“Brass” is surely not as common as calling horns “Horns” though? You’ve now got me wondering about the implications flute doubling 😀

Woodwinds were called such originally because they were all made out of wood (remember, flutes and recorders are also classified woodwinds, but never had a reed. All the original woodwinds were made out of wood without exception.) Largely because of the similarity of the mouthpiece to the clarinet (but not because of the material of the reed), some classify the saxophone as a woodwind. In rock and blues, however, it is more common to refer to all the horns as “brass.” Many musicologists refer to the saxophone as a “bastard” instrument (with pejorative unintended) because it really has no clearly agreed upon taxonomical placement.

In the spirit of FWIW.

Thanks Mary!