Author: vboboe
Date: 2008-01-26 21:17
i think this is a new topic from boboe's good embouchure thread
<<now that i have a good concept of an embouchure how do i go about creating a consistently good tone ... i'm aware of long tones and slow pieces but i'm talking about more specific things like what to listen for and other little secrets>>
... and sorry folks, in my usual manner, this is ... long-winded ... which is maybe somehow very appropriate to the topic of good tone
i think *the secrets* or 'essential elements' of good tone can be summed up on the fingers of the left hand like this (starting at the pinky and count towards thumb)
5. Instrument
4. Reeds
3. Embouchure
2. Player
1. Air
*Instrument* needs to be good quality to begin with, be in excellent mechanical playing condition and properly adjusted. A poor quality instrument that doesn't play readily, is too resistant or isn't cut or fitted to play evenly in tune makes for a lot of extra work trying to make good tone.
A player tired out by the instrument can't maintain good tone even if possible to produce nice tone in the first place. Good oboists can make a poor instrument sound pretty good, but no good oboist will like that instrument.
*Reeds* need to suit the player so that working with them is comfortable, reeds must have their own good singing voice, be readily responsive and not too resistant, be stable between octaves, be flexible enough to change rapidly from low to high notes, and play readily in tune.
A nuisance reed makes more work for the player, no matter how experienced, and more work tires out the player who then can't maintain good tone.
*Embouchure* has to be well developed, which probably means not younger than 30 months of regular daily exercise (although possibly it takes a lot longer than that to reach peak perfection) so can expertly manage the reed consistently and sweetly at any dynamic for long periods of time.
Embouchure is the first thing to deteriorate when taking time off. When the embouchure isn't in tip-top condition, it can't manage the reed in fine detail, and that reduces ability to produce good tone.
*Player* needs to be in good health and fitness, have excellent aerobic stamina, maintain good erect oboe-playing posture sitting or standing without feeling strained for lengthy periods of time, be very well organised with oboe, accessories and habits, be thoroughly practised and rehearsed, be able to concentrate and get into the music, be timely, and all this just to be able to play readily, freely and fluently with relaxed confidence.
When the player is tired from not quite enough sleep, or is feeling under the weather physically or emotionally, or has had a very stressful, rushed time of it getting to rehearsal or concert, player will be off their game and find good tone very hard to produce.
And last, but not least ...
*air support* is critical to good tone. The way the oboe is blown and how you automatically control, direct, shape and manage your air is fundamental to good tone. Just blowing the thing isn't the same as controlling, directing, shaping and managing your air.
Consciously working at producing good tone is a lot more exhausting than letting it happen automatically from many, many hours of practice, practice, practice at training oneself how to do it just right. An experienced player trained to produce good tone automatically can play longer without undue fatigue than a novice player who has to mentally think about doing any of it.
Stress, fatigue and over-kill are the three deadly enemies of good tone.
Put thumb and first finger together -- that's Air and Player providing the Air
Put thumb and mid-finger together -- that's Air and Embouchure directing the Air
The weakest finger, third, is Reed, and Reed is always the most variable and least reliable of all factors for producing good tone, but without Air it's just a skinny piece of nondescript yellow cane
The pinky represents the oboe itself -- without Air, it's just an attractively designed wood pipe with ornamental metal fittings.
So, programmed with these 5 essential elements of good tone, every time you use the thumb octave, remind yourself it's always Air that supports good tone in any register :-)
Yes, but what exactly is good oboe tone?
This is something you have to listen to and hear, and it's hard to describe in words. Until you have a strong mental sound impression of good oboe tone, it's impossible to recognise it when you hear it, and it's impossible to know what sound you want to aim for in your own playing. So, listen to many recordings of different pro oboists, and distill what you hear until you're certain in your own mind you can hear what good oboe tone sounds like.
It's natural to mentally screen and filter all these different players' sounds by your own instinctive preferences and then you build your own idea of what 'ideal' good tone on oboe sounds like.
After that, you have to chase your tail, so to speak, on the Quest to produce your own ideal good tone on oboe. It takes years of practice, practice, practice to get there. Ask any old-timer oboist.
Every time you practice just 10 minutes a day on Air Exercises, these are small steps forward to make long leaps ahead by year's end (compared to same time last year)
Good tone could be defined as 'dolce' (sweet), clear and focused, lively and energetic ... and always in tune :-)
There's no place for rough, coarse quacky or ducky tones, or thin, nasal whiny tones, or bleaty sheepish goaty tones. These are not good tones.
The Foundation of good tone is Air Support. So, practice general aerobic breathing exercises, dynamic expression breathing exercises, long tone extended breathing exercises, etc. every day
One day in the future someone important will say to you
Hey! You've got great tone!
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