The transverse flute, the one that is played horizontally, is a very old instrument found in ancient and primitive cultures.  It was known in Europe by the 19^th century.  Many improvements in the design of the instrument have been made over the years.  Most notable were the improvements of the German flute maker, Theobald Boehm. His design was patented in 1847 and is the model most widely used today. Other instruments in the flute family are the piccolo, alto and bass.

Piccolo	C-Flute
Bass Flute	Alto Flute

Clarinet
The clarinet was invented about 1700 by the German flute maker Johann Christophe Denner.  It is a single reed instrument and is generally made of wood or plastic. Modern clarinets have 20 or more side holes to produce different pitches; some are open, to be closed by the player's fingers, and others are covered by padded keys. The most common clarinet is the B-flat soprano.  Other instruments in the clarinet family are the A soprano, E-flat alto, bass and a contra bass.  

B-flat Soprano	E-flat Soprano
Bass Clarinet

The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax of Belgium in 1840. It is listed in the woodwind family of instruments even though it is made of metal. Like the clarinet, it is a single reed instrument.  Depending on the player, it can produce a wide range of tonal qualities and can be heard in classical, jazz and popular music.  The instruments in the saxophone family are the soprano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass. 

 

Soprano	Alto	Tenor
Bass	Baritone