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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000011.txt from 2004/09
From: OhSuzan419@-----.com
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Oboe Vs. Clarinet
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 10:04:36 -0400
My first instrument was clarinet, and I have been playing it, off and on, for more than 40 years. I took up the oboe only last year, so obviously, my experience there is not nearly as extensive.
From my perspective, I have found the oboe to be considerably easier to play than the clarinet. The compass (note range) of the clarinet is greater than that of the oboe, and the tuning issues are often just as bothersome, so you must deal with them on many more notes. Clarinet reeds, while apparently less-complicated than oboe reeds, have just as much impact on a clarinetist's playing as they do an oboist's, and are fundamentally just as frustrating to acquire and adjust.
In addition, the clarinetist must also contend with mouthpiece selection -- the choice of mouthpiece is critical to the achievement of a beautiful sound -- and with barrel selection, which influences the tuning of the instrument. By comparison, I find setting up the oboe to be relatively simple -- quite a relief, actually.
I have only ever played on an oboe which has plateau keys, and I have to say that this also makes life simpler. I don't know how I'd feel with an oboe that had open holes, comparable to the open holes of the clarinet.
The other thing that is an issue for me in the clarinet/oboe comparison is the weight of the instrument. I am an average sized woman but with tiny hands and wrists, and as I have gotten older, I have struggled more and more with the weight of the clarinet and a general feeling of unwieldiness about it. The oboe's more petite dimensions suit me better.
The truth of the matter seems to be that there is "no free lunch" with any instrument.
Susan
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