 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: claire70
Date: 2008-11-12 17:10
Here's something I've been wondering about. There are lots of discussions on here about our different conceptions of sound quality, and how that can change depending on the style of reed, or the instrument played. But how far is the sound an oboist make purely individual, based on their physiognomy? If you gave the same reed and the same oboe to two different people, would they sound more or less the same, or quite different? (Presuming the reed suited both of them in terms of resistance etc, of course.)
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Author: D
Date: 2008-11-12 18:57
Well my teacher certainly sounds different to me when she plays my instrument and reeds. I couldn't tell you if she sounds the same as on her gear because my ears are not good enough,but I can tell you that I wish I sounded halfway as good on my equipment as she does. We certainly don't make the same noise on the same stuff. It would be interesting to take two pro players and make them play a series of instruments and reeds and see how they sounded.
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Author: claire70
Date: 2008-11-12 19:46
I guess that's what I mean - is there a difference between two otherwise equally good, professional-level players?
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Author: vboboe
Date: 2008-11-12 23:27
i've read somewhere that after playing awhile (i think that means decades) one develops one's own characteristic playing voice and every reed and oboe sound like the playing voice, because the player has acquired the necessary skills to masterfully adjust very fast to all the many variables -- so after becoming very familiar with an oboist's characteristic playing voice, listeners can identify them from other players sight unseen
it's like virtuoso violinists, they bow and interpret differently which makes for a uniquely identifiable style of playing
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Author: razafu
Date: 2008-11-13 00:33
Yes, as much difference as there is between Rampal and Galway on the flute.
Every pro has "their" sound...for me, I try to emulate the sound that appeals most to me (on the flute, that's Galway or Leitner.)
I think it's a personal choice, as to what type of timbre and mood one seeks out of an instrument, whether it's oboe or any instrument.
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Author: oboedrew
Date: 2008-11-13 02:31
Certainly the player, the reed, and the instrument all contribute to sound production. It's my opinion that the player is the most important of these three factors, the reed a close second, the instrument a distant third. So two professionals playing on the same reed and same instrument are likely to retain their characteristic sounds, at least to an extent. But a reed that is scraped in accordance with one's basic philosophy of sound production makes it easier to achieve the sound one seeks. Likewise, it's a bit easier to get the sound you want when you choose an oboe that lends itself to that sound. Otherwise, you're fighting your equipment. But, as has already been said by others, a good player can quickly adapt to a different instrument, and even (though less easily) to a different reed. Of course, this all assumes the instrument is basically in adjustment. If it's not, it may not make much of any sound, and then it can counteract the best efforts of even the most skilled players!
Cheers,
Drew
www.oboedrew.com
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Author: claire70
Date: 2008-11-14 15:14
Rats... so I'm never going to sound like my favourite oboists then?!...
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Author: oboedrew
Date: 2008-11-14 19:52
claire70 wrote:
> Rats... so I'm never going to sound like my favourite oboists
> then?!...
Why would you want to sound like them, when you can sound like YOU?
Cheers,
Drew
www.oboedrew.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-11-15 12:23
You can emulate them, but you'll never sound exactly like them.
But don't feel bad - you still have something to aim for.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repair Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: claire70
Date: 2008-11-15 14:23
>Why would you want to sound like them, when you can sound like YOU?
What if I don't like what *I* sound like?! (I'm not sure yet - still working on it...)
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Author: Ian White
Date: 2008-11-15 16:19
Maybe it would be very good to practise copying the sounds of a variety of players. Then you can have the flexibility to blend with other players especially when playing second oboe.
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Author: vboboe
Date: 2008-11-15 21:08
<<What if I don't like what *I* sound like?! I'm not sure yet - still working on it...>>
Yeah, that sure sounds like the learning curve :-)
i've found that my sound comes out gradually and has a brief peak period during practice -- practice starts out cold, monotone, flat and blatty, warms up, tunes up, turns cantabile, sweet and lively for a while, then gradual decay sets in with a long down-hill slide into increasingly more notorious oboe noise
my fingering skills have a different peak period ... they take a long time to limber up, and arrive at better and faster moves ... just as my sound has decayed beyond hope for today's practice ]:-[
but i can say now i generally like what i'm getting at the best moments, if my fingers are on top of everything, it's just that the cantabile, sweet & lively phase doesn't last very long yet ... still workin' on it
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Author: oboedrew
Date: 2008-11-17 18:11
claire70 wrote:
> What if I don't like what *I* sound like?!
Well, don't despair just yet! You can certainly modify your sound by altering your embouchure and such, or even by changing your reeds and/or oboe. Over time, you may find that you can sound more like your favorite players. But, to an extent, you'll always have a unique "voice." In my book, this is a good thing.
Cheers,
Drew
www.oboedrew.com
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