 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Loliver
Date: 2012-01-04 14:00
Hello all, I come with possibly the most vague problem ever...tuning for every note on my oboe is pretty much dire.
Every time I change note the tuning flies around like its on fire. i.e concert A in tune, Bb flat, B flatter, C flatter, C# sharp, D in tune, D# in tune, E sharp, F flat, F# sharp, G sharp, Ab in tune, A in tune, Bb flat, B flat, C in tune, everything above is amazingly sharp, except F#, which is actually in tune...
As you can probably see, the tuning is pretty wild. I don't know whether it is the oboe or the reeds I use, but this oboe, a Howarth S45c Dual system, seems to be fairly flat overall. I did get a friend to try it, and she just looked at it weirdly and handed it back to me....
So any help would be much appreciated! I'm guessing its probably the reeds, but since I've tried at least 10 on it, by different makers and such, it has left me puzzled....
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Author: JRC
Date: 2012-01-04 14:11
That sounds about typical for most oboes. You've got to play the notes in tune; should not depend on oboe to give you the right note.
An electronic tuners will indicate tempered scale tuning. When you sing, which oboe is frequently asked to do, you should sing based on the natural scale. That is how we, humans, hear a song. Tempered and natural scales are not right on top of each other in frequency, as much as 20 cents off in some cases.
Play the notes! Tuners are just for a guide. If you simply cannot hear the notes in a song, oboe may not be right instrument for you.
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Author: Loliver
Date: 2012-01-04 14:35
Yes, I understand what you are saying, its just that I have recently been forced to change oboe, and this one just doesnt seem to hold the notes like my old one did. It also generally sounds much flatter, and the tuning is very much exaggerated when compared.
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Author: JRC
Date: 2012-01-04 15:11
It just may be that you need to get use to the differences between the two instrument. Lipping up or down to play in tune should come naturally within a range. If the instrument is taxing your lipping range to play in tune, consider changing the instrument. Try another one. We lip up/down all the time to adjust for different reeds, weather, and even different physical conditions. There is a lipping range that one naturally adjust without thinking. Pretty much automatically self-adjusting, I would say. You need to try out different oboes to see if one is in tune within the range. No oboe in the world would play in perfect tune for all different oboists, reeds, weather conditions, and physical conditions. You have popular Howarth model. You should try different ones.
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Author: Ian White
Date: 2012-01-05 07:54
Howarth oboes don't normally exhibit these problems. I suggest that it needs looking at by a competent oboe repairer - it might only need a bit of regulation.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-01-05 08:31
If you can be without it for a little while, have it returned to the factory to get the bore checked. It should still be under warranty considering you haven't had it long.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: pliscapoivre
Date: 2012-01-05 14:06
I agree with Ian and Chris that it sounds like an instrument issue.
While I appreciate very much JRC's exhortation -- which reminds me of Mr. Killmer's "Don't tune -- PLAY in tune!" -- I think that in such an extreme situation, it's reasonable that Loliver should resort to the tuner -- not a sign of inability.
It's very true that we lip up and down for many notes, but the oboe should help us as much as possible.
In short, when we do our job, it should do its job too. The instrument should be our partner.
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Author: Loliver
Date: 2012-01-05 15:49
I was hoping that it wasn't the instrument, as its the first new oboe I've ever owned!
In regards to the fact that I should try to tune it by ear, not by tuner, I've had problems with my right ear for nearly a year, and it still sounds a bit muffled, so I kind of have to use the tuner as a last resort. I did try to get other people to listen to help me tune, such as my Dad, who has grade 8 in piano and saxophone, (and a degree in physics, which involved me getting a lecture on tempered and natural scales), but the fact that they started to whince as I started playing higher and higher was not a good sign...
I initially thought as it was 'thick bored' it might be naturally flatter than my other oboe, but the tuning seems a bit....odd. Anyways, I will try to take it to my local woodwind specialist shop to see if they know what the problem is...
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Author: JRC
Date: 2012-01-05 17:43
If the notes are sharper and falter by... say less than 10-15 cents, probably you can compensate for them without really trying. Most affecting conditions from one day to the next, such as reeds, weather, physical condition, and your emotional state counts around 10-15 cents or so altogether. You may want to get use to the instrument if every thing else is to your satisfaction including the price.
If they are more than 15 cents off consistently in one way or another, probably you should go back to the shop and do something about it. It is a good sign that not all the notes in your instrument are consistently sharper or lower. Some instruments are indeed tuned to other than A=440. Pitch of some old instruments do drift up or down from A=440. Probably something to do with shrinkage of wood over the years.
If you are a "biter" (tendency to bite the reed), notes above 2nd octave G tend to play sharper. If you are trained enough not to bite at high notes, you could have trouble with flatness at that range. There seem to be a wide range of fixes for that... different size octave hole, enlarging the bore, fooling with tone holes, doing some special things to reeds, some special breathing technique, special embouchure techniques and such. Some sensitive people go great length and expense to fix the instrument to "perfectly" fit him/her.
Perhaps asking help from your teacher may help. Free advises are usually worth what you pay for.
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