The literature about Italian musicians who journeyed all over Europe was the source of the very first proof of the steel-string mandolins. An example of a mandolin built in these early times was the mandolin by Giuseppe Vinaccia which is preserved in London, England. Geatano Vinaccia built the very first known mandolin in 1744. Oboe The oboe is member of the woodwind family and has a double reed. It is a soprano-range instrument with a length of sixty-two centimeters. It has a conical bore that widens into a flaring bell at the end. The origin of its name could be traced back to the English instrument hautbois or hoboy before 1770. The downside of a metal piccolo is that it produces pitchy or sharp sounds. While metal piccolos are better for beginners or long-term exposure, wooden piccolos are often played by professionals because it has a mellower pitch. Most are not completely made of wood because the mouthpiece may still be metallic. Possible origins and early use In Europe, the crumhorn was used in the 1300 s to the 1600 s. It is said to originate from the chanter of bagpipes and the bladder pipe. These could have been possibly played at the court of England s King Henry the Eighth because he owned twenty-five pieces of the instrument. Zithers and lyres have strings that are fastened to at least a point on the tailpiece or wrest pins near the soundboard and lie parallel to it. In contrast, the harp s strings stem straight from the soundboard and lie perpendicular to it. The lyre in modern Greece You can no longer see the classical lyre being played in Greece nowadays. These are called end-blown. Another basic type is the side-blown flute. The hole in which the player blows is at the side of the tube. One more is the fipple flute which has a duct that maneuvers the air onto the edge. Fipple flutes are easier to play and has a distinct timbre compared to other flutes.