Woodwind Books
(Updated 30 April 2008)

This page contains our woodwind books. The books are either for woodwinds in general or about more than one woodwind instrument. Woodwind Music now has a page of its own.


Notice!

Our server has detected that you do not have Javascript turned on.

Here are instructions for enabling Javascript: Javascript Help.

If you have an old browser, you might consider a new one.
The Mozilla Firefox browser is highly recommended:
Get Firefox!
If necessary you can navigate using our Site Map.

You may search for a title, author, or any other text on this page by using the
Edit menu Find command (shortcut Ctrl+F or Mac Command+F).


Woodwind Books
WW001: Acoustical Aspects of Woodwind Instruments, Revised Edition by C. J. Nederveen. Northern Illinois University Press, PB, 160 pages. A detailed mathematical study of the subject. Contents include: the excitation mechanism of woodwinds, holes and bore perturbations, examples, and an addendum of developments since 1969 first edition. (Published in July 1998.)
29.95
WW007: Clarinet, Saxophone, & Flute Repair Manual - Step by Step Easy Directions for Overhauling Your Instrument by Lawrence Frank, Frank Woodwind Repair, SB, 76 pages. This books was written because of the author's dissatisfaction with other repair manuals. It is intended for clarinet, saxophone, and flute players from high school through professionals who want to work on their own instruments. It is also recommended for band directors who need to do emergency repairs.
19.95
WW16: The Classical Woodwind Cadenza, A Workbook by David Lasocki & Betty Bang Mather. McGinnis & Marx, 1979, SS, 60 pages. This workbook is designed to involve the performer of eighteenth-century woodwind music in the composition of classical cadenzas. Included are examples of the few surviving cadenzas preserved in published and manuscript form.
15.95

New!WW33: The Development of Woodwind Fingering Systems in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries by Jerry L. Voorhees. Voorhees Publishing Co., 2000, PB, 230 pages. Truly a labor of love, this book's purpose is to describe, illustrate and classify as many fingering systems as possible dating from about 1831 to the present. The book considers in detail, both the similarities and differences in development of each instrument through this time period. This is followed by extensive diagrams of the mechanisms of many instruments from each of the woodwind families.
49.95
WW002: A Guide to Repairing Woodwinds by Ronald Saska., Roncorp, SB, 273 pages. This book was originally developed for the woodwind repair courses at the State University of New York, College at Morrisville. The book is intended for those who wish to learn professional repair techniques using professional equipment.  The clarinet is the subject of  the basic repair instruction. Additional information is provided for repairing oboes, flutes, bassoons, saxophones, and harmony clarinets. Nine appendices include useful reference information on equipment and supplies. 
39.95
WW14: Free Ornamentation in Woodwind Music 1700-1775 by Betty Bang Mather & David Lasocki. McGinnis & Marx, 1976, SB, 158 pages. This book on free ornamentation is intended for woodwind performers. The authors have found written out examples of ornamentation in manuscripts of the period and presented them along with guidelines for various composers and schools of playing (Italian, French, etc.)
21.95
WW15: Interpretation of French Music from 1675 to 1775 by Betty Bang Mather. McGinnis & Marx, 1973, SS, 104 pages. Subtitled: For Woodwind and Other Performers, Additional Comments on German and Italian Music. This book focuses on the 50 years from 1700 to 1750 when woodwind (especially flute) music was popular and the performance practices for French music were distinctive. The three principal subjects are rhythmic inequality, articulation, and ornamentation. The book is packed with musical examples and includes appendices, bibliography, and index. 
19.95
WW008: Principles of the Flute, Recorder and Oboe by Jacques-Martin Hotteterre translated, with introduction and notes by Paul Marshall Douglas. Dover, PB, 73 pages. The finest flutist of his time, Jacques-Martin Hotteterre (1680?-1760?) wrote this instruction book for the transverse flute, recorder and oboe. This work has considerable practical use today as well as its importance in the historical development of the flute. Most significantly it contains an extensive discussion of ornaments and embellishments of the period. Despite its importance it was not available in English prior the original publication of this translation in 1968.
7.95
WW26: Saxophone Mouthpiece Selection by Robert Scarff. Jamey Aebersold Jazz, 2006, SB, 88 pages. This book contains information on mouthpiece parts and design, guidelines in selecting a mouthpiece for the type of sound you need, facing charts for commercial saxophone and clarinet mouthpieces, and chamber designations of some representative brands of saxophone mouthpieces. This book also includes guidance on reed adjustments, some maintenance tips, and some musician jokes. While this book is primarily oriented toward the saxophonist, clarinetists will also find useful information here. This is a new printing by a regular music publisher (it was previously self-published by the author) at a big reduction over the old $22.95 price.
9.95
WW011: Wind Chamber Music - For Two to Sixteen Winds - An Annotated Guide by Barbera Secrist-Schmedes. Scarecrow Press, 2002, HB, 307 pages. This book is a companion to the author's first book (see below).  It contains annotated entries of chamber works for woodwinds (including horn).  There are chapters for each number (two, three, etc.) of winds arranged by composer. In addition to the composer (with nationality and dates), title, instrumentation, date, duration, arranger (if any) and publisher; many entries include difficulty ratings and descriptions. Note: this book does not contain works for like instruments (two double reeds, three flutes, four clarinets, etc.). Since this book is recent, the list of publishers which includes many email addresses and websites should be very useful.
64.95
WW012: Wind Chamber Music - Winds with Piano and Woodwind Quintets - An Annotated Guide by Barbera Secrist-Schmedes. Scarecrow Press, 1996, HB, 186 pages. About one quarter of this book is a listing of works for two to five dissimilar woodwinds (including horn) and piano. The rest lists woodwind quintets. The listings include composer (with nationality and dates), title, instrumentation, date, duration, arranger (if any), publisher; and the catalog number of any known recording. Many entries have descriptions.
47.95
WW006: Woodwind Instruments and Their History by Anthony C. Baines. Dover, PB, 384 pages. By  the author of Musical Instruments Through the Ages. The definitive book on woodwind history, fully illustrated. The book is divided into two parts, Part One, The Woodwind Today, includes a general introduction, the flute, piccolo, reeds and reed-making, the oboe, the clarinet, and the bassoon. Part Two, History, has chapters on The Primitive Flute World, Early Reed Instruments and Double-piping, Medieval Wind Music, The Sixteenth Century and the Consorts, The Eighteenth Century and the Classical Woodwind, and Mechanization. The book also includes three appendices, bibliography, glossary of terms, and an index.
13.95
 

Bindings:  HB: Hard Bound,  PB: Perfect Bound (paperback with square spine),  SS: Saddle Stitch (paper, folded and stapled),  LB: Library Tape Bound (perfect binding finished with library tape),  SB: Spiral Bound (plastic or metal)

Van Cott Information Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 9569
Las Vegas, NV 89191
Phone: 702-438-2102  Fax: 801-650-1719
Email:  info@vcisinc.com