the pipe, and a single reed is affixed to produce a vibration.

The reed is made from a shaving of elder, or an actual reed. Finally, a hollow cow's horn is placed at the bottom of the instrument with the narrower end attached to the instrument to help with sound amplification. Sometimes, bags are also attached, similar to Scottish bagpipes.

The pibgorn is a very popular woodwind instrument in Welsh folk music.

Answer: Clarinet

The tárogató is a very old woodwind instrument. There is evidence in written Hungarian documents that it existed as early as the 15th century. It is a single-reeded instrument that, from a distance, looks quite similar to the instrument shown here (a clarinet).

In history, it was a loud instrument, and was used to gather troops on the battlefield similar to a bugle in days of yore. In 1890, a newer tárogató was developed. It is made of wood and capable of playing softer music. In the 21st century, this woodwind instrument is sometimes used by jazz musicians.