 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Elkwoman46
Date: 2007-02-23 00:05
I would love to know what some of your early oboe classical books were, particularly the ones that gave you great satisfaction; would love to know the authors of these books as well as the content, composers, etc. that thrilled you while you were learning and advancing in the early stages.
Thanks so much.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2007-02-23 03:35
I have two recommendations.
First, once you get your notes learned and can do a two-octave scale in easy keys, you might enjoy the Mozart "Seven Menuets" (KV 65A) and "Twelve Duets" (KV487). Both of these are available as oboe/clarinet duets. The Menuets are the easier of the two sets. Available from various sources. Medici Music lists them as Grade 2-3 in difficulty.
Second, one of the best "early" collection of oboe solos is the Music Minus One CD and book from Elaine Douvas, entitled "Oboe Classics for the Beginner".
http://www.vcisinc.com/oboepa.htm
These are not really beginner pieces of the "Mary Had a LIttle Lamb" or "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" genre -- and the William Walton pieces, if taken up to tempo, would not be something I'd think of as beginner pieces at all. But there are several that are very accessible.
Maybe it would be better to classify these as music for the oboist who is beginning to perform as a solist. But they are nice pieces, and it's an absolute treat to hear them with the elegant tones of Elaine Douvas.
Susan
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Author: Elkwoman46
Date: 2007-02-23 22:55
Dear Susan, thanks so much; I took notes of all that you said here and hope to secure them at the appropriate time. Thanks so much.
Did you get my email?
By the way, I really appreciate all your help and comments.
Thanks much.
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Author: Dutchy
Date: 2007-02-24 14:32
The biggest problem with learning to play classical music is that of stamina. At the beginning your embouchure just gets tired so fast that you can only play a few measures at at time. But as long as you can reconcile yourself to the fact that it'll be a while before you'll have the stamina to be able to play whatever piece it is all the way through, without having to stop and rest your embouchure, go ahead and get the sheet music, and putter around with it. So you have to stop every couple of measures and rest, so what? There's no sense in depriving yourself of the pleasure you'll get out of learning "real" music, and I'm here to tell ya that "Go Tell Aunt Rhodie" and "Up On The Housetop" get real old, REAL fast.
I've got Beethoven's Seventh and a Mozart Divertimento that I get out and putter around with when I get tired of "Reading Skill Builder Number 1".
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Author: vboboe
Date: 2007-03-02 02:36
... stamina, yes, and it's not just embouchure, after i got some chops i've discovered air support needs lots of stamina too -- relearning how to play 3.5 yrs for me now, 21st century body's completely different and more unpredictable than it was in 1960's youth
i think it's good to just blow to start with, don't worry about articulations and dynamics right away, cheeks can't hold all that together yet, but always attempt to blow as sweetly as you can, for as long as comfortable each day, just getting to 'almost sweetly' is about half a year's work
don't overdo it any day, will be too sore to start next time, better several very short blowing sessions each day than one long session until lips collapse
lips & cheeks will get stronger, so tonguing is"easier" to do then, but before that tonguing seems like a major obstacle, how on earth flick just the tip against the reed with the mouth in this awkward position, licking ice cream it's not
a band method book 1 is OK to start with, work way through it from the beginning, lots of *** short *** melodies etc for variety, lots of practice sight-reading melodies you don't recognize, important skill
Find other sheet music songs and tunes you know well and really love already and keep going back to them, you'll really love improvements you make over the months and years
as someone musically literate, it's a real challenge to remain positive about my own slow progress, one day I WILL have the sound i want to hear, someday my fingers WILL just play that difficult passage as easy as pie, someday IT WILL all come together technically and musically ... one fine day somewhere over the rainbow :-)
must go, pull out my welsh songs to practice, it's March 1st!
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Author: Craig Matovich
Date: 2007-03-02 03:17
The 'Everybody's Favorites' series for oboe has some great music in it... Handel Sonatas, Mozart Oboe Quartet for advancing players, but also some nice short concert pieces for earlier players.
Its a lot of music for the money and as piano accompaniment as well.
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Author: vboboe
Date: 2007-03-04 19:40
... except for the very short classical theme excerpts in Essential Elements and Standard of Excellence, a beginner's level "easy" classical book i've found is Festival Solos in the Standard of Excellence series (Bruce Pearson & Mary Elledge) Most are in Bflat, a few in Eflat. It has some very nice melodies at an easy tempo selected from Baroque, Classical & Romantic eras. Tempi range from 92 to 120, with 108 and 112 most common.
However, until you've built enough embouchure strength, air support, and fingers are quite fluent, i'd say this is a book for 2nd to 3rd year as each piece is a page long. However, maximum 7 staves per page with an average 8 bars per staff, not too long really. Rhythms simple enough, no 16ths, quite a lot of 8ths though. Haydn's St Anthony Chorale is played high register (only one bar down to Bflat on middle line) quite a challenge for air support, definitely better left until late 2nd year to get started there.
Nice thing about all of these arrangements, they have several rest bars introduction to get settled after track selection on CD
As for the Jay Arnold Oboe Solos, there are a couple 'beginner' pieces in it, but IMO, most of these are beyond 4th year primary beginners
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Author: oboecat
Date: 2007-03-22 21:19
A book I use with my beginning students is Obenmusik fur Anfanger - or Oboe Music for Beginners. It's Editio Musica Budapest, but is readily available in this country.
The pieces are arrangements of classical works, short enough for a developing embouchure to make it all the way through, but satisfying for the musically literate, and they come with the piano part so they are performable.
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Author: vboboe
Date: 2007-03-23 22:08
OK, so i've googled and found only a basic description/price at sheetmusicplus, but no picture or contents list -- please would you care to elaborate contents, and since you already use it, range of key signatures, compass, etc? Where do your students get theirs? Thank you
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Author: oboecat
Date: 2007-03-24 04:03
Here's the table of contents:
Canzonetta - P. Agostini
Gavotte - J. S. Bach
Gavotte - F. Couperin
Prelude No. 6 - C. Debussy
Branle de Champagne - C. Gervaise
Allemande - J. Haydn
Menuett - J. Haydn
Aria - Handel
Menuet - Handel
Sonatina - Handel
Zwei Stucke - L. Huszar
Allegretto - I. Mezo
Tema con variazioni - I. Mezo
Menuett (C) - Mozart
Menuett (F) - Mozart
Courante - Pachelbel
Lied - Pepusch
Siciliano - Pergolesi
Wiegenliedchen - R. Schumann
Bulgarian Folksong - Szekely
Two Russian Folksongs - Szekely
Two Hungarian Folksongs - Szervanszky
Italienisches Lied - Tchaikovsky
Pieces range from 24 measuers (Aria by Handel) to a full page (Siciliano by Pergolesi). Most of the pieces are in F or G or their relative minors, nothing more difficult than f minor and only one of those, although the Debussy is, of course, very chromatic. The range extends from low C to high D, but the tessatura is in the comfortable range for beginners - mostly on the staff. The pieces use a variety of meters and articulations, and provide a diversity of styles. No "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" boredom!
My students either order the book from sheetmusicplus.com, or go to J. W. Peppers. (We have one here in town, but they also have a web presence.)
The illustrations put some kids off, as they think they're going to be "baby pieces" but they soon learn that this is serious music that requires work, but is attainable by the average middle school player.
Hope this helps.
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Author: vboboe
Date: 2007-03-25 01:23
... looks WUNNERFUL, seems like a good bridge between easy folk tunes & Gekeler I, before Gekeler II & Jay Arnold's which are too advanced yet, thanks!
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The Clarinet Pages
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