The term CLARINET COUSIN is composed of five crossword solutions: OBOE (4 letters), OBOES (5 letters), REEDS (5 letters), REED (4 letters), and REEDY (5 letters), as well as ALTO (4 letters). The OBOE and the clarinet are both woodwind instruments, and they are cousins in the sense that they are both double-REED instruments. The reeds used to play these instruments are made from a type of grass called Arundo donax, and they are cut to the desired shape and then soaked in water to make them pliable. The REED is placed between the player's lips and vibrates when air is blown through it. The REEDY sound produced by the OBOE and clarinet is unique and recognizable. The ALTO clarinet is a member of the clarinet family, and it is pitched one octave lower than the standard clarinet.