The hypothalamus (from Greek á½ÏÏ, under and Î¸Î¬Î»Î±Î¼Î¿Ï, thalamus) is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland (hypophysis).
Instrument Families in Music The instrument families are made up of four main families: woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion. The pictures below include some of the instruments in each musical family. The instruments have an audio file to listen to the instrument sound. Scroll down the page to see all of the instruments. Woodwind Family - Woodwind instruments produce a sound by blowing into a mouthpiece. Some woodwind instruments use a reed to make the sounds play. Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player. Brass Family - Brass instruments are played by 'buzzing' the lips into the mouthpiece.
The saxophone is commonly mistaken for a brass instrument, but it is actually a woodwind because it has a reed in the mouthpiece for generating sound. All saxophones have a single-reed mouthpiece that is typically made of cane, a wood that is similar to bamboo.