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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000008.txt from 2008/01
From: John Towle <gtowle839@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Oboe - flat second octave key notes
Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2008 11:01:12 -0500
Hi Shawn,
Sounds like a lack of support up there & not a problem
with the reed. When I get lazy or tired, the same
thing happens to me. After her initial long tone
warmup, have her play a scale starting low & going
high with incremental increase in diaphragm pressure
with the belly button pressing back towards the spine,
but keeping a relaxed embouchure, just firm enough to
prevent air from escaping out each side of her lips.
If the reed is right, the oboe in proper adjustment &
the fingering correct, those notes should play fine.
But the support must increase as she goes up the
scale, especially from top space E in the staff to
second octave & beyond. She should visualize the belly
button pressing against the inner side of the spinal
column. It may seem goofy to express it this way but
have her try it & see what happens. Also have her drop
her chin/"open" her throat as much as possible on the
high C or that note will have a tendency towards going
sharp. To quote Tom Stacy, have her keep a grapefruit
on her tongue. It is unimpeded compressed air pure &
simple (oh, how I wish it were ;-)) that makes it
all happen, but it has to start at the solar plexus,
fer shure, as they say out here.
Best, Happy New Year & hope to see you in Provo.
john
--- Oboehotty@-----.com wrote:
Hi everyone, Its been a while since I have written and
I hope that everyone had a wonderful new year.
I have a college student who for some time I have been
puzzled by her problems. No matter what I do or say,
she always goes extremely flat on the second octave
key notes (A, B, and C). I have tried every analogy I
know to get her to open up inside her mouth and keep
enough firmness against the reed (short of biting) to
keep them up to pitch with no success. I wish I had a
tool to see inside her mouth and throat while she is
playing, to identify what she might be doing wrong.
She has even switched oboes from an older Marigaux to
a new Fossati Artiste. I have tried many different
reed styles with her, and nothing seems to work, short
of her biting the heck out of the reed on that note.
She has some minor pitch issues all around the horn,
but nothing that is out of the ordinary that we don't
experience on the oboe (low D, high c and c#, etc..)
I am puzzled -- any suggestions?
shawn
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