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Re: keywork questions

Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-11-13 23:33

MDF, I'd suggest as you live in the US, you're best off getting a conservatiore system with semi-auto 8ves as that is the standard system as used by pretty much everyone, and will be familar to teachers and repairers.

You needn't worry about thumbplate system as hardly any pro oboes are built to this specification anymore (and it's very rarely used outside the UK) - only some beginner and student model oboes in the UK (and ones made for the UK market) are pure thumbplate system whereby Bb and C are only made by taking the thumb off (and have the long side key that duplicates this action for trills).

Conservatoire system oboes are what pretty much everyone uses now, though in the UK for those that have learnt on a thumbplate system student model who upgrade will only have the option of a dual system oboe - that's a standard conservatoire system oboe with a thumbplate which duplicates the action of RH finger 1 for Bb and C.

Though it's swings and roundabouts when comparing the advantages and disadvantages of both conservatoire and thumbplate systems, and dual system (conservatoire with added thumbplate) does offer the best of both worlds. I personally play dual system (though have the Bb and C tuned for conservatoire fingerings as I primarily use conservatoire fingerings) and there are certain things that can be done on dual system that aren't that easy to do on either pure conservatoire or pure thumbplate system, and also the choice of different fingerings for Bb and C - either using the thumbplate or by putting RH finger 1 down. Once the thumbplate is held down, it reverts to conservatoire system.

There have been pure thumbplate system oboes with fully automatic 8ves, and it's also possible to have a dual system with fully automatic 8ves. But as has already been mentioned, with automatics you do lose certain harmonic fingerings for the upper register.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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