 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: WiFiber
Date: 2010-08-29 04:20
Hello, I'm new to this forum and I've been in a High School Concert Band for about four years. I have played the flute for one year, Baritone for half a year, and tuba for 2 and a half.
Lately I've been looking at the Oboe as an instrument to get to know. I have a relatively large underbite and I was wondering if it would be A LOT harder for me to play, or at least sound decent. Is there any input on this? Should I still go for it and expect a reasonable tone and outcome from it? Any answer that's beneficial will be greatly appreciated.
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2010-08-29 05:53
Without seeing your embouchure it is impossible to make any overarching statements about what does or doesn't work for the oboe. I had a student once who still had one milk-tooth for an incisor. She had serious problems and after a season I spoke to her parents and told them to get her teeth seen to before she came back.
Within reason, underbite will only alter the angle at which you hold the instrument relative to your head - you may find yourself playing with the instrument in the "clarinet" position. Not a problem, of itself. It may exacerbate your underbite over time, however, so perhaps you should see what can be done to improve it?
J.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2010-08-29 15:23
Hi WiFi --
What is driving you, to keep trading off instruments? Is it just a desire to know a little bit about a lot of things, or are you in search of a better "fit" between you and an instrument?
It does seem, from your description of your musical explorations, that you are all over the map. Flute to tuba, for example.
So, my question for you is, what is it you are trying to achieve?
I don't know why this is, but I seem to notice in many photographs of oboists, they we tend to have strong, forward jaws.
With a recessive jaw, I would think the clarinet would be a logical instrument to explore, if you are interested in reeds.
Susan
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Author: WiFiber
Date: 2010-08-29 18:45
I'm not exactly switching, as more of exploring. I still play the Tuba as a primary, I just want to explore double reeds as more of a head-start if I were to major in Music Education. As for my bite, my top and bottom teeth can meet on top of each other, but that's the limit. But with my mouth closed, my upper jaw and lip can overlap it easily. As much I love Clarinets and other single reeds, they just don't meet what I'm looking for in an instrument. Oboe on the other hand, has the level of difficulty and uniqueness that really makes me lean towards it.
Do you think it's even worth trying? Or should I just venture off into a different direction?
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2010-08-29 19:04
I have found with students that they want to take up oboe because of their love of the sound and their near-obsession with the instrument. Your bite can work against you, but can be compensated (to some degree) by the angle with which you hold the instrument. I agree with whoever commented on the embouchure.
Although I have played with a pit orchestra guy who 'doubled' on the oboe, it is pretty rare to be decent if you intend to only play the oboe 'part time'. If you have a really good foundation (i.e. study with a professional teacher), you can progress. It is VERy unusual to sound good right away.
Self-taught oboists usually have to UN-LEARN bad habits before producing a good quality of sound, so if you are serious in taking up the oboe, Get Yourself a Good Teacher.
It sounds like your varied interests might be leading you into music, perhaps as a band teacher, when being familiar with a lot of different instruments is a good thing. But to master the oboe takes a LOT of consistent, disciplined work.
At the very least, trying out the oboe will give you a new appreciation of its demands and the patience of those who play it really well!
GoodWinds
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2010-08-29 19:24
Frankly, I think you should commit yourself to an instrument, become highly proficient on it, and develop your musicianship through it. Your desire to hop from from one instrument to a very dissimilar other instrument (flute to tuba to oboe) concerns me more than any issues your might have with physiognamy.
If you can play a lot of different instruments, you will end up knowing a little bit about a lot of things, but you will in fact prevent yourself from the kind of musical development that can only come when you are deeply involved with your instrument and its repertoire.
If you are drawn to high treble instruments such as the flute or oboe, I can well imagine that the tuba may not be your cup of tea. But don't keep hopping around. If you just CAN'T limit yourself to one instrument, then consider specializing in a family of instruments (e.g., low brass, double reeds, single reeds -- whatever!) and become a doubler on those.
Double reeds are not for dilletantes.
Susan
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Author: oboesax
Date: 2010-08-30 02:25
WiFiber, you should explore different instruments to find one or more to your liking. Can't comment on the jaw issue; others may know more about that. My daughter is in high school too and loves to play many different instruments. She is very good at three of them: sax, oboe and bassoon. She'll play clarinet when she plays in a musical pit orchestra, but doesn't really like it. She likes both high and low ranges. Her favorite instrument right now is soprano sax, but she loves the low range of the bassoon and baritone sax.
