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The Woodwind section is usually formed by two Flutes, two Oboes, two Clarinets and two Bassoons, although it can reach until five players per instrument in huge compositions. Some instruments of the family can be added or be doubled by a musician, like the Piccolo in the Flutes, the English Horn in the Oboes, the Bass Clarinet and the Piccolo Clarinet in the Clarinets; and the Contrabassoons in the Bassons. These instruments make the section more colourful and rich in timbres.
There are two types of Woodwinds: the Flute and the Reed instruments, even though all them produce the sound by blowing them. The Flute family does not have Reed and it produces the vibration by blowing in its tone hole. The Reed instruments are divided in two subfamilies: the Single Reed instruments and the Double Reed instruments. The Single Reed instruments produce the sound by placing a big reed onto the opening part of a mouthpiece. The Single Reed instruments are: the Clarinet family and, exceptionally in the orchestra, the Saxophone family. Regarding the Double Reed instruments, they use a cane folded double wrapped on a metal tube. When the doubled cane is cut it provide two precisely canes. The Double Reed instruments are: the Oboe and the Bassoon family.