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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000035.txt from 2004/12

From: Rhondda May <rmay@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Left thumb position on oboe
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 06:20:45 -0500

Interestingly, my first teacher, a clarinetist, taught me to put my
left thumb on the wood just under the octave key like you need to on
the clarinet. Later I was told not to do that, and I've discovered
that having the thumb rest gently on the wood, without any pressure,
works best. The thumb is roughly at a 90 degree angle to the octave
key.

I would strongly advise against "holding" the left thumb anywhere on
the wood/plastic!
It should just rest, so that it takes the least possible effort to put
it on the octave key and remove it. If you try to "hold" the oboe,
pinching your left thumb and forefinger together, you will vastly
impair your technique.

There is nothing inherently wrong with letting one's thumb leave the
wood, just only the chance that if it goes "out for coffee", it'll be
gone when you need it.

Rhondda

On 11 Dec 04, at 5:10 AM, Lacy, Edwin wrote:

>
> <<<I am curious how other oboists position the left thumb while
> playing.>>>
>
> The technique you described as the one you have been using sounds to me
> like the most workable approach.
>
> Oboists who formerly played the clarinet often have less of a problem
> with this. On the clarinet, one becomes accustomed to the technique of
> operating the register key while keeping the thumb in place on the
> thumb
> hole. A similar approach tends to work well on the oboe.
>
> I have heard John Mack say, "The thumb should always remain on the
> wood." (I guess that could also be, "on the plastic.") And, I'm sure
> he didn't mean moving from one place to another on the wood, but rather
> remaining in the "clarinet-like" position I described above.
>
> There is one advantage to keeping the thumb completely off the oboe
> when
> not using the octave key, and that is that students can't press down
> hard with the fingers if the thumb isn't on the back of the instrument
> to counterbalance that force. Thus, occasional playing in that way can
> promote relaxation of the hand.
>
> In any event, I feel that the one technique that must be avoided is to
> place the thumb somewhere on the wood, not necessarily near the octave
> key, and then to pick it up and move it to the octave key when needed.
> Unfortunately, this is the way many students learn to play, and it is a
> very difficult habit to break.
>
> Ed Lacy
> University of Evansville
>
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