Author: d-oboe
Date: 2005-03-14 03:53
UNKOboist-
This is just a question of developing flexibility and strength in the embouchure. Think of embouchure work like gymnastics: developing strength, flexibility AND coordination, all at once.
An oboe embouchure is much more sophisticated than any other instrument: on most other instruments, tuning is achieved by changing the length of the instrument. On oboe, this is not possible: the tube must be pushed in all the way, all the time. No exceptions.
Therefore, oboists much spend much more time on being able to adjust pitch with their embouchure.
An invaluable exercize in shaping and strengthening the embouchure is "reed ups". Basically, roll the reed in and out (but especially out, because it's harder) while maintaining an extremely open embouchure. Really exaggerate the openness, even though where one might play might be slightly more closed. This builds muscle correctly, allowing the reed to vibrate freely within the mouth (the mouth should only act as a seal- not a damper).
Perhaps your player is biting, and using too much jaw. It should not look as though they are smiling while they play- this means that they are chomping down too hard on the reed. The player should be able to, while making a sound, move the oboe up and down, left and right. If not, too much bite.
Your player will most likely feel that they have less control this way. In the beginning, they *will* probably have less control, seeing as there is no muscle built yet. However after practicing LONGGGG TONES with a very open relaxed embouchure sufficient muscle mass will begin to build, and the tone will come into focus.
Long tones are somewhat of a bugaboo with most people: they think that long tones are a waste of time, that nobody does them, and what could they possibly do to improve playing?
What can long tones do? Almost everything. Scales and technique cover one simple aspect of wind playing. Long tones cover everything else: phrasing passages, starting notes, ending notes, coloring notes, endurance, tone quality, resonance, breath capacity, intonation, pitch, concentration and focus, relaxing....I could really go on.
Some students think they don't need them. These students have either never had to play something like the Strauss Concerto (essentially no real stops for 2 minutes) or have never *really* listened to themselves. They make sound and don't analyze it.
It's instantly evident who does their long tones and who doesn't: you just know. players who play out of tune, who run out of breath, who don't improve, and who are sometimes unmusical, don't do long tones.
My point? Your player has a lot of work to do. If she's anything of an oboe player, she'll accept the challenge.
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