The Fingering Forum

RE: questions on oboe

Author: TorusTubarius  Date:   2003-09-24 05:05 If you feel like you're having to blow harder than on the flute or clarinet to play the oboe, then you're on the right track. The oboe works on air <i>speed</i> as opposed to air <i>volume</i>. The actual amount of air that is able to pass through the obviously small opening of the reed is quite small; however the speed of this air must be very fast in order to maintain good intonation, dynamic control, and a solid, resonant tone. The amount of air actually used is so small in fact that you will have to evacuate some of the leftover stale air out of your lungs before you inhale when you take a breath. Otherwise you will have an increasing amount of deoxygenated air in your lungs which will eventually halt your ability to breath and thus your ability to continue blowing through the oboe altogether. Maintaining this fast air speed is accomplished by developing an "internal resistance" inside your body before the air even leaves your mouth. You do this by first activating your abdominal muscles so that they are always tight and providing ample support. As you blow down through the oboe, you should feel as if your abdomen is holding on tightly to the air inside, allowing only the fastest and most focused air stream to exit--this is what I mean by "internal resistance". This is also why most people describe blowing on the oboe for the first time as "the closest their head's ever come to exploding". Next, your air stream should be additionally focused in the throat and mouth. To do this, I think of forming a passageway through the pharynx and into the oral cavity that aims the air up along the roof of the mouth. I focus this air as if I were aiming it up and out through the bridge of my nose or between my eyebrows (the glabella for you anatomy people), not down along the tongue and out of the mouth, even though in reality that is where the wind is heading. I find doing this gives me a far greater degree of control, and keeps me from playing with my mouth and throat too open, which can lead to a wild and unfocused tone. I know with both flute and clarinet (saxophone too) you supposed to play with a more open throat so as to allow for a larger, more boisterous air column. This is however not as important on the oboe, and can in fact be taken to an extreme that is deleterious to your playing since it tries to force too much air at once down the reed instead of faster, more focused air. The same could be said for a mouth that is too open. Playing the oboe for 2 to 3 hours continuously would be tiring to anyone, not just someone who's only been playing for 6 months. I don't really know much about Forrest Music or SingingDog reeds or their level of resistance. However, if you want to lessen the resistance of the reed, you should use a reed knife to thin the corners of the tip on each side and on both blades. Try to do this evenly, and avoid scraping cane out too close to the middle of the tip, lest other playing characteristics of the reed such as tone or response be affected. Pastoral tone full of calmness and beauty sounds like a pretty good description to me. That's at least one side of the oboe, anyway. If you plan on continuing playing the oboe, I would recommend getting teacher. The oboe is replete with its own host of musical and technical challenges that are much easier to approach with the guidance of someone who's already been down that road. It's pretty much the hardest wind instrument there is to play, possibly tied with French horn, so be perseverent. It is also in my opinion, the most rewarding. Let us know if you have any more questions. Good luck.

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