Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2008-01-27 18:08
Hi Cheryl --
Yes, that makes sense (<"how long does it take to produce a useful, reasonably stable embouchure?">).
You will probably be able to play fairly consistently, hitting most notes on the first try and more or less in tune, within 4 - 6 months. I know that was true for me.
BUT --
That's actually just the beginning. It's not a BAD beginning, but it is just the beginning. As you progress, you begin to refine your concept of what oboe sound is all about, you begin to hear nuances that you just didn't grasp before. You learn to be concerned about (just for example):
tone color,
reed styles and adjustments,
minute pitch variations,
articulations,
breath,
the shape of your lips,
the shape of your oral pharynx,
the direction of your air,
the movement of your fingers
Control of these aspects of playing are all vital to well-developed oboe technique, but they are also things that you just can't possibly address while you are still struggling to make the right note happen at the right time.
I've been at it for more than four years (after a lifetime of playing the clarinet), and I learn new things every day. I daresay there are those who have been at it for a whole lot longer than I have been who would probably say the same thing -- that it's a constant learning experience, a constant feedback loop. It's very satisfying, though, when you actually achieve something good on the oboe (and frustrating when you don't,or think you did, but really didn't).
Oboe is not a difficult instrument to play a little, but a very challenging instrument to play well!
Susan
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