Summerhays Music Center offers a full line of Woodwind instruments. We carry everything from student model to professional model instruments, available for purchase or rent-to-own.

Our Professional Band Department includes three full time technicians and two professional band consultants and available to help you determine which instrument or item is right for you. From mutes to mouthpieces, reeds, or upgraded instruments, our knowledgeable staff can turn a somewhat intimidating situation into an easy selection process! Stop in any time and we will be happy to assist you!

The saxophone is one of the few instruments not gradually developed over time. It was invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840’s and is a relatively young part of the musical family. Sax’s intention was to create something with the tonal qualities of both brass and woodwind instruments. The sax is divided into four types: alto, tenor, baritone, and soprano.

A recent discovery of a 40,000-year-old vulture-bone flute is likely the worlds oldest recognizable musical instrument. Early flutes were often made of wood, stone, and bone. More recent flutes have been constructed of glass, ceramic, brass, and other metals. The flute, part of the woodwind family, includes the piccolo, E flat, concert, alto, and bass flutes.

Johann Christoph Denner invented the clarinet in Germany around the beginning of the 18th century. By adding a register key to a folk instrument called the chalumeau, Denner was able to extend the range of the instrument significantly. Over time, additional keywork and airtight pads were added to improve tone and playability.

The piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family. The modern piccolo has most of the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written, giving rise to the name ottavino (Italian for “little octave”).

The oboe is a double-reed instrument and a member of the woodwind family. The original name for the Oboe was Hautbois —a French word meaning “high wood,” dating back to the 17th century when the modern oboe first began its development. The first oboes were much simpler than the instruments oboists play now, originally using only three keys until the 19th century when the seven-key oboe was made.

The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor clefs, and occasionally the treble. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band, and chamber music literature.