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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000028.txt from 2005/04
From: PhilFrei@-----.com
Subj: [DR-L] Springs & Finger tension
Date: Mon, 04 Apr 2005 16:24:24 -0400
Hi Keith -
Thank you so much for your comments! The clarinet perspective is very
interesting.
>>It is true that clarinets and flutes are very agile. My opinion is that this
is a voicing/acoustic issue rather than keywork, that is, they speak more
easily when one changes note. But I don't play the oboe so may be quite
wrong.<<
Actually, a note on the oboe speaks very quickly. I recall seeing a JASA
(Journal of the Acoustical Society of America) that put the oboe as having one of
the quickest responses of musical instruments. (I can't recall the issue, I
think it was from the late 1960's or 70's.)
That said, there are a lot of practical difficulties getting the oboe to
speak during everyday playing, and while some of it is inherent in the very fact
of a double reed (unlike the clarinet, there must be enough vibation for the
blades to close in order for there to be a tone), a lot of it has to do with the
mechanism and with fingering issues. Slight timing breaks in the fingering
can bring the sound to a dead halt. Classic examples: going from any half-hole
or first octave fingering to an A or B, if the half-hole or octave key is late
closing; going up to the third octave D or Eb if the half hole is late in
opening; going to or from a low forked F to any note below, if the E-finger is
open when the other fingers (e.g., C or Db) are down. (Some of these are perhaps
less problematic with well-regulated springs.)
Also, keeping the oboe pads in regulation so that there are no leaks (leaks
increase the difficulty of getting a tone out, especially in the low register)
is not a trivial task. Presumably, the JASA acousticians had an oboe that was
well regulated when they did their study.
Of course, we also have the excuse that oboe reed-making takes up practice
time. But I wouldn't be surprised if we give up 100's if not 1000's of hours
trying to master cross-fingerings due to the F# - A/G imbalances (just one of the
issues caused by key tension imbalances), that could otherwise be spent
learning to whiz around.
(How do those oboists that play Pasculli do it???!!!)
I've finally had enough frustration with the cross-fingerings that I'm trying
something different: changing the mechanism as described in the earlier
email. As I am not a professional (aspiring, yes, and doing a few gigs here and
there), please take my words/ideas with a grain of salt. I may be going down the
wrong path. But I think it is an interesting path worth exploring.
Phil Freihofner
Albany, CA
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