I know many people warn against playing more than even one instrument, but I don't think my daughter would be a better oboist right now if she dropped all the other instruments. I think some people are better at picking up multiple instruments than others, and many single-instrument musicians just don't understand that.
But I agree with other posters that oboe is to be taken seriously and only with a private teacher guiding you. My daughter practices the oboe about one hour a day average and I'd consider that about the minimum required.
Good luck and have fun.
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Author: WoodwindOz
Date: 2010-08-30 06:32
I see a lot of high school and university students here for whom doubling has become fashionable. The old saying for these students unfortunately rings true: jack of all trades, master of none. As Susan said, it is best to become highly proficient on one instrument before experimenting with others, for a number of reasons - embouchure stability on primary instrument, musicality and musical knowledge, credibility among students and other teachers, etc.
I didn't begin doubling until I began my second university (music ed) degree (after a performance major on flute). It was going to be a lot easier to get instrumental tutoring work if I was able to teach the clarinet. Exploring the other winds followed once I had reached a point on clarinet where I wasn't concentrating on the basics.
The thing to remember about any reed instrument (and trumpet as well) is that without extremely regular attention (at the very least every second day as a doubling instrument, every single day as a primary) there is no way you can develop and maintain the strength required of your embouchure. If you can't invest this time in addition to the things you are already doing, then it might be best to wait until you can.
I do commend you for willing to increase your knowledge for music education purposes. Exploring other instruments for our band directors here has become more widespread, and it is easy to tell the bands of those who have decent knowledge of all instruments - the differences between the 'weaker' and 'stronger' sections are only slight, if at all. Should you continue down your path of music education, I think your willingness to explore other instruments for the sake of your students and your band is a strength you should follow.
Good luck with your studies,
Rachel
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2010-08-30 15:54
On the other hand, and somewhat contrary to my previous post, I have to say, I have never met a music instrument that I didn't like, and I can play almost anything, given the opportunity and time.
I started on clarinet, then learned a little trumpet, then all the various recorders (including the bass!), then the violin, flute, the hammered dulcimer, the oboe, English horn, and the saxophone. If I had another lifetime, I would seriously consider percussion.
And of course, there was that one time when (as a classroom music aide) I had to quickly learn enough trombone and baritone to explain it to beginning band students . . .
I think this is typical of school music teachers. But I do think one is wise to have a primary instrument, and to develop fluency on it, and know its repertoire.
Susan
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Author: plclemo
Date: 2010-08-30 21:09
I started on cornet till my orthodontist stepped in and said NO! Then I picked up clarinet and have played it since 1969. In high school, I picked up bassoon and tenor sax. Now as an adult, I am learning to play the oboe while still maintaining my clarinet skills (that's my first love!) It's just that our church orchestra needs an oboist and since I've had experience with double reeds, I decided to learn to play it. I actually played it for the first time in the orchestra last night. Only had to look at the fingering chart a couple of times.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2010-08-30 22:35
since we're in story-telling mode...
I am a 'committed' amateur and don't expect to make a living by playing, as much as I'm told I could. So don't take my own history as a way to 'go pro'!
I enjoy playing different instruments for different reasons, but I've kept myself to woodwinds and percussion. Plenty of variety in there. And as to percussion, it's mostly the 'helping out in the pit orchestra with sound effects' stuff. With practice I can manage a bit of xylophone/glock.
so JUST KEEP PLAYING, whether you make music your life or not. It's great to specialize (and get really really good at one instrument, mine's the oboe) but as someone else said, it's certainly not wrong to try things out.
GoodWinds
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Author: lbarton
Date: 2010-08-31 19:58
I am a very serious amateur who has played in community orchestras, pit orchestras, woodwind quintets etc for over 60 years. I have a rather severely undershot jaw where upper teeth overlap lower, clear to the lower gum line when jaw is clenched. It has never been a particular problem and I managed to achieve a good to excellent tone quality even as a relative beginner using very inferior oboes and reeds. I also became adept at changing embouchure to do the above. It was the poignant , beautiful quality of oboe sound that attracted me, so go ahead and give it a try at least.
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