In the Middle Ages, in Europe, there was a family of J-shaped woodwind instruments called krumhorns. Krumhorns make a funny buzzing sound, and they can still be heard in ensembles specializing in early music. Another medieval woodwind, the shawm, was something like a large oboe. It made a loud, trumpety sound and was used for fanfares and dance music. Many countries have their own version of the shawm, including Japan, Kenya, Iraq, and Spain.
Italian shepherds make and play a shawm called a piffaro.
One of the most popular instruments in Japan is a vertical bamboo flute with five finger holes, called a shakuhachi. People in Tanzania play a transverse flute called a mlanzi. The saxophone was invented in 1840 by a Belgian inventor named Adolphe Sax. But once in awhile, they make a guest appearance with the orchestra. Some composers, like Debussy, especially liked the sound of the saxophone and made a point of including it in their orchestral pieces.