 The Fingering Forum
|
Author: Trey
Date: 1999-12-27 02:18
Recently I have been interested in the oboe. I visit sites on the Internet that sell oboes. When they use the term, full mechanism, what do they mean? What is the F reconasonce key?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: bLUEpeACE
Date: 2000-01-16 01:30
The F reconasonce kev is used fot forked F, typicly out of tuen ( when you use the 1st and 3rd fingure on your right hand) this healps it stay in turn, full mechanism, i bilieve is just a plane oboe, nothing special, but Full conservetory is when it coomes with almost all the bells and whistles.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris
Date: 2000-05-07 04:30
Both mean the same thing. The extra key. The Recanasonce key is a key that gives the oboe another way of playin that note.
Chris
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Andrea
Date: 2000-06-16 23:03
Hi, trey!
What a wonderful thing the discovery of planet Oboe...
Under 'F resonance key' are commonly described several
arrangements of a device, present at this time at least
in three configurations, designed to cure the tone and
tuning problems that cross fingerings, also called 'fork fingerings', give on many instruments of the woodwind
family having a certain bore-to-scale (air column operating
lenght) ratio. Since the early days this ratio, simply
called 'mensure', was in knowledge of the makers (albeit
their technology only allowed trial and error approaching)
who in turn were aware of the connection between tone-hole
size and their placement on the instrument's body.
It turns out that in designing an instrument capable of
producing every semitone of scale (as opposed as being diatonic) some compromise is called for, because we humans
have in our hands less fingers than the 12 semitones on which Western music is conceived. Such problems were dealt
with designing for any given instrument a pattern for
tone-hole placement that allowed each note to be sounded, either by lifting fingers from their hole or alternating
open and stopped holes, thus flattening the pitch of the
last open hole in the fingering. The complex and subtle
waveforms that rule recorder fingering is such an example.
The advent of full mechanisation that occurred since
the early '800 on all woodwind provided each instrument
with basic keywork, on wich all modern systems developed.
This proceeded somewhat in bound and leaps, and was not until 1907 that the oboe received its F resonance key, at last allowing the instrument to sound a really good
F natural. This is the Bonnet key, still the same today.
It opens a vent (similar in size to the Eb key) on the
right side of the lower joint when the right middle
finger is raised for 'forked F' but not when raised for
other purposes. This is standard of every modern oboe today
and should always be part of the basic keywork. In practise
is fitted by default only on the three basic configurations of the Conservatoire oboe, i.e. the standard French oboe or
Gillet model, the English thumbplate model and the Italian
Prestini model. Other styles and varieties does not always
incorporate it, neither do many 'student' model that are othervise true Conservatoire oboes. I am Italian and until
now I have never seen oboes without the F resonance key,
unless were replicas and reissues of historical designs, too old to be 'baroque' yet too young to boast all the technical advances that went on until recently.
As I mentioned before, the Bonnet key is not the only one
in use: the clarinet too employs the Acton mechanism to
improve such a note, but I don't know exactly if only
on German-style clarinets (Whose fingering pattern is
strictly related to that of the oboe) or on Boehm system
also (whose fingering is related with that of modern
flutes and saxophones). Hoping to have been useful, I just
remember always to seek for the F resonance key in buying
an oboe, although the third F key is fairly common nowadays
on all first-rate oboes and othervise available on request
on many lesser models. Should your oboe lack this essential device, keep your right pinky at hand for Eb key, assisted by a subtle change of embouchure, is the only way to play
a good forked F.
Good luck!
Andrea
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
