Author: vboboe
Date: 2007-11-16 03:22
Water in any tonehole this colder time of year is quite likely to be 'dew point' in your oboe -- where warm moist breath meets very cold instrument and condenses
... as the weather gets cold and/or very humid, thoroughly pre-warming instrument becomes more important, so try long warmup tones starting at F# and work all the notes in the bottom joint and bell first, before working any upper joint notes. When your oboe's warmed up in the nether region, only then open up the upper joint, half hole, 1st & 2nd 8ve notes in that order.
If it gets really gurgly, take reed out (suck it dry) close all tone holes to low Bb and and practice your dynamic breathing exercises for sffz, ff and fff so you can feel strong air coming out the bell for at least half a minute. It's lots of fun practicing your didgeridoo technique at this opportunity. Keep everything closed down to low Bb, or any side holes in the bell if you have those.
Other options are
drop swob down through oboe, one way only, to pull condensation down the pipe and dry the oboe
focus a pin-point blast of air directly across top of wet hole, as if playing the flute, blow the water out of there
blot the wet tone-hole and pad a few times, gently, by opening and closing with the silk swob underneath the pad -- or if you have 'em, ye olde-fashioned ungummed roll-your-own cigarette paper
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