 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: alanporter
Date: 2014-07-20 08:06
I am a clarinet player. Just watched Hendrik Goldschmidt play a piece on youtube. I could not believe the amount of metalwork on his oboe ! How many keys does an oboe have ?
tiaroa@shaw.ca
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-07-20 15:33
I've never actually counted! It's a difficult one to count as well as there are more individual keywork parts compared to the number of touchpieces.
Just counting the touchpieces gives up to 10 on the top joint, up to 10 on the lower joint, plus 6 fingerplates on a full Gillet conservatoire system oboe fitted with a thumbplate and LH C# key.
But that doesn't include all the other keys, linkages, articulated keys and vent keys remotely operated.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: darryoboe
Date: 2014-07-20 17:46
Mr. Goldschmidt uses an oboe with automatic octave keys. Most oboists in North America do not use the automatic system. So his upper joint has more metalwork than the average American or Canadian oboist's instrument would have.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-07-20 19:28
Also with German spec. oboes (which usually have fully automatic 8ves) you have more linkages on the lower joint as well so Bb and C can be made with any RH fingers, low B and Bb can be played without having to close the low C key, plus some have an extra F resonance key fitted that opens with the F key (not to be confused with the forked F vent mechanism which is fitted to the majority of oboes).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: alanporter
Date: 2014-07-20 21:44
Thank you very much for the explanations. I didn't realise how complicated an oboe can be. At 78 years of age I don't think that I am about to learn to play one.
Alan
tiaroa@shaw.ca
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-07-20 23:27
As a player, you only really have to worry about the fingerings for any specific note, interval leap, trill or tremolo and which keys to use in certain circumstances in conjunction with others when going from note to note to make things smooth (especially when playing in remote key signatures).
Provided your oboe is in fine fettle, the linkages and all other bits you are unaware of (but are all put there to help you) should all work perfectly to do their thing to make your life as an oboe player easier. You are merely operating a machine and the oboe is doing most of the mechanical work for you.
So the only things you have to be conscious of as a player are the main action fingerplates and all the touchpieces - the way the keywork operates to give you the specific notes depends on which fingers are placed where on the instrument, so don't be too daunted by the complexity of the keywork.
And a good, responsive reed will really help!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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