 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: MikeC855
Date: 2015-11-06 09:12
Our director has programmed this for our concert in four weeks. I am having some issues with the solos, and seek expert guidance. Cor is an older LeBlanc Noblet (Cabart) with recent shop attention.
- High A is hopelessly sharp. I try to pull it in with RH pinkie keys, to no avail.
- Low E attack beginning the third solo wants to hit the octave. I know I'm not alone, I've heard this same issue on a couple of YouTube recordings.
- The director is given to stretching the last phrase of the third solo to emphasize the modulation in the last measure against the horns. I simply cannot do it that way, so would I have my cor credentials revoked if I broke for a breath between the Bb and the G in measure #163? (I'll continue to work on this, I promise!)
Breathing issues aside... I have tried three reeds of unrelated origin, and the first two problems remain consistent. I have three more reeds en route in blind hope of a solution. I am also considering buying a new bocal, but I need to know pretty quickly if doing this might help, and if so, which bocal of the many possibilities would help most.
EDIT: Current bocal appears to be a Loreé #3. I say "appears" because the stamping is blurred and reads "LOPE".
Thanks!
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Confounding band directors since 1964.
Post Edited (2015-11-06 22:42)
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Author: MikeC855
Date: 2015-11-06 22:38
Reeds. Two out of the three new reeds fixed everything. Minor disappointment was my "go-to" maker for oboe reeds was where most of my problem was with cor reeds. Their scrape was simply not right for my instrument. Live and learn.
Still curious to hear thoughts on a different bocal for this cor.
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Confounding band directors since 1964.
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Author: MikeC855
Date: 2015-12-02 11:14
Well, I survived the concert. So did my cor. The new Hiniker crook made a huge difference. Thanks, Chris!
Couple of interesting things were discovered along the way. Most daunting was that my right hand was going numb from the pressure of the weight of the instrument on my thumb. The last couple of weeks of practicing and rehearsals found my index finger losing feeling right at the tip. If I wasn't conscious about finger position it would drift down, slightly pressing the key and make a mess of things, especially long tones. Using a neck strap delayed onset of the numbness, but not completely.
Second was becoming more aware of a peculiarity of this particular horn, that the RH F key is way too wide, and certain fingerings (transitions into C# especially!) will move the third finger enough to "nick" the F key. You can imagine that sounds great... not! It's going to the shop - probably tomorrow! - to get this key narrowed for a little more space between it and the D ring key.
The first clarinetist, sympathetic to my plight, commented afterwards about how intense this piece is, how much concentration it takes because so much is exposed [relative to other advanced wind band literature]. No kidding, and it's going to take a couple of days to unwind.
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Confounding band directors since 1964.
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2015-12-02 12:59
Unless you are in a marching band, I would recommend my leg-hook (bit late now).
It works a treat and takes all the weight off your thumb, and lets you reposition your thumb further down the barrel of the instrument (which may resolve the occasional F-key flub). C# is a horrible note, though - the pinkie extension required cramps my RH up something rotten.
I find that the weight of a Cor - even for short passages - interferes with RH dexterity making my playing uneven. Find a solution that works for you!
J.
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Author: MikeC855
Date: 2015-12-02 16:26
Thanks for the link to that thread. Your leg hook concept somewhat follows the mechanics of the seat strap I use for bassoon.
The "neckstrap" thread was a treat. I'm sorry I didn't pick up on it sooner. Somebody commented - rightly so - that a neck strap complicated instrument changes when doubling. I was doubling 1st oboe, and, thankfully, there was enough time between the important bits to hook and unhook.
(I did manage to miss one oboe entrance... but because I scrambled pages during the pre-concert walk through. Shame, shame. Fortunately it was tutti with the clarinets and nobody knew other than myself and the conductor.)
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Confounding band directors since 1964.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-12-02 16:31
I've been using a Quodlibet Fhred with my cor as I don't like using a sling as that doesn't take the weight off your right arm or do anything for the stretch either. The problem with cor is it's a long instrument and the stretch for the right arm and angle of the right hand isn't ideal or natural, so anything you can do to help support the instrument is only going to do good. As the Fhred is no longer in production, RDG have since started making an almost identical product called 'BHOB', so look into that as well.
Glad you found the new Hiniker crook helped - I'll get round to trying them one day.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: MikeC855
Date: 2015-12-02 17:19
Here's another non-strap support system:
http://www.forrestsmusic.com/oboe_straps.htm#peg
In all frankness, I'm a bit hesitant about these "hard" solutions. Attaching stuff to the instrument - especially on or around the bell, even resting the bell on something - likely has a penalty in resonance. Cor is all about the deep resonance, and my playing style seems to really milk it. Don't know why, it just does.
On one hand I guess I shouldn't knock the hardware solutions until I experience one. On the other hand Russian Christmas is about the most trying work for EH endurance in the standard wind band repertoire, so I'm unlikely to repeat the need anytime in the near future. That is, unless the clarinetist I mentioned is able to get his bucket-list request for us to program that old arrangement of Dvorak's 9th, 2nd movement. At that point I'm hosed.
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Confounding band directors since 1964.
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