Author: oboeblank
Date: 2007-04-27 05:22
I feel like I need to defend myself to d-oboe!
Yes, it is true that the C is only an approximation but still it is a good indicator of pitch. If you are asking if I have irrefutable, scientific proof that the pitch of the crow is related to the pitch produced by the player, the answer is no; however I do have a lot of anecdotal evidence which to me is better.
It is equally important that the C octaves in the crow come in gradually because this goes to show the stability of the reed and more importantly that the whole reed is in fact vibrating. If the second octave blurts, barks or needs more air than is necessary to come through than there is an imbalance somewhere on the reed. Alternatively, if the second octave comes in with less air, the reed will buckle-under and not hold itself up against the mass of air needed to make a crescendo.
Secondly, to the point of the A-C relation, (playing-position pitch and crow) there needs to be a relationship between those two notes. If you get G # with the reed in playing-position and a C# when you crow, there is something a bit strange going on there. The chances of that reed being stable-without resorting to embouchure manipulation seems slim to me. I am not saying that the two pitches have to be at 440, but there needs to be a relationship between the playing-position pitch and the crow.
I probably tend to rely on crowing and beeping further into the reed making process than most because by the time I am ready to test the reed in the oboe it is a couple of scrapes and clips away from being finished. Using your oboe too much in the reed making process can give you false information. For instance, with minute embouchure changes you can remedy false octaves making you think that you have a stable reed; but by crowing, then making a decrescendo with your air stream and listening for how quickly the pitch goes slack or sags you will know if you have a reed with true octaves.
For me, John Ferrillo represents the amalgamation of what I love most in American oboe playing: it is big and luscious without sounding brash with a harsh edge; it is sweet and singing without getting lost in the orchestral mass and has a ring I have never heard another oboe player achieve.
-so who do you think I have been studying with?
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