 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: sarahb
Date: 2010-06-28 16:47
Hi
I played the oboe as a child and gave up.
I have just started playing again and my first lesson today.
How long will it take me to play a piece all the way through without having to stop for a rest after each phrase?
Sarah
Sarah Bateup
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2010-06-28 20:23
>>How long will it take me to play a piece all the way through without having to stop for a rest after each phrase?<<
Oh, my goodness, Sarah!
So much depends on so many variables, that it would be impossible to say!
I was up to slaughtering Christmas carols after about four months. It took at least another year for me to be secure on all the basic notes, all the time.
I am glad to know that you have gotten yourself to a teacher. That will greatly improve your chances of getting where you want to be in good time.
There are many like you on this board, who re-began their instrument after many years, or who started much later in life. This has been a great place to find out things and ask questions. Glad you found it!
Susan
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2010-06-29 14:14
It depends on how much you work at it.
The amount of time between now and when you can play without running out of breath depends on a lot of things, and can be a very individual thing. But if you practice every day and follow your teacher's instructions, you will progress as rapidly as possible.
I think most oboe players need to take a brief rest after each phrase, no matter how good they are!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-06-29 14:57
Don't play on a reed that's too hard as this will also tire you out quickly.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: plclemo
Date: 2010-07-01 08:19
I am just LEARNING the oboe, BUT about 3 years ago, I picked up my clarinet after about 25 years of not playing it. It left me winded for about 4 months. But then my lungs "got in shape" and all is well now. As for oboe breathing, I have found it to be a bit more challenging. I am assuming my lungs will adapt to this too. I sure hope so AND SOON!
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2010-07-01 19:54
I was, for a short time, a pro. but left the oboe alone for several years while I redirected my life to engineering. I spent about 10 years playing on average 30 minutes a month. When I was finally able to start playing "for real" (up to 30 minutes a day), it got extremely frustrating that I could do no more than 5 minutes at a time - in pain - and nowhere near the tuning, dynamics or tone control that I used to take for granted.
What Chris P said about soft or easy reeds is very true. The psychological effect of ease of playing is important. Lets see if my trick to get back in shape can apply to you too.
I was fortunate enough to land a job at walking distance from home: 30 minutes in the snow. The sidewalks go by main streets and such so I don't have to worry about embarrassement. I took the absolute worst of my reeds, soaked them well and did buzzing on the way to and on the way back. I did that for about 2 months while limiting my oboe time to 5-15 minutes a day.
This buzzing had 2 purposes: build mouth strength (lips and jaw) and fix my embouchure that had always been too tight. So what I did was simply to blow the $%&@ out of them all the way. They cracked, I kept bolwing them cracked untill no sound would happened. The worst the cane or tying or the more they choked, the better: keep your good reeds for playing.
I started by stressing crescendo from forte to ffff. After a while, I added rhythm and staccato exercises.
I found that concentrating on positioning the reed's very tip and keeping the lips in front of my teeth and dropping my jaw while blowing as violently as I possibly could actually made playing softly much easier when I got back to the oboe. I was astounded with how quickly I was able to increase the time with my instrument - painlessly at that!
Best of luck and keep us posted on your progress.
The oboe is a joy and a pleasure to play, never needs to be a pain!
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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Author: hautbois francais
Date: 2010-07-02 07:31
I would start with good and easy reeds with a sound that you like and a good oboe. I am sure by now, in your 40s+, you'd be able to afford a nice oboe. Then you take away 50% of most variables, the oboe and the reed. Do have you teacher test out the reed and the oboe to get what you want.
Playing on horrible reeds and a shrill sounding oboe is depressing and demoralizing, and that is why most kids with no patience give up the oboe quest. When I was a kid, one of my neighbors wrote anonymously to my parents telling them to take me to the cemetry to play my quacky, shrill sounding and loud oboe.
Get inspired by your favorite oboist, eg Heinz Holliger, etc. Listen and get inspired.
The rest is just practise, practise and more practise.
When you are tired of "bought" reeds, attempt reed making to achieve the sound you want...that is of course a challenge, but a worthwhile feat !
Post Edited (2010-07-02 07:41)
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