Author: vboboe
Date: 2005-12-03 07:24
<< The high register does NOT, contrary to popular belief, need more air. In fact, more air will make the high register impossible to play in tune, or have dynamics … Sit back, relax, and play a nice high note with a relaxed embouchure. If it is a bit flat, that's ok. To correct that, simply roll the embouchure in … (d-oboe)
In fact, there isn't actually *that* much changing that needs to happen between low and high notes. As long as air support is correct, there should only be minute changes to adjust to the ensemble.
High notes vibrate in only a portion of the oboe (as compared to low Bb which uses the entire length) so you don't need to put as great of a volume of air in the instrument. This results in overblowing, which makes intonation difficult. So, <<< the key is the *velocity* of the air.>>> It is possible to have a very small volume of air moving at a very high speed... this is what you need for high notes. (d-oboe) >>
<<< editing & emphasis mine >>>
..... This high register topic seems controversial or confusing or one of the many variables oboe players have to manage effectively?
Um ... the notes may be produced in the upper joint, but air support still must be adequate to blow all the way out the bell? That is, we're blowing all 2 feet of pipe, not just top 8-9 inches?
OK, i'm thinking after some experimentation that both techniques (more air pressure) and (rolling over) seem to work differently on different high notes, maybe with different reeds and different instruments? Also, the actual description below is only slight and subtle change, although it writes up as seemingly larger than it actually is, hope that makes sense to everybody?
On my instrument, i'm finding rollover more effective on high D to high F, but don't need more than a tiny nibble squeeze for top A, B and B-flat. Oboe timbre changes significantly at top A anyway, so rolling over seems to pinch that a bit too much. Mind you, my instrument's thin-wall wood, so it's not rich & resonant up there anyway.
Air pressure boost (increased velocity and more focussed air stream) seems to help bring up normally flat top A to B-flat better than rollover ... but agree that's not same as increased air volume, that does squeaky over-blown things
High C's a different animal, it plays quite sharp until air pressure is reduced a bit, and with a somewhat rolled over and and also slightly rounder embouchure than for the 3 notes below it, like, have to fire booster rockets at the A to Bb in order to "coast" at high C
Going altissimo, focused high air pressure, rollover and slightly increasing bite all seem to work together.
Then drop to top G or G#, more embouchure rounding off needed to tune down these sharp notes, slight air pressure drop needed too, G-A interval tuning is an ongoing wild beast (good thing those warmed up trumpets are playing sharper!)
Now, i can't sing this high so can't use vocal cords to focus the air flow in the right frequency, how do you low voiced folks physically put higher frequency <<< vibrato >>> into these high notes so that they zing?
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