Doublereed Archive - Posting 000007.txt from 2003/05

From: "Ludemas" <ludema@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [DR-L] opening throat upper register oboe
Date: Thu, 1 May 2003 17:00:52 -0400

I have to jump in here. Could someone explain the physical properties
behind an "open throat"? The trachea can't actual expand and contract
can it? And moving all the other stuff in the throat (swelling of the
neck, etc.) shouldn't affect the air stream any, or does it? I
understand how the mouth would affect things, and perhaps the opening of
the throat at the point where it connects to the mouth (I don't know if
that can be controlled voluntarily or not). What actually "opens or
closes", and does the "swelling of the neck" actually affect the air?
I've used the term "open your throat" myself for a long time, but one of
my students (a physician, actually), challenged me on it recently. I
promised to do some research, and this is a good opportunity. Any
answers?
Beth

-----Original Message-----
From: doublereed-l-admin@-----.edu
[mailto:doublereed-l-admin@-----.edu] On Behalf Of David Lurie
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 1:27 PM
To: doublereed-l@-----.edu
Subject: Re: [DR-L] opening throat upper register oboe

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
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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