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Re: S10 fingerings

Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-06-05 00:12

Here's a basic chart for thumbplate system (8ve1 - thumb 8ve key, 8ve2 - LH1 8ve key):

Lower register:
Bb - xxxBb|xxx(C)
B - xxxB|xxx(C)
C - xxx|xxxC
C# - xxx|xxxC#
D - xxx|xxx
Eb - xxx|xxxEb or xxxEb|xxx
E - xxx|xxo
F - xxx|xxFo or xxx|xox
F# - xxx|xoo
G - xxx|ooo
G# - xxxG#|ooo
A - xxo|ooo
Bb - xxo|ooo thumb off thumbplate
B - xoo|ooo
C - xoo|ooo thumb off thumbplate

Upper register:
C# - oxx|xxxC# (lift LH1 off the fingerlate)
D - oxx|xxx
Eb - oxx|xxxEb or oxxEb|xxx
E - 8ve1 xxx|xxo (close LH1 and open 8ve1)
F - 8ve1 xxx|xxFo or xxx|xox
F# - 8ve1 xxx|xoo
G - 8ve1 xxx|ooo
G# - 8ve1 xxxG#|ooo
A - 8ve2 - xxo|ooo (release thumb from 8ve1 and open 8ve2 with LH1)
Bb - 8ve2 xxo|ooo thumb off thumbplate
B - 8ve2
C - 8ve2 xoo|ooo thumb off thumbplate

Altissimo:
C# - oxx|xooC (lift LH1)
D - oxx|oooC
Eb - oxxG#|oooC
E - 8ve1 oxxG#|oxxEb
F - 8ve1 oxoG#|oxxEb

As the S10 has simple 8ve keys, you do need to release the thumb 8ve key and open the LH1 8ve key in the rocking motion as described in Jeremy's post above.

You do this when going from G-A and G#-A - play G with the thumb 8ve key and switch over when you play A to the LH1 8ve key (releasing the thumb 8ve key at the same time). This is also done with a slight upward tilt of your left hand (with an upward rotation of your left wrist) as you release LH3.

Semi-automatic 8ves will allow you to keep your thumb on the back 8ve key at all times, though these are only fitted on oboes from the S20 and upwards - it makes the switchover between 8ve keys much easier. Saxes do this changeover automatically by holding the 8ve key down and lifting/lowering LH3, but on oboes you have to do the changeover of the 8ve keys yourself.

Trills and trill keys:

The side key on the top joint is for trills and operated by RH finger 1 (instead of the left thumb trilling the thumbplate), so an A-Bb trill is done by playing A (xxo|ooo) and trilling with the side key, likewise B-C is done by playing B (xoo|ooo) and trilling the side key. An Ab-Bb (or G#-A#) trill is done by playing Ab (or G#) and trilling with the side key.

Low B-C# trill is played as low B (xxxB|xxx) and trilling with the RH little finger on the C# key - the B-C link will keep the low C key closed when the low B key is held down by the LH little finger alone, so it frees up the right hand little finger to trill the C# key.

C#-D# or Db-Eb is played by holding the LH Eb key down (LH little finger) and trilling with the RH C# key (RH little finger) - the Eb closes automatically when the C# key is closed, but only when you play Eb with the LH Eb key.

C-D trill is done by playing C (xoo|ooo thumb off thumbplate) and trilling with LH3 on the trill key. This will give a reasonable B-C# trill by playing B and trilling with the LH3 trill key. Bb-C trill is done by playing Bb (xxo|ooo thumb off thumbplate) and trilling with LH2.

Upper register Eb-F trill is played as Eb, but with this fingering - 8ve1 xxx|xxxEb and trilling with the right hand middle finger (RH2) giving 8ve1 xxx|xoxEb for the F.

F#-G# is played by playing F# like this xxxG#|xoo and trilling RH1 - the link will close the G# key (as on saxes), so you can keep the G# key held down all the while.

What is a doddle on flutes, clarinets and saxes is the A#-B (or Bb-Cb) trill as you just play B and trill with RH1. But on oboes is a pain - it has to be done by playing the A# (or Bb - xxo|ooo thumb off thumblate) but extending LH finger 1 to hold down the small spatula key (like the 'bis key' on a sax) and trilling with LH2. In the upper register for the A#-B/Bb-Cb trill, you can play this trill as upper register Bb (8ve2 xxo|ooo thumb off thumblate), but trilling with RH fingers 1 and 2 together, which is much easier (giving this fingering for the B natural: 8ve2 xxo|xxo thumb off thumblate).

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

Post Edited (2008-06-05 00:44)

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