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Re: Air Quantity and Reed Strength

Author: oboeblank
Date: 2006-08-04 14:29

When I was a student I used to blow gallons of air through the oboe and I noticed that my scale was a bit funky. The low notes were rich, dark like chocolate or really good Scotch, but the upper register had a sagging quality. The only thing that helped was to focus and increase the speed and stream of wind/air.
One of the concepts that worked was imagine that you are blowing out the top of the your head-it worked until I needed something more concrete.
This seemed to help:
Imagine you are playing a fff high E. Your oral cavity is going to help you here by assuming an "e" vowel sound. Now try it on the oboe. The air is probably ripping through the oboe. Now take the same concept and move it down the scale of the oboe. Try half hole E flat or d with the same focused stream and speed of air. The tone may be a little thin and shallow but it will be a very focused tone. Now imagine the same air stream on a "ah" or "o" vowel.
I imagine that the air is being focused just behind my two front teeth or in my sinus cavity and the air stream is very forward. This may not be your ideal sound, but the focus is what may help you through.
Let me know if it works for you.

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Air Quantity and Reed Strength new

ohsuzan

2006-08-03 17:11