Author: Loliver
Date: 2012-05-20 23:30
Just a thought- If you are a grade 6-7 abrsm clarinetist, I would advise finishing the 8 grades on clarinet first, and then trying to do the oboe. I did that, switched just after I turned 18, and trust me, initially your clarinet embouchure will be ruined, and unless you practice both equally like mad for a couple of months, it will take ages to regain it, making coming back to do grade 8 later much much harder. On the plus side, playing clarinet prepares you for Cor Anglais, due to being used to 'pushing' more air out, and handling heavier instruments.
And anyway, oboe is a very useful instrument to be able to play, perhaps only the bassoon and french horn more so, as I was rejected from my university orchestra on clarinet (was up against the first clarinet from national youth orchestra of great britain...no chance really...and she ended up on clarinet two!), but got in on oboe as there were far fewer applicants...only about 4 in the whole university.
Auditions in Januray might be a bit high to aim for, as its not just a case of hitting the notes, the tone on oboe is, arguably, much more definitive and important than it is on clarinet, and takes longer to develop. Also, the oboe cannot be rushed as much due to the world of reeds, an experience that a clarinetist may view as bad, but oboe reeds are a whole different world of pain...
Oh, and when I said I 'dropped clarinet', I do still play, but I didnt play it for about 4 months, came back to it and found it unplayable (ahhh strength 4 vandoren reeds....like blowing on a plank of wood), but it took me about 30 mins to get it back, except I initially started half-holing all the time...
In short- try to see if you can do grade 8 clarinet, I jumped from 6 to 8, and the gap wasnt too bad, as in my opinion the gap from grade 7 to grade 8 is negligible in all areas except aural tests (best ever for singing in all grades - 3/10), and then try the oboe. Grade 8 is pretty much the standard benchmark for most orchestras at university, if it isnt your primary instrument, and if you say you can play an instrument, it is assumed that you are grade 8 in it. If you work at it, you can advance quickly in oboe, it's just the initial steps that are hardest, but with one instrument under you belt, it becomes easier to play another.
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The Oboe BBoard
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