The Fingering Forum

RE: I NEED A BETTER OBOE INTONATION!!!

Author: Torus Tubarius  Date:   2002-10-29 23:08 Wait, you were majoring in clarinet? Does this mean you are in college or what? The biggest problem I see is that you are taking lessons from someone who doesn't play oboe... Umm... yeah you will find quickly that that isn't a good idea, no matter how much talent your tutor may have in music. The oboe is a demanding instrument with a host of its own peculiarities that someone with only a cursory understanding of how to play it would not be able to help you with. I guess you've already figured out it's nothing like clarinet. (At least I hope that's the way it feels to you) Next I must reiterate what Laura said and ask what kind of reeds you're playing on. If you are playing on storebought reeds, I suggest you find a player who makes his own and start buying them from him/her. Ideally you should seek out several players, and use the person's reeds with which you are most comfortable. Then you can learn to make your own. Also what kind of oboe are you playing on? That can make a big difference in the tone, response, intonation, etc. The production of a good tone on the oboe is the result of three factors: the reed, emboucure, and air. I suspect after only three months of playing AND coming from clarinet, you are having difficulties with all of the above. The reed I've already talked about. Emboucure is probably the most confusing part of oboe playing. As Laura said you should strive to keep your chin pulled down and flattened. You should avoid biting down on the reed at all costs, yet take care not to open your teeth too much. (I find the width it takes to place my ring finger between my teeth is most effective for me.) Your lips should apply roughly equal LIGHT pressure around the entire reed, like the opening of a drawstring pouch. No air should escape from the sides of the reed as is the habit of many clarinetists. You should try and imagine it as if pulling down your chin is sealing your lips around the reed in one motion. In this manner your lips should almost feel like you're about to whistle, except that they are more rolled inwards (though not too far inwards as that can also be detrimental). Once you have a correct emboucure, you have to work on your concept of blowing air through the horn. This is also quite different from clarient, or any other woodwind for that matter, even bassoon. You should work on building up an "internal resistance" to your air flow. Your stomach should be activated and pushing tightly with every note you play, loud or soft. It should feel like you're holding your breath and pushing hard against your glottis with your abdominal muscles. Then when you go to blow on the oboe, take care not to let too much air go at once, but to make your air stream highly focused with the pressure generated by the activation of your abdominal muscles. It's helpful to me if I imagine that I'm aiming my air like a beam emanating from the bridge of my nose or from between my eyebrows. This air pressure will blow depth and resonance in your tone if you have a decent reed and emboucure. If you're quacking on low notes, you can try taking a little bit of the reed out of your mouth and making your emboucure a little more O-shaped to get a clearer tone. Actually you should feel your emboucure change from an O-shape to a more shape more like you're saying "EEE" as you ascend the range. This becomes especially important as you go below the low G and as you go above the A, first line above the staff. That's everything I can think of right now. Feel free to write back with more questions. Good luck.

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