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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000006.txt from 2003/05
From: David Lurie <david.lurie@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] opening throat upper register oboe
Date: Thu, 1 May 2003 15:27:25 -0400
I would like to add my 2 cents here. this subject has come up before, but I
don't recall any resolution to it, and there probably is no resolution to
it as long as different system of playing are used. What you describe I
believe is one of the basic differences between one of the European systems
and the American system of oboe playing. So of course there are going to be
some fundamental factors involved here. I will speak about what I learned
in the American system, in which the throat must be as open as possible at
all times. This allows the production of a ringing vibrant tone quality
that is well supported and which sounds solid. In order to accomplish this,
there must be sufficient resistance in the reed so that when you blow, it
forces the tissues in the throat to remain in an open position. IOW, a
fairly resistant reed is required, to prevent any activity in the throat -
muscles which could only cause it to close and which would interfere with
the production of an open sound. The muscles in that area of the body are
under very little voluntary control, so there's not much that can be done
with them except to interfere with column of air by closing it down. When
this happens - with a less resistant reed - it is possible to produce a
throat vibrato, although that represents an interference with the sound,
not an integral part of it, which the vibrato should be. Vibrato is of
course a separate although closely related subject.
In this system, the reed should allow the use of a full column of air and a
feeling of something fairly substantial to push against when blowing. If it
is done correctly, this will cause the outside of the neck to enlarge and
be visibly larger. The neck should stay that way during the entire time
the instrument is being played - and constitutes proof that the throat is
really fully open. In this system, if the neck/throat combination is used
to modify the sound, then it will have a definite affect on the tone
quality - in my opinion a negative one.
David Lurie
At 06:22 AM 5/1/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>Dear oboists,
>
>I'm a little confused about the opening of the throat while oboe playing.
>My teacher -whom I adore and is really very good!!!- took lessons with T.
>Indermuhle and M. Bourgue and he teached me an exercise to create a
>brilliant tone in the upper register: just take you're reed out of your
>instrument and blow a c on it (not crowing, but playing). Then, by
>changing only the opening of you're throat (making it smaller) move on to
>a cis and d without changing the lippressure!! Then play on the
>instrument the upper register with the narrow opening and the lower
>register with a more open throat. My big problem however is dat when I
>"close" my throat to play the notes in te upper register with more
>brilliance and energy, the pitch is much too high. My teacher says this is
>because my lip pressure is maybe to high, but when I play a high c and I
>don't change my lips and only the opening in my throat,its pitch is
>ascending too!!(and this is only a logical result o! f the exercise I
>think, since the pitch is also rising while making the opening in you're
>throat smaller when playing on the reed alone)
>In panic I consulted the internet about this subject and I did find an
>interesting article about it:
><http://www.idrs.org/publications/Journal/JNL4/oboe.html>http://www.idrs.org/publications/Journal/JNL4/oboe.html
>Unfortunately I'm more confused, since it stresses the importance to play
>with on open throat all up to the upper register with a high speed of air.
>The throat should always be open, this article says.
>Since the director of the orchestra in which I 'm playing also asks an
>open throat I'm desorientated in my oboe playing what's going on about my
>throat. Please, can someone help me?
>
>Thanks a lot,
>Marianne
>
>
>
>
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