Why is a saxophone a member of the woodwind and not the brass family?

Question:

Why is a saxophone a member of the woodwind and not the brass family?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Because the saxophone produces sound by way of a reed. Flutes and piccolos are actually the only woodwinds that do not use a reed to produce sound. In years gone past however, flutes and piccolos were made out of wood, so they were classified as woodwinds. Nowadays, orchestral piccolo players use wooden piccolos to give it that warm sound.

One easy way to distinguish woodwinds from brass is whether or not an instrument has keys. All woodwinds have keys. No brass instruments have keys. With the exception of the trombone, which has a slide, all brass instruments have valves. (There are valve trombones out there as well...)