 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2010-08-19 23:17
I have a beginner, 5th-grade student who plays the oboe very flat--perhaps almost a half step so. Her fingering are accurate and when I play the oboe it sounds fine.
I suspect the culprit is her reed. It's a soft. My hunch is that if she played on a harder reed--such as a medium soft--it would cure the problem. Is my hunch correct?
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Author: mschmidt
Date: 2010-08-19 23:29
I suspect it's the reed, but it could be other parameters besides softness/hardness. A few years ago I played with an oboist who had a terribly flat reed she bought that she couldn't do anything with, so she gave it to me. I passed it on to wkleung. It was a total joke of a reed.
Mike
Still an Amateur, but not really middle-aged anymore
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Author: Old Oboe
Date: 2010-08-20 01:30
Another thought is breath support. If the reed is somewhat flat and she hasn't developed her breathing muscles it could be a recipe for flatness!
Linda
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2010-08-20 07:03
You've probably already checked her posture, her embouchure.
Does she over-soak the reed?
How long has she played? Does SHE notice that the pitch is down?
I might suggest that she play slow sections and/or long notes, with her eyes closed so she can notice other things.
GoodWinds
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2010-08-20 19:33
All the previous comments are very sound!
I'd also suggest the following: some reeds and some mouths require bitting more than others.
I used to bite, and when I really worked on better embouchure, my tone dropped about a half-step!
=> don't misunderstand me: biting really is bad! But perhaps shorter reeds (the cane after the thread) might help by providing a more stable starting point.
Think of it as a crutch to help a broken leg heal: the leg must eventually walk on its own, but it needs help for a while so it won't get broken worse.
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2010-08-20 19:35
I should be more precise:
My biting used to go hand-in-hand with pushing the reed in the mouth more. Both these (together and independently) do significantly raise the pitch, improve tuning and improve tone focus. Better oboe playing require replacing these with better air support AND stronger facial muscles.
That's why I think shorter cane reeds might help.
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2010-08-21 19:04
Have you given your student one of your reeds to try? That would be my first step - give the student a decent reed and see if the intonation problem is still there.
J.
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Author: lbarton
Date: 2010-08-31 20:09
I've never found a commercial reed labeled "soft " to be anything but flat and sound somewhat like a duck. Try medium soft, make reeds a bit short, keep tips of commercial reed nipped so that they are not too long and G and A octaves flat.
I also play duets and accompany my students on a properly tuned piano from the very beginning to train the ear to correct pitch. It sometimes take about four or five lessons to get them up to pitch but a student with a good ear will really try hard if they are playing a duet or accompanied. Sometimes students transferring from clarinet find it particularly hard. Also work on wind speed and support.
Lois Barton
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Author: oboeidaho
Date: 2010-08-31 23:08
Have you played on her oboe? With your reeds - and has she played on your oboe with her reed? (of course this is up to you if you want to let her do that!)
If all else fails, I play on my students reeds sometimes, if necessary and I use disinfectant and water when I do. But I agree, a soft commercial reed is probably not a good thing, do you make reeds for your students? I am lazy about making reeds (especially for students) so I use reeds from a local pro who sells reeds - he is great and makes student reeds too (I require all my students use his reeds). It's hard enough teaching the oboe without using crummy reeds.
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