Klarinet Archive - Posting 000191.txt from 1994/02

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Feeling oboeist's bellys
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 1994 20:50:43 -0500

We have an all female oboe section and if I go around asking to
feel their bellys while they play, I'll be facing a sexual
harrasment charge.

But seriously folks ...

Cary, I am not sure that I am prepared to accept an oboeists view on
how he or she achieves the vibrato. While I have no facts on this
specific matter, my experience tells me that these folk tales
get passed from one to the other until they take on a patina of
fact. That might not be the case at all with oboe vibrato but
I don't consider them (or us for that matter) to be objective
observers. We tend to repeat stories that we heard from our
teachers and we are far too uncritical of the ones given to us.

I would much rather hear from someone familiar with human anatomy
who would describe how one could exercize sufficient control over
the diaphragm to enable it to move with the kind of regularity and
speed needed to achieve vibrato.

And also, if your remember my original note on this matter, the
entire question about the diaphragm may be moot. I was asking
about pitch vibrato and, as you have said, diaphragm motion
produces only pulse vibrato.

Bottom line: I have a lot to learn (and I am not feeling any
bellys except my wife's and she does not play oboe) but I don't
want to learn it from someone who may be relying on unscientific
instinct, something that seems to be the case with oboeists when
they speak of vibrato (though I mean no disrespect to our
musical colleagues).

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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