 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kenabbott
Date: 2001-11-23 14:44
I'm thinking about taking up the oboe. Is there a similar NG for oboists? Can anyone recommend some basic info?
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Author: William
Date: 2001-11-23 14:59
OBOE: As defined by my old Big Ten college band director--"The ill wind that nobody blows good." Just a fling at morning humor--too much turkey yesterday, perhaps!!! BTW, what's a NG?
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2001-11-23 15:42
How many oboists does it take to change a lightbulb? Only one but he'll have to make the bulb himself. (The clarinetist has to sort through a whole box of bulbs to find just the right one.)
Get a decent reed and hope your family and pets will put up with you. A beginning oboist is LOUD. If you know clarinet well, the fingerings are quite easy, except the D half-holing thing, which might be compared to the A key of the clarinet in finger movement but more awkward. Good luck!
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-11-23 15:48
The International Double Reed Society has an excellent site, though the bulletin board is less active than this one. I'm pretty sure Ann Bell's sponsor page has a link to it, and a Google search will find it easily.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Cindy
Date: 2001-11-23 16:18
The most important thing concerning starting oboe is don't get frustrated. The first few days of playing are a challenge, but once you figure out how to get a good, solid, and constant sound out of the reed, it's not very hard. The two things I find hardest are that the F sharp is the same on the oboe as the F natural on the clarinet, so I keep playing F sharp; and finding time for practice. Another thing is that if you plan to take oboe seriously, get a private teacher. After about a year of playing it is hard to advance without a teacher.
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Author: Peter
Date: 2001-11-23 17:08
Oboe, oboe? Ain't a oboe one o' them long skinny instruments what roides the trains?
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Author: Wes
Date: 2001-11-23 22:10
Yes, a hoboe can be a bum. After years of playing the single reed instruments, I took up the oboe about 20 years ago. In the last year, I've played in 5 real Italian opera performances. However, the oboe takes more time than the clarinet as any good oboe player will have to make his own reeds. The ones you purchase simply will not satisfy you and will also cost a lot of money. The fingering system is different but that only requires years of practice. It could be made similar to a clarinet but there is too much tradition and momentum to make a change now. The instrument is more unreliable and hard to adjust than a clarinet and difficult to repair. I take a spare oboe to any significant performance. You can not expect to become a serious oboe player without a few years lessons from a master teacher.
For all of the above, it has a magic in the sound and it lends itself to vocal phrasing. Good luck!
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Author: beth
Date: 2001-11-24 01:00
I second the advice Wes has given you if you want to be more than just competent on the oboe. I personally never made the switch, but my daughter did (from clarinet to oboe) and only with about 2 years of work with an oboe dedicated instructor has she made any significant progress on the instrument. I don't mean to discourage you, but the first 6 to 9 months were dedicated to unlearning clarinet habits and learning proper oboe technique. Ahh....but what a beautiful instrument it is when played and I'm glad I'm not the one to play it!
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2001-11-24 02:47
Some oboes have been made with fingering patterns very close to those of clarinets, but they didn't "catch on." I dabbled in the oboe off and on for a long time, but was never a good enough hautboiste to perform in public at all. In fact, I was hardly good enough to perform for myself. My son went from alto saxophone to oboe to bassoon, and oboe has always been his favorite to play for personal enjoyment.
I suggest you check with Charles Double Reed Company -- http://www.charlesmusic.com -- for oboe supplies including tailor-made reeds, cane, and other necessities. They have a new flyer out right now, and a moving sale is in progress (expanding). I have nothing to do with that company except as a satisfied customer. Good luck!
[William: NG is newsgroup, which this really isn't]
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-11-24 03:53
I've seen one, and only one, oboe that has a fingering setup like a saxophone. I don't know the maker (I could find out if anyone needs to know) or the year it was made. Very interesting instrument. I suppose it plays as well as any other oboe fingering systems. I know it's in working condition, it's owned by a repair tech.
I'm just throwing this info out, passing the time really, while waiting for the answer to... 'what does NG mean'?
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2001-11-24 04:28
I did try the oboe in High School long ago (LBJ was President!) and gave it up after a while. A good teacher would have helped. Other than approx size, weight and playing position, I found almost no correlation with the clarinet, and would likely have done better starting from scratch.
Not mentioned above, be aware that the oboe is a CONCERT pitch instrument. This is easier in that there is no transposition to learn, but the played notes will sound one whole tone higher than you are accustomed to on clarinet.
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Author: Dee Minor
Date: 2001-11-24 14:06
What's the difference between an oboe and an onion? Nobody cries when you cut up an oboe!!! (Ha Ha Ha)
GOOD LUCK!!!
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Author: Kai
Date: 2001-11-24 14:46
I am a clarinetist-turned-oboist (switched last year) but have always come back to this excellent site to learn more (including the 'attacks' on the oboists!). My knowledge is very little but in terms of personal experience in the difficult path of switching, I would gladly share; feel free to write to me!
Best regards
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Author: Wes
Date: 2001-11-24 17:37
Question: What is the definition of a minor second interval?
Answer: Two oboists playing in unison!!
Just some more comments: The oboe is probably one of the most expensive instruments to play due to the cost of instruments, repair, and reeds. By the way, those Boehm system oboes or sax fingered oboes probably do not have the sound of a modern Loree oboe, the standard for American use. If you play in an orchestra, it is best that both players have the same make instrument so that the wonderful duet passages will be a better blend. The Loree bore produces a covered, beautiful sound unmatched by many other makes. However, it is not the most stable oboe, sometimes having notes that need to be carefully watched in order to play in tune. A new one costs about $5000.
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Author: Carmen Izzo
Date: 2001-11-25 04:08
in a local youth orchestra here in the windy city, theprinciapl oboist and viola player were sisters. Who would've thunk poor intonation was genetic?
carmen
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-11-26 02:30
Professional grade oboes are veryyyyyy expensive. Loree, Marigaut, Ligouta, Laubin, and even Yamaha. Buyers have to wait them to come after ordering some of them like Laubin. A new comer FOX is economical.
There are three systems. Concervatoire, Semi-Automatic, Full-Automatic.
Many oboeists make reeds themselves. Another reed headache may begin.You need a good knife.
Poor oboeists are poor at p, pp, and ppp, even mp.
Abdominal muscles matters than for clarinet not lung capacity.
Oxford publishes an oboe technique book. The same series for clarinet by Frederick Thurston.
Maybe I can work at musical instruments shops....
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2001-11-26 21:50
Get an English Horn as soon as possible. They make learning the oboe worthwhile. If the oboe does not suit you think about the bassoon. A fairly easy transition for a clarinettist. None of the double reed options are particularly cheap.
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Author: Josh
Date: 2001-11-27 16:23
I don't know about that...the bassoon is a VERY different instrument from all the others...the other four (fl, cl, sax, ob) all have Boehm-based fingerings, and there are definite similiarities and patterns...the bassoon is an entirely different beast. The embouchure and lip pressure required to sustain a beautiful, lyric tone, especially in the upper registers can be very very fatiguing at first, and it can be very frustrating and exhausting. (As I suppose all double reeds are, really...) However, I agree that it IS worth learning to play...I switched to bassoon (or rather, picked it up in addition to clarinet) when I was 13, and I'm *so* glad I did...I'm now the principal bassoonist in a local symphony, and having a ball...too bad the things are so damn expensive!! OY...
Also with ya on the English horn thing...FABULOUS instrument (and so much less painful for the local animals than the hautbois...poor kitties.)
Ta!
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