 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Corey
Date: 2003-05-09 00:42
I know there is an Oboe BBoard but It isn't nearly as active as this one and I didn't get many responses on this topic when I posted it there....I am considering switching to the oboe....I have been playing clarinet for 6 years and even though I am not taking private lessons I feel that I would succeed on Oboe more than I have in my 6 years of clarinet. I also feel the competition in college for the clarinet would be alot stronger than on Oboe...I know obes are considerably more exspensive but i think I have a great plan to compensate for that. Of course I am a sophomore in high school right now...and I decided to go with oboe I would get private lessons and get started on oboe as soon as possible. My real question is....would this be a good idea to switch to the oboe this late in HS? I have played the oboe before and I didn't think it was as hard as many say it is....I would need to get rid of all of my clarinet habits...there aren't many as I've practically taught myself. I read music to a preety advanced level so I wouldn't need to work on that as much as technique and tone. Thanks for reading all of this and I welcome anything you can tell me. Thanks!- Corey
Post Edited (2003-05-09 01:43)
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Author: Corey
Date: 2003-05-09 00:47
I forgot to mention that I would major in music on clarinet or oboe which ever I chose to continue on.....meaning that I would have two summers (this one and the summer before going to college) and two school years (including private lessons throughout this time) to prepare for college audtions for oboe, or six years on clarinet already plus this summer and two more years of HS plus the summer before college to prepare.....lol- Ok I'm done now....thanks again - Corey
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Author: Clarence
Date: 2003-05-09 01:08
For those who are having a hard time finding the Oboe BBoard:
Click on the 'woodwind.org' emblem in the upper left of the screen.
Click on 'Oboe'.
Click on 'BBoard'.
And then click on 'The Oboe BBoard'.
You are there.
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Author: Fred
Date: 2003-05-09 01:08
I don't see why you shouldn't make the switch if that's what you want to do. I "played" an oboe one summer in high school, and I felt the transition from clarinet wouldn't have been too difficult.
I'm a bit concerned about one of your statements, however, assuming that I understood it correctly. Were you saying that you felt you could become a better oboe player in two years than what you've been able to accomplish in six on clarinet? The thought of switching to avoid competition concerns me if you plan to play an instrument for a living. If you want to teach band, then you don't need to go to a highly competitive school in the first place. There are a lot of really fine band teachers that are not excellent artists on their instruments. There are also a lot of excellent musicians that have been disasters as band directors.
Bottom line is this: decide what you would really enjoy doing . . . and do it. There's time enough later for college choices (unless you are serious about performance, that is.)
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Author: Wes
Date: 2003-05-09 07:03
The oboe will require an artist private teacher, an expensive instrument, endless work on reeds, and a lot of practice. It is completly compatible with the clarinet and you don't have to unlearn anything. They both require practice but the price of admission for the oboe is greater. While one can purchase oboe reeds, most oboe players make their own as the purchased ones are often not optimum. Reeds are a much bigger issue on the oboe than on the clarinet. It will take many years of effort to play well on either one.
The oboe and clarinet cultures are somewhat different. An oboe player finds an extensive baroque repetoire while there is much less written for baroque clarinet, for example.
While the oboe has quite a different fingering system, other aspects of oboe playing are really what makes it difficult and fingering becomes a minor concern.
Phrasing ideas are taught differently for the two instruments, strangely enough, and a player of both benefits thereby.
The oboe is essentially not a jazz instrument while the clarinet has a big jazz presence. Good luck, whatever you decide!
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Author: graham
Date: 2003-05-09 08:09
Nothing in your post gives me the impression that you are attracted to the oboe for its own sake. You have to feel that the instrument goes with you and your personality ("self actualisation" in business jargon), or else you will not do anything special on the oboe.
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Author: Corey
Date: 2003-05-09 12:40
O trust me I am very "attracted" to the oboe itself, I love it's unique tone quality, How dense the the tone is well, I love the way it looks too. The clarinet is just becoming very boring for me....I like it, and like to hear it....but I would probly enjoy playing oboe more.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-05-09 13:22
Def.: "Oboe: An ill wind no one blows good".
Just kidding -- oboe is a wonderful instrument --- I played it for a year back in junior high school (now currently known as 'middle school' in most parts of the US), in parallel with bass clarinet. Completely compatible with clarinet, as noted above, and as for making reeds, that's the aspect of oboe playing I actually enjoyed the most! I intend to take up the oboe again in the very near future to add another double to my "repertoire", and the first thing I'm gonna do is buy the plaque, mandrel, tubes, gouged/shaped/folded cane, thread, etc. and start making myself some reeds --- woohoo!
If you want to get a good tonal concept of the "American" oboe sound, the two best (IMHO) are John deLancie, former Philadelphia Orchestra oboist, and John Mack, Cleveland Orchestra.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-05-09 14:52
Corey, I'm trying to get accepted by the Oboe BBoard, TKS for the links, Clarence, to suggest that oboe-players "have no place to hide!!", make a bad note, and all know, and may snicker, relate the "ill wind" etc. I recently tried to help a 10th-grader find a playable oboe, did find a plastic Noblet "full-conservatory", but no "long F", played OK for me and our Tulsa Band oboist, only $425, may still be available! If you wish to discuss further, E-M me off-boards, OK? MarkC? Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: kenabbott
Date: 2003-05-09 16:31
The main oboe BB can be found via www.idrs.org. It is email-based and bothersome to use. The people there, however, are very helpful.
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Author: cyso_clarinetist
Date: 2003-05-09 21:05
"The oboe will require an artist private teacher, an expensive instrument, endless work on reeds, and a lot of practice."
Hate to break it to you but it is just the same for the clarinet. The clarinet by no means is an easy instrument. The competition is equally hard in both fields. Also keep in mind it is extremely late to be making such a huge switch especially in these days where there are just so many fantastic oboists compeating for conservatory spaces and so forth.
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Author: bethermann
Date: 2003-05-10 02:19
i was exactly the same as you. in 10th grade i decided i wanted to go into music education, and at the time my primary instrument was flute. that year, we had no oboes in our wind ensemble and i learned to play it for the group. i only really seriously started playing oboe in 11th grade, and by 12th grade trying to pick between saxophone and oboe. i chose oboe (hey, it's paying me money!) and now am an oboe major at the crane school of music. it is something that is doable i feel. and even though i love my other instruments too, im still able to play them as well...i play in the flute choir, clarinet choir, sax quartet, and possibly sax ensemble this coming semester as well. if you want to persue oboe, go for it, and while your at it...dont give up with clarinet either.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2003-05-11 00:30
My deceased father chose bassoon as his professional instrument.
The reason, he told me, was there had been far less competition than flute,
clarinet, and oboe. Competition is inversely proportional to instruments' prices. Beides, after he joined a national orchestra, he was given a Heckel for free. As to reed making, he taught a younger player how to make ones and after the pupil became very good at its making, he asked to make additional reeds for him for free. There are many types of people.
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Author: Sandra F.
Date: 2003-05-11 04:22
I began oboe lessons last year with an excellent oboist who understands and plays the clarinet. She was able to compare the instruments for me re: embouchure, etc. I purchased a pro oboe. I teach beginning oboe students, but unfortunately, I'm unable at the this time to practice like I would like to on the oboe. The instruments are, indeed, very different. I'd compare to trombone and French horn. The literature is quite different. Clarinetists need not complain about reeds...
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