puhkpill

puhkpill is the Estonian term for a wind instrument, a family of musical instruments in which sound is produced by vibrating air. The name derives from roots meaning to blow and instrument. In English-language musicology, puhkpill corresponds to wind instruments or aerophones, a broad category that includes both brass instruments (lip-vibrated) and woodwinds (reeded or edge-blown).

Common examples include brass instruments such as trumpet, trombone, tuba and French horn, and woodwinds such as clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon and saxophone.

History and use: Wind instruments appear in many ancient cultures; flutes and horns date from prehistoric times, and the modern distinction between brass and woodwinds developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, shaping orchestration and pedagogy.

Today, puhkpill are used in orchestras, concert bands, chamber ensembles, traditional musics, film scores, and educational settings around the world.

See also: Aerophone; Brass instrument; Woodwind instrument